Insta360 X5 review: this one upgrade makes it worth it

I never took 360 cameras seriously. That is, until I started spending more of my free time skiing and snowboarding. My social media feeds are inundated with [mostly sponsored] videos of people using these cameras for exactly that purpose — capturing those thrilling moments on the snowy mountains. And the marketing worked. I punched in that affiliate link, got myself a new 360 camera last year, and never looked back. I was hooked.

And once Insta360 reached out to tell me about the new X5, I was ready for another adventure. I journeyed back to Tahoe to try the new action camera in my most familiar habitat, test its new larger sensor, more “durable than ever” lenses, and see how the new microphone housing deals with wind.

The new X5 can capture 4K footage up to 120fps, up from 100fps on the X4. And like the earlier model, it can film in 8K up to 30 frames per second, or in 5.7K up to 60 frames per second.

As always, the biggest jump in image quality comes from the new larger sensor and new image processing. Both those factors contribute to better image quality. It is impressively good. The footage looks noticeably sharper, and the colors look livelier. I was surprised to see such a big difference between the two cameras.

All of those extra details come very handy in post-production. I can stretch out, extend, and manipulate the footage more before the quality degrades. When using the X4, I often found that the sky would have this dark blob over it. That issue is almost gone with the X5.

The microphone housing on the X5 has a new look. Instead of a microphone hole, there is now a built-in windscreen. The goal is to get more clarity from your videos while eliminating wind sounds. It worked well in my tests while skiing down a mountain. People who use these cameras on motorcycles will be thrilled to hear more engine sounds instead of wind noise.

As I said earlier, I mostly use these cameras for action sports or to get specific shots only possible with a 360 camera. But now and then, I try using it for something else, and walk away feeling disappointed. I brought the X4 to CES this year, for example, and used it to film the show floor. The footage had a lot of noise, and stabilization couldn’t keep up, making my clips jittery.

Insta360 is trying to fix that with a new mode called Purevideo. It’s the same mode that was introduced in their Ace Pro cameras.

It cranks up the post processing. Low-light footage looks cleaner with less noise and punchier color and contrast. I’ve tried it in many different scenarios, and each time it performed better than the normal video mode. It’s an improvement over the X4 and opens up more possibilities for this camera.

Lastly, the X5 can film in LOG. People who want more control over coloring footage in post editing will be very excited about that. However, it only works in Active HDR for some reason. And for those who film in HDR mode, the good news is that it can now film in 5.7K up to 60fps, not 30fps, which has been the limitation on the X3 and X4.

There is also another new filming mode. It’s called instaframe and it lets you record auto-framed “flat” video of yourself and the 360 video simultaneously. You can share a flat video quickly and keep the 360-degree video for editing later.

And that’s almost it. At least when it comes to image quality performance, but there are some more new things here worth going through.

The first one has to do with repairability. Insta360 made it easier to swap out your damaged lenses by letting you do the swap yourself. For $29.99 you can get a lens replacement kit which includes a single lens, removal tool, brush and a few accessories like lens cloths, wipes and gloves. The swap itself is very straightforward. I read the instructions once and five minutes later I had swapped my damaged lens for a new shiny one.

I’m thrilled about this change. If you have ever tried using the lens guards to protect the camera, you’re aware how those degrade your footage. This type of feature might even allow you to take more risks.

Battery life is improved in some modes.. You get about 8 minutes more (83 minutes total) on a single charge when filming in 8K30fps and the same 135 minute runtime when filming in 5.7K30fps. However the batteries do charge noticeably faster this year. It takes 20 minutes to get to 80% as opposed to 38 minutes on the X4, but it comes at a cost. The battery has been slightly redesigned, so you won’t be able to use your old ones in this model. While I’m glad there are year-over-year improvements, Insta360 batteries were already very good and didn’t necessarily need the update. New batteries each year just add to environmental costs and just means I’ll have to spend more on new ones.

And if you do, Insta360 also says the glass on these lenses is stronger than ever. Ideally, you won’t need the replacement kit at all. I got a tiny scratch on my review unit, but it’s so minor that it didn’t appear in any of my clips.

Finally, the Insta360 mobile app has been revamped to simplify the editing process. I’m still trying to get used to it and there are quite a few bugs that still need squashing. Some icons aren’t labeled and features are sometimes unavailable when they should be. I’m also only able to export videos in 30fps for some reason. I’ll have to spend some more time with it.

The Insta360 X5 is a great 360 camera in a market without much competition. There are some rumors lately of a new 360 camera by DJI. Meanwhile, GoPro is still expected to release its version this year. There are two areas where those companies could differentiate.

The first one is its weight and overall footprint. Both the X4 and X5 are slightly larger and heavier than their predecessors, and sometimes I felt that weight after extended use, especially on my ski helmet. A smaller 360 camera would be compelling.

The second area is price. The X5 costs $550, $50 more than the X4, which brings it to $100 more than the X3. If you’re considering an upgrade, I recommend taking into account what you need the most from a 360 camera. If image quality is at the top of your list, then upgrade to the X5, you won’t regret it. And if that price tag is holding you back, wait a little, I’m sure there will be an affiliate link for you to use soon.