Insta360 X4 Review: Unsponsored, unbiased - what's good and what's not!

Review and first impressions of the new Insta360 X4 8K 360 Camera and comparison to the predecessor, the X3. Includes discussion of what’s new, what’s missing and what’s worse, as well as side-by-side video and audio comparison tests under different filming conditions. Check out the channel for additional videos focused on Insta360 and other cameras and accessories.
Keywords:
Insta360 X4 360 action camera, 8K, 5.7K, 4K, fps, 1” sensor, microphone, bitrate, vlogging, content creation, KZbin, instagram, stabilization
Chapters:
00:00 - 03:10 Introduction
03:10 - 07:10 What’s New?
07:10 - 09:35 What’s NOT New?
09:35 - 12:10 What got Worse?
12:10 - 13:50 Comparison Tests Intro
13:50 - 15:30 Indoor / “Studio” Test
15:30 - 17:20 Outdoor Tests
17:20 - 20:10 Conclusion / Wrap-Up
Product Links (I may earn a commission):
Insta360 X4: amzn.to/447fNTo
Insta360 X3: amzn.to/3xLFGfy
Other Recording Equipment
Sony ZV-1: amzn.to/3UVWCr0
Rode Videomic Go II: amzn.to/3UoxdHZ

[@TheSaint226]

The most real / unbiased review I have seen so far... thank you for the indoor and outdoor examples... I love my X3, and while I was disappointed that they didn't upgrade the sensor AT ALL (even a 1/1.3 like in my tiny Mini 4 Pro) but I do absolutely see a nice increase in resolution. Thank you for the review!

[@gwebster65]

Glad to help! Thanks for watching.

[@InfiniteEnthusiast]

great work! thank you for your insight -- also great bambi shot !

[@gwebster65]

Thank you - glad you enjoyed it.

[@Simon-qy7pe]

Finally, A real review. Thank you.

[@rickhollm7267]

Great review, I liked that you did not label the videos so you would have to make your own decision totally based upon the videos. Since I was updating from a X1, I bought both the X3 & X4 cameras to do my own comparison and ended up returning the X3 and keeping the X4. A couple of things you did not mention was the X4 camera is significantly faster in operation/processing and 360 photos in my option are superior to the X3. Less noise, appear sharper, better color, and on camera processing for Pureshot and stitching (if you want ready to go pictures without external processing). I know most people will focus on videos, but I plan to use it for both and wanted to add my observations on still photos.

[@Utoober-yp7mf]

It's just right that you get the X4 if you're upgrading from the original one X. I on the other upgraded from one x to X3 and will be my last 360 cam. Video quality is my thing and 360 cams just can't beat other action cams like gopro, dji. I was even thinking of getting the invisible dive case but the video quality is just not there.

[@gutterrashrides249]

Thanks for the great review!

[@gwebster65]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching.

[@kkutube1972]

I appreciate your review, my X3 flew into the rive from my bag while jet skiing so considering the X4.

[@gwebster65]

Sorry to hear that. Thanks for watching.

[@markasquith8070]

BRILLIANT REVIEW thankyou . have had x1, x2, rs... have ordered x4. and subscribed.

[@streetxlens]

true reviews like this dent require chapters as they will be detailed & suspense thrillers :D... love from India

[@tituslin]

Great review, thank you! One question: In one of your previous videos, you had an issue with the DJI Mic 2 and the X3, with the receiver cold shoe showing in the clips. Wondering if this is still an issue with the X4?

[@videolan]

I wondered the same as the X4 is slightly thicker than the X3

[@WisePaul1337]

Thanks for the great review, i currently own the one x2 and am considering upgrading to the x4.

[@gwebster65]

Glad I could help

[@hlehtine]

Thanks for a good review 👍 As an owner of X1, X2 and X3 I am pretty sure that I am going to purchase this one also. One confirm to my decision came from you review, especially when I saw your surprise guests, particularly in the zoomed section in 17:00. Wow, the difference in image quality compared to X3 is bigger than I expected! So even if the physical sensor size is the same with those cameras, they have definitely made some big improvements there besides just the resolution. Yes the sensor size could have been upped a little but I myself would have not want "1 inch" sensors to this thing, it would have been made to camera way too big. This size increase now I can understand and it is ok. Of course if I look that old X1 now it is soo small and nicely rounded shape without all of that weather sealing, have to love it. Removable lens guards & bigger battery in X4 are also a big plus. And many other small improvements also. Btw did you mention that there is no more that 30 minute file limitation, again a big thumbs up for me about the X4, that has always been a big no to me with those long 17 second gaps. In a nutshell, yes there are some things that could have been updated even more, for example USB-C could have supported audio straight away but even as a current X3 owner I think that this new cam is really worth consideration, of course also depending what type of shoothing you will use it for.

