360° cameras are cool because they allow you to immerse yourself in the moment and you can worry about composing your shot later. However, once you turn the field of view down to more traditional levels, you’ll notice how little detail there is – especially in 4K, but even with a 5.7K camera like the Insta360 X3. One way to solve this problem is to increase the resolution to 8K.
Insta360 X4 is the company’s first 8K 360° camera. It can record 8K video at 30fps and now uses the more efficient H.265 codec (the X3 only uses H.264). Even so, the maximum bitrate for video has been increased from 120Mbps to 200Mbps to handle the additional resolution.
Insta360 X4
But if the older model’s 5.7K resolution is enough for your needs, the X4 is still worth the upgrade – it can now record 5.7K at 60fps (up from 30fps) and 4K at 100fps.
There are other enhancements. For example, if you’re lazy and use Me mode (which automatically keeps you in the frame so you don’t have to process the footage later), you’ll end up with a 4K 30fps clip compared to what the X3 can achieve at 1080p resolution.
Resolution Comparison: Insta360 X4 vs. X3
MaxView is capable of shooting video at 170° FoV and now records 4K video at 60fps, with the frame rate increased from 30fps. The resolution of time-lapse videos has been increased from 8K to 11K. In short, if the Insta360 X3 felt limited in resolution or frame rate, the X4 is a major improvement.
The new model also offers quality-of-life upgrades. First off, the touchscreen is a larger 2.5-inch panel (up from 2.29 inches previously) protected by Gorilla Glass. The two fisheye lenses on the camera also feature removable lens guards to protect against permanent scratches (a standard version is available in retail packaging, but a more durable premium version is also available).
Lens and screen protection for Insta360 X4
The new 2,290mAh battery greatly improves battery life (and this is not just a simple comparison with the old model’s 1,800mAh capacity). The X4 has a battery life of up to 135 minutes in 5.7K 30fps mode, which is 67% longer than the X3. The new 8K mode drains the battery in 75 minutes.
As before, the camera is rated for diving to 10m/33ft without additional protection. There is a stealth dive tank that allows you to dive even deeper, 50m/164ft. Additionally, it can operate in cold environments as low as -20°C/-4°F for capturing video during ski tours. Note that the camera is 23 grams heavier, now weighing 203 grams.
The improved video recording capabilities and longer battery life are partly due to the 5nm AI chip that powers the camera. The camera still uses a 1/2” sensor and can shoot 72MP still photos (available in INSP and DNG formats).
The Insta360 X4 is available starting today, and you can find it on the company’s online store as well as retailers like Amazon. The camera is priced at $500 in the United States and €560 in Europe. The stealth diving bundle pushes the price up to $680/€767, and the GPS bundle costs $711/€806. The latter includes the Insta360 GPS preview remote.
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