Best for…
This camera functions as a traditional action camera but can also capture spherical, 360-degree video and photos. But its image quality isn’t quite as good as what you can get from a GoPro model.
The Insta360 X5 is the easiest-to-use 360 camera, and thanks to its large image sensors, it still produces excellent image quality once you crop the footage down for social media.
The GoPro models we recommend are easier to use, and their image quality is a little better, but the Insta360 X5 offers far more creative options if you’re looking to elevate your videos.
It’s easier to use than other 360 cameras. That’s primarily thanks to its huge screen and physical buttons. The most important of these is a button near the bottom of the back of the camera that brings up the menu to quickly switch between modes, including switching between 360 mode and single-sensor mode.
In single-sensor mode, the X5 works exactly like any other camera, and you don’t need to edit the resulting footage before you post it anywhere. The only downside is that footage in this mode is limited to 4K 60 fps.
Video quality is extremely high, especially at night. The X5 offers an impressive 8K 30 fps maximum recording setting. In testing, we found that the 5.7K HDR video (also 30 fps) looked even better in most situations, thanks to its greater dynamic range. The 5.7K 60 fps mode allows for some slow motion, and if you’re looking for even slower slo-mo, the camera can also record at 4K 120 fps.
The X5’s unusually large, 1/1.28-inch sensors have bigger pixels that can capture more light than those in action cameras with smaller sensors. As a result, when less light is available — such as in the evening, or when you’re shooting video inside — the X5’s videos will look noticeably better.
It takes great still photos. Though most people use action cameras to take videos, the X5 can capture up to 360-degree photos at up to 72 megapixels (11904×5952) or 16:9 images at 36 megapixels. You can also convert a 360-degree image into a short video to share on social media with a single tap in the Insta360 app.
The image quality is similar to what you can get from the best smartphone cameras, with the added benefit of no visible selfie stick and everything around you being captured at once.
Insta360’s app makes editing easy. You can quickly choose angles, camera panning and zooming directions, speeds, and more. Generally speaking, you can find more creative possibilities here than in the GoPro Quik app, but either one will give you TikTok or YouTube videos in a snap.
Still, while Insta360’s app offers some automatic editing features, it lacks an equivalent to GoPro’s cloud-based, fully automatic video editing. Although that hands-off editing doesn’t require your phone or any interaction on your part, it does require a GoPro subscription. In contrast, Insta360’s editing uses your phone and requires more input, but it’s free.
It has user-replaceable lenses. For 360 cameras to work, the lenses have to stick out slightly from the body of the camera, which puts them at risk of damage. Previous Insta360 cameras came with detachable lens guards, but the X5 goes one step further, with replaceable lenses.
Yep, if you drop your camera or otherwise damage a lens, you can replace it yourself for about $30 at this writing. Insta360 also claims that the X5’s lenses are more scratch-resistant than those on previous models (we didn’t test this). And if you want to be really safe, lens guards are still available.
InstaFrame mode makes shooting in 360 even easier. Any 360-degree footage you capture has to be edited before you can post it to Instagram or TikTok. This task isn’t difficult, but it does take time.
The X5’s new InstaFrame mode offers an alternative that can save you from doing any editing at all — in specific situations, anyway.
In this mode, while recording a 360 video, the camera creates a separate 16:9 or 9:16 video that either tracks you or shows a fixed perspective from one of the lenses. You can share this video as soon as you download it to your phone. Or, if you decide that you want different framing for the video, you can edit the 360-degree footage however you want.
This mode limits you to 30 fps recording, but for many people in many situations, it will greatly reduce how much editing is necessary after a day’s adventure.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Its image quality isn’t as high as that of GoPro cameras. Compared with footage from the GoPro Hero13 Black, which tops out at 5.7K and 60 fps, the X5’s “normal” clips look a little less detailed, and you can’t crop in as much while editing. But overall, they still look sharp and colorful on social media.
The resolution specs are somewhat misleading. Although the X5’s resolutions seem extreme in comparison with what’s available on other cameras, what you’ll use in final clips is usually just a small portion of the overall resolution. This means that clips from GoPro cameras, which concentrate their resolution entirely in the 16:9 frame, produce better detail.
It’s not as rugged as other action cameras. Though the X5 is waterproof to 49 feet and is fairly rugged, the lenses stick out from both sides of the body, making this camera inherently more fragile than a GoPro model. It’s hard to put down without leaving it resting on the lenses. In general, be sure to take extra care when handling this camera, and use the included rubber lens guard.
It works best on a selfie stick. When shooting 360 content, you really need to use a selfie stick — otherwise, your hand and fingers will be in the shot. If you’re self-conscious about this, or if you’re going somewhere selfie sticks aren’t allowed (many amusement parks, for example), you’ll get more usable footage in the single-lens mode.