[@gwebster65]

Great input - thanks

[@drooner]

Thanks for your honest review. I bought the X4 and hoped that the quality would be much better than the X3. It's NOT better at all. Not video, not photo - you can still not zoom at all. Same sensor - same noise. I'm sending it back. All the other reviews are just by people who got it for free.

[@gwebster65]

Thanks for sharing

[@vincevenom3377]

Loving my X4

[@TheKilerfish]

Is there any way you could maybe upload some raw 8k 360video files and photos? It's amazingly hard finding them for the X3 let alone just released X4. Really appreciate the honest review, keep it up!

[@JustUser-ou5dy]

A review how it should be. Very good work. Thanks! 👍

[@gwebster65]

Glad you liked it!

[@SteveWB]

The X4 looks better for sure but still the leaves and fine details seem muddy to me and even worse on the edges. Thanks for this video!

[@scrollop]

I agree - before he zoomed in on the deer I thought the X3 was the better.

[@rolandmeijer]

Excellent review! I have the X3 and I won't upgrade to the X4, I'll wait for an updated Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 instead (hopefully later this year...)

[@gwebster65]

If it wasn’t for my channel, I don’t think I would have purchased the X4 either. Pretty disappointed.

[@ShaneReynolds]

So I'm assuming that when you take the X4 360 footage into Insta360 Studio, you can still only reframe and export a (slightly cleaner) native 1080p video? Or can you export a native 4K video? Changing the export settings to 4K on the X3 always seemed to give poor results. Hoping 8K 360 provides a reasonable 4K video image once it's framed. Yay or Nay?

[@gwebster65]

I have generally only exported in 4K, for the X3 and X4.

[@amanieux]

If i relember correctly x2 had h265, x3 did not, so x4 brought h265 back ? What is the maximum bitrate in h265 8k ? Only 8 bit color ?

[@breakthroughattitude]

Great review very factual and unbiased 💯

[@gwebster65]

Glad you enjoyed

[@DarkStoneCastle]

I like the A, B blind tests

[@gwebster65]

Glad you liked it.

[@hayabusaTravels]

Great review! One question: how many GB for 1min of 8K? Gonna get this camera for my long motorcycle travels and need to know what external SSD to get! Thank you!

[@gwebster65]

I am currently working on another video about this, but initial testing shows about 1.6GB per minute of 8K/30

[@shogun9x1]

some reviews said 1gb for one minute if shooting in h256

[@gwebster65]

My tests show 1.6 GB. See my latest video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aqSaaIWJqJqig7c

[@builderphill1361]

​@@shogun9x1I saw a post where an employee said about 1GB a minute but there could be 2-3 in total from cacheing?(I don't remember the exact words)

[@shahinthai]

Honest review👏 X3❤

[@gwebster65]

Thanks for watching.

[@tm5625]

has the 360 spherical photo quality improved much?

[@gwebster65]

I will try to get round to doing some still photo comparisons. Thanks for watching.

[@gamingtechtravelbutmostlygamin]

Is it only me or it seems that in the center of the lenses x3 has sharper view but closer to the edges i can see more detail already in x4. I think i'll keep both cameras and will film on both and then will decide wich is better and when. not a significant upgrade to me, but still, quality of life on x4 are enough to buy it.

[@saintespritco8645]

Great work, but here is some advices to get better results: 1st: There's a high-pitched whistle at the start of your video, at the end of the intro, and another at the end of "what gets worse", kind of ultrasound... Not good to hear. 2nd: You forgot some points, about what does not change: the resolution output, the all 360 resolution is maybe 8K, but the output resolution is still 2.7k, 4k is only for single lens mod, and that, no one seems to point it out... 8k Is for the all 360 sphere, 4k for each lens... Exactly the same as the X2 and the X3...

[@Ozpeter]

Interesting. But a key question is, what did you have the X4 sharpening set to? Elsewhere it has been shown that setting it to 'low' loses significant amounts of detail. And with its 2.7k typical reframed output in this 4k world, it needs all the help it can get.

[@gwebster65]

Good points. Both cameras were set to the low sharpness setting for these tests.

[@AndreGranjo]

Great video. You need to be more carefull of the audio quality... very annoying loud hiss and high frequency pitch on this one...

[@gwebster65]

Got it. Thanks for the feedback.

[@RobertMeyerOfficial]

thanks, great comparison! :) Exactly what I was looking for. I really do prefer the way better image quality and gonna sell my x3 for x4.

[@gwebster65]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MomentArchives]

very good un-biased review. I was looking forward to 1" sensor, and the accessories are not backward compatible. and for night mode, with still the 1/2" sensor, not much improvement from X3. my opinions to getting X4 - new 360 users, X1/X2 upgraders. - upgrade from X3 if want to get higher frame rate for good and sharp image and night capability. - get 1" One RS (but it overheats very fast, and not waterproof) - or get AcePro for that night mode.

