Why choose this over the Insta360 X4? QooCam 3 Ultra 8K 360 Camera

[@TheRealRichardWong]

[***UPDATE: I've just confirmed with Kandao, QooCam3 Ultra is waterproof up to 10m, which is same rating as QooCam 3 and Insta360 x4 ***] *** Early Bird Promotion is now finished. QooCam 3 Ultra will be officially available from 29 August 2024 *** US & Canada：reurl.cc/ez0jYj EU：reurl.cc/AjEGNY JP：reurl.cc/OM2xO7 Code: RICHARD (Affiliated Links) Other regions: prd.kandaovr.com/product/qoocam-3-ultra/?wpam_id=6

[@captteemo9133]

Can I start filming straight away after being under water? Thinking about cooling it down quickly between shots with water :D

[@0LoneTech]

Cute idea, but I reckon the (already questionable) audio would suffer from having water left in the channels. Other than that, the main issues should be how resilient the fan really is and wiping off the lenses.

[@captteemo9133]

​@@0LoneTech:D yeahh you are right ^^ or we just put a cooling pack around the part where no lenses are since the condensing water will have no effect as it is waterproof

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@captteemo9133 haha that's a cool idea! But yes i think the built-in microphone would not sound very well immediately after a dip in the water.

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong :D But another question, is there a "fan off" mode? So it is deactivated and the camera just stops recording or so? And can I activate the fan during not filming so it can cool down (manually, not that stupid automatically on as in the Pro 2 :D)

[@alexeytrusovru]

Finally, a company has appeared that has made a good semi-professional panoramic camera without unnecessary entertainment functions! Great camera for the price! Thank you very much for the detailed review! 🔥🔥🔥

[@edrakel]

Richard, this is the most comprehensive camera review I have ever watched.Great job. Keep up the great work.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

thank you very much Ed!

[@tetraskele9621]

Amazing review; thorough and detailed. Thank you!

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks for watching!

[@daveinportland]

What makes the Insta360 work for me are the app and the desktop editing software. Those that aren't Insta360 usually have dreadful apps/software.

[@CLVlogs05]

I was going to comment the same thing, for DJI for example the app and transfer make it more valuable than gopro

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I agree, the app is really important for cameras like this. I also agree Insta360 software is ahead of everyone. But to be fair, Kandao has improved their desktop and mobile app quite a lot compare to just 1 year ago. As mentioned in the review, i think it's still lacking some of the features, and needs a bit more polish but it's far from what I would call dreadful.

[@captteemo9133]

FYI @everyone: Regarding stabilization issues (lighting and jitter) I got this answer by Kandao: "Thanks for your support to us. Our beta testers and influencers have feedbacked those problems to us, we have identified the problems and are working on fixing them. Please rest assured that these problems will be fixed when you get the camera. Thank you once again for choosing us."

[@Dada974_]

Nice review 👍 What i like most about the QooCam is the 10-bit color range, other than that i prefer the X4 over all other comparison points

[@ezrakoper]

I just sold my X2 and bought the Insta 360 X4. After your comparison I understand much better the X4 especially why in low light I should use 5.7K instead of 8K. Same for photo of 72MP which is now clear to me and was a history prior your video. Thanks again for the very very detailed comparison.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks again Ezra and glad the video explained a few mysteries!

[@ChristiaanRoest79]

I prefer the X4. Way better stabilization. Insta360 is the stabilization king

[@jordanlee2645]

But if it stops recording, then it doesn't matter. Mine does this very often. Saying there's something wrong with sd card. Even though its top spec sandisk

[@captteemo9133]

Stabilization improved a lot, quality of images is just amazingly much better

[@AkiTsukita]

@@jordanlee2645 How much did you bought your sd card?

[@Planet-ICELAND]

Good somebody is providing competition

[@Ozpeter]

Woah. What happened to the Qoocam during the stabilisation test? Its footage looks pretty bad compared to the X4 at that point - I don't mean in terms of stabilisation but brightness, resolution, colour, and almost everything else. I had been quite impressed with the QooCam up to that point, but when I saw that, I lost interest. Anyway, thanks for the detailed review - lots of hard work in that!

[@captteemo9133]

Same question, what the hell was that? Please connect with the engineers to find out :/ I mentioned the same in my comment.

[@Ozpeter]

@@captteemo9133 Off the top of my head I wonder about low bitrate. It simply isn't coping with the movement of the camera.

[@captteemo9133]

@@Ozpeter No you are misinterpreting this, this is no bitrate issue, this is due to micromovements (vibration). Check Hugh Hous video where he mounts it on a drone for seeing that effect in extreme. The bitrate here is far higher. Also the moving lights are because of long aperture and maybe non matching exposure on the 2 lenses.

[@captteemo9133]

@@Ozpeter FYI @everyone: Regarding stabilization issues (lighting and jitter) I got this answer by Kandao: "Thanks for your support to us. Our beta testers and influencers have feedbacked those problems to us, we have identified the problems and are working on fixing them. Please rest assured that these problems will be fixed when you get the camera. Thank you once again for choosing us." Let's see if that's true ^^

[@HenkWalks]

@@captteemo9133 The bitrare is higher? Its 150 Mbps and the X4 does 200Mbps. And this has 10 bit with this low bitrate? And the X4 in H265 codec, not sure what codec this uses. On a tripod it may not be a problem, but when moving, it will.

