Insta360 X5 Image Quality vs X4 Analysis

How does the new Insta360 X5 (reviewed here) compare to last year’s Insta360 X4 (reviewed here) for image quality? Here are the two biggest differences between them.  But first, here’s a side by side comparison of their video quality with no commentary so you can observe for yourself:

Insta360 X5 vs X4 Specifications

Insta360 X5 vs X4 in Daylight

In daylight, the difference between the x5 and X4 is much smaller.  The level of detail is almost the same, with a slight advantage in color depth for the X5, i.e., it looks richer and has more subtle gradations, while the X4 looks more flat.  The X4 also looks a bit grainy when zoomed in.  But without looking closely, the X5 and X4 look similar in daylight.

One of the things to keep in mind is all these images need to be converted from insp to jpeg before we can compare them properly.

Rather the biggest difference for video quality between the X5 and X4 in daylight is glare.   When direct sunlight hits the Insta360 X4, you can see half of the image looks lighter from glare.  With the X5 in the same conditions, glare is much more controlled.  You’ll still see glare artifacts, but not the X4’s white haze on half of the lens.

Insta360 X5 vs X4 in Low Light

There’s a much bigger difference between X5 and X4 video quality in low light. The X5 has a PureVideo shooting mode, similar to the Ace Pro and Ace Pro 2, which makes it far better than the X4 in low light.  I estimate around a 2 stop difference.   Here’s a frame grab showing the huge difference in low light performance:

Even when I shot at 5.7K instead of 8K and handicapped the X5 Purevideo to shoot at 5.7K, there was still a big difference between them.  X5 is easily the most capable 360 camera for low light videos, beating the Insta360 One RS 1-inch and the Qoocam 3 Ultra.

Other Factors

The X5 has several other improvements over the X4.  Here are some of the most important ones:

• replaceable lenses
• Instaframe mode (see here) reframes videos in the camera automatically, while also giving you the flexibility to edit a fully spherical 360 video.
• Active HDR now up to 5.7K 60fps instead of 30fps.  You can also use the new i-Log profile when shooting in Active HDR.
• much better audio quality in noisy environments (hear it in this video).
• built-in quick release mount.
• twist-to-shoot: you can start and stop recording by quickly twisting the selfie stick twice
• longer battery (up to 3 hours at 5.7k endurance mode) that can charge quickly (80% in 20 minutes).

Where to Buy: FREE Replacement Lens Kit (limited time offer)

For a limited time, you can get the Insta360 X5 with a free replacement lens kit if you use my affiliate link.  It’s also available on Amazon (but you won’t get the free lens kit).  Thanks for supporting me at no cost to you so I can do more reviews and tutorials!