[@gwebster65]

Good input - thanks for watching.

[@creativepicnl]

Im considering the x4. Also because it would be my first attempt in using a 360 camera. I see a lot of pro’s when shooting in 5.6- and 8K because I will most likely crop a lot. I would use it as a second travel camera and get the easy selfie shots with it. I also like the pocket 3 but I’m not that familiar with the specs. I mostly use a mirrorless and a gopro for my travel vids and I’m comfortable with that except the gopro (7) needs an upgrade because I no longer want to use the gopro gimbal. A 360 camera seems very manageable for my wife so I could have her film a bit more as well with the 360 cam. 😃

[@gwebster65]

I shoot most of my videos with a DJI Pocket 3. It shoots incredible 4K video - far better quality than you will get from a 360 camera. That said, a 360 camera is perfect for when you don't want to worry about where to point your camera - you capture everything in all directions, and can select your view(s) later on in processing. Obviously, that means you have to put in more work to process, but it can be really worth it to get a perspective that you otherwise may not have captured (or even been able to capture).

[@creativepicnl]

Thanks for the reply. You pointed out both strong points with both cameras. Unfortunately the point and shoot is where the difficulty lies in a way for my wife. She’s not the traveler type that likes to film. The 360 camera takes away that difficulty and focus for her. I’d probably prefer the 1 inch sensor but I can easily compensate by shooting more with my mirrorless. There’s a lot to think over since the pocket 3 is a lot smaller than my current (outdated) GoPro setup which is another pro. Oof..choices..😅

[@64x2ful]

I think there is another enhancement regarding the me mode resolution, from 1080 to 4k. That is quite significant

[@gwebster65]

Good point - thanks.

[@GurmukhSinghBahra]

I just bought the insta360 One RS 1” a few weeks ago… what should I do? 😅 is this an upgrade?

[@gwebster65]

Hmmm, tough one. Unfortunately I don’t have any personal experience with the RS. I would guess that the newer tech in the X4 will give it similar quality to the RS, but the RS should be better in low light. Also, the RS is quite large and not weather/waterproof. Hope that helps.

[@info379]

Rs for photo, x4 for video.

[@cow77cow]

What makes me upgrade fro x3 to x4 the screw on lens protector. The constant fear of scratch the lens on this cameras made me just not using enough.

[@shogun9x1]

well if that is the only thing that you can buy those lens protectors from insta for your x3 but with stickers, less convenient I know but save you 500$

[@walking_r_b]

I have the X3, maybe it's my fault, or it's due to the youtube compression, of course there is a difference, but I can't see that much of a difference that's worth the extra money for the X4... 🤔🤔🤔

[@user-sh7jq1ho8b]

Audio quality on X4 is much better. I could tell which is which just by listening to your voice.

[@lifeneedsmorechill]

As "cool" as the x4 might seem. Still sticking to the same sensor size was a deal breaker for me. Yes theres more pixels now but noise will still be bad during low light scenes. Ill just wait for the more expensive but larger sensor 1 inch version with 8k.

[@bartoszkozak]

Nice review! I found one more downgrade in X4. Right now don't have a webcam mode. Probably they add this in the future bo right now X3 have but X4 not.

[@gwebster65]

Good to know - thanks for sharing.

[@JePeVePe]

You mention GoPro, but.... with GoPro, I do feel they don't 'gain' much with every new model... so... With action camera's, there is not much to gain anyway.... the formfactor makes it impossible to use bigger sensors, and... with 4K or 8K, processing it, you always get a lot of heat. I stopped using 5.4K on my GoPro/Insta camera's, since... in a studio, you run the risk of overheating, and even on 4K , it's getting bloody hot. I do agree that the price raise is stupid... but that also was the case with GoPro for a while. What I find bit weird is that this X is 'seen' and also 'compared' as a 'normal' actioncamera, but... it's a 360 camera! So, bit weird to compare it and say that the quality is less then a gopro (you are not saying that, but I noticed some yt'ers telling that). They seem to forget that 360 camera's use 180 degree lenses, which are always softer at the edges. It's weird that almost nobody reviews it for where it initial was designed for: in a VR headset. Most use it now for a 'camera with all angles' but, most then 'think' it's a normal camera, but that isn't the case.

[@gwebster65]

Great input - thanks.

[@dethronedemperor2811]

Best review I've seen so far. I am sticking with my X3, couldn't tell much difference in video quality until you zoomed in. Totally disappointed they kept same sensor, seems to me its all software upgrade (AI upscale/noise removal) and not much else. I wish you also did a still photo comparison, I'm assuming there would not be much difference.

[@gwebster65]

I will try to get round to doing some still photo comparisons. Thanks for the feedback and for watching.

[@niclaslinden5960]

Here in Sweden the X4 is 200 dollars MORE than what you pay in the USA. Here it costs 700 dollars.

[@gwebster65]

Wow! That’s very expensive for a “consumer” camera.

[@niclaslinden5960]

@@gwebster65 Yes, it is unfortunately insane.

[@ilovebohol]

Im thinking of buying from US and ship it to the Philippines, but the import fee would end up costing 720 total… if bought from a local retailer, its 560usd here.

[@brianmagicman3556]

Is it me or does the tree branch above your head at 15.58 on Camera A look clearer and more detailed whereas the same branch on Camera B looks blurry and distorted ?? Also the facial hairs on Camera B make your face look somewhat weird as opposed to camera A where your facial skin looks clean ?? Pause the video at 15.58 and you'll see what I mean (I'm watching in 4K on my smart tv)

[@gwebster65]

You are correct. There's no question that 8K on the X4 gives better detail.

[@brianmagicman3556]

@gwebster65 So camera A was the X4 ?? Immediately afterwards (when zooming in on the deer shot) he said the X4 was Camera B (which I think looked worse when he was doing the mic test and walking test) ?? Camera B was the X4 then yes ?? If so, I thought it looked worse during the walking shot at 15.50

[@aussieexpat]

The video quality comparison needs to show a more realistic scenario ie. Action. A talking head is wildly easier to compress than say, skateboarding.

[@gwebster65]

It’s a good point, but I think my skateboarding days are way behind me!

[@VincentSmith1776]

So you want a sensor that's already available in the RS and are complaining about a longer lasting battery that certainly was need to support the processing necessary for 8k.265. seems like you didn't like this camera before you bought it.

[@gwebster65]

Yes, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect an innovative company like Insta360 to migrate technology that they already have 2 years experience with to their "consumer" action camera series. Also, I fully understand why they had to change the battery (I even said as much) but it's still frustrating to those of us who have invested quite a bit of cash (the batteries are $45 each!) in the "old stuff". I actually do like the X4, but after 18 months wait, it could have (should have?) been so much more.

[@PiuPassioneCheRagione]

Fix the audio noise

[@gwebster65]

Working on it. Still need to figure out the cause.

[@TPCV2]

TimeToLiveTimeToLiveTimeToLiveTimeToLiveTimeToLiveTimeToLive .... OHHHH Tech Travel Leisure!! Got it.

[@gwebster65]

the inspiration was actually “through the lense”

[@moniquethompson8388]

There’s humming in your background

[@10000Islands]

5.7k 60fps makes it a much better camera than the X3, and it has nothing to do with slow motion. 60 fps is a minimum for any camera or subject movement.

[@aryanvaid7530]

so 8k over 360 degrees. if you use a portion of the video, you are probably looking at 2.5k

[@gwebster65]

Correct.

[@imantslv6953]

The guy complaining about features talking through a potato mic is kinda funny 😂

[@sanjaymrzn]

May be you are commenting from a potato phone

[@samer820]

The video quality is still so grainy and blurry compared to DJU Action 4 and pocket 3....

[@gwebster65]

That’s to be expected because you are cropping in quite a lot when reframing, plus both the Action 4 and Pocket 3 have larger sensors.

[@samer820]

@@gwebster65 but if you are using single lens without any reframing, is the image quality better and sharper?

[@gwebster65]

I doubt it (but good idea for another test!). I think the main purpose of the single lens mode is so the X4 can do “double duty” as a basic action camera also.

[@firstsoldier4257]

ne minute recording over 1GB after edit it 100MB you cant let in your computer UN edit it there you need huge har disc your computer never gonna edit quick with insta360 software because cant use all your prosesor capacite 30 minutes 8K recording shuting down because of heating so not use summer... one lens schrach camera is useless unless you send them insta360 to hongkong x4 220 dollars x3 120 dollar cost a repair your garantie is useless for this you know why they send them with lensguard because you need it

[@torbenkristiansen7732]

Seriously, if you compare the video quality with photo or video from a traditional camera in the same price range, the X4 is one of the most unnatural I've seen in terms of colours etc, and at vivid it goes completely wrong, pastel Disney look, it's not possible to get anything resembling reality out of this camera, the X4 is actually worse than the X3 in my opinion, the X4 is like a glittering bad commercial, is it all that AI? You show a clip with a deer and say the X4 is more natural, you can't be serious, it's redseosfull 8K or not.

[@gwebster65]

For me, the colors in standard mode are actually quite true-to-life. Plus, you can always use the standard or flat color profile.

[@lenimbery7038]

Not totally unbiased since you've been an Insta360 camera fanboy for awhile now

[@AbhishekJainaj]

a real review where @insta360 wont even comment

[@gwebster65]

Glad you liked it - thanks for watching.