[@ElaztikaVR]

Great review

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you

[@johnlord7188]

A very thorough evaluation. Thank you.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Glad it was helpful! thanks for watching

[@KwasnikPictures]

Wow another massive in-depth review!! 😲

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Haha yeah at least don't have to edit this in a hotel room this time 😂

[@alolkoydesigns]

I am impressed. I currently own the X4 and would like sharper results than I am getting when doing star time lapse at 1600 ISO

[@360cityviews]

Thx a lot from Germany..i will by it. I own a instaonx2. great work of you..

[@chrisogrady28]

I wish Insta360 would make a prosumer compromise with 3 cameras in a triangular orientation. It would allow much higher res, low light performance, and distortion reduction

[@virtualgum]

Yes!

[@dimitrimoonlight]

Thanks for your overheating test ❤ it's extremely hot in Spain.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Just keep in mind my test wasn't under a really hot condition (as it's winter in NZ right now). But I do expect the active cooling can extend the shooting time compare to camera without active cooling

[@KandaoVR]

Thank you, Richard, for your thorough review of the QooCam 3 Ultra! 💯

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks for the invite!

[@TartaGeule]

Tanks for this big nice work ;)

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks for watching!

[@Coatsey007]

I thought your review was very balanced considering you got an inside look before everybody else and would wish to keep that kind of access. So well done. I was disappointed you did not discuss this in 10bit for battery and record time which is the core difference to x4 users.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you for watching and feedback!

[@dukeblueview]

The lens flares at 28:27 and 29:16 seem a little concerning. Do you know if it's the same way on the X4?

[@HenkWalks]

You mean at 37:25? It looks similar to the X3. The X4 seems better from what I have seen so far, not sure compared to this camera.

[@dukeblueview]

@@HenkWalks Okay thanks. 37:25 as well, but if you pause during the wide view right at 28:27, you can see that half of the shot is messed up from one lens facing the sun. Or maybe each lens is using different exposure settings for some reason (which is still concerning in my opinion, unless Richard purposefully set it that way).

[@HenkWalks]

@@dukeblueview Ah yes, now i see. Yes looks bad and similar to X3 with strong low sun. I made a quick comparison of the flair between X3 and X4 in kzbin.info/www/bejne/aZqqaYmabL6qntEsi=yVfZTgNp_kcsDjif at 16 and 39 seconds. The X4 was better but maybe there was just at that moment a little bit less strong sun. It is now rainy season here, so I could not do additional tests. The flare on the X3 made it often impossible to record just before sunset.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I didn't do test with X4 at 28:27 so can't comment. But from my experience the X4 can also flare quite a bit even without the lens guard.

[@andrewcampbell3184]

Great indepth review as usual! Perfect timing i'm just searching for a new 360 or action camera!

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Andrew, hope you found this review useful

[@jackieckfu]

Thank you very much. How can the camera include an active cooling system while remaining water proof? Is there any vent on the camera?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I'm not too sure, i'm guess the cooling fan itself is waterproof. There are vents at the bottom of the camera

[@redbutton_photo]

Uuuuuh isn’t water a good enough conductor of heat? If something is submerged wouldn’t it be cool enough? 🤔🤔🤔

[@marmileson9712]

25:16 The light is totally wasged out in the xhinese camera Look at the sign above his head! It is like a totally different one

[@Kanyekaze]

I love your video on the QooCam! However, try to be more aware of the frequent high intonations you use to end your sentences. It makes it hard to listen to you when you speak which is 100% of the video. But overall great video, man. Appreciate the awesome review you dropped for us.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you for the feedback! I'm a bit aware of that too just a bit hard to change haha. But thank you and I will try put more efforts correcting that high pitch at the end of the sentence from now on :)

[@JConvey]

Thanks!

[@DavidBeechfieldBrownArt]

Thank you for a very clear and detailed overview of this camers It certainly has a great feature set, and at last 10 bit..... I just dont like the colour output of its videos. The official videos have bright and vibrant colours while every other video I have seem from this camera is rather flat, especially the skys. I find Insta360 video colour the other extreme, artificially vibrant. I want a camera somewhere in the middle 😊

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I've suggested to Kandao they could add different picture profiles (e.g. normal, vivid, flat) and different sharpness level to suit different users.

[@JoJoOnTheMove]

Like always a very throughout review. Thank you Richard. I have the X2 but won't use it anymore because of the bad image quality in 'less than perfect' situations, and the low resolution. I see that the newest generation 360 camera's still suffer from this. I love the 360 camera idea for vlogging, but for now I still prefer to use the S5IIX with the Sigma 16-28 for these purposes. I do understand ofcourse I don't have some the benefits that the 360 camera's have, but the quality is so much better, thats just no comparison.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

thank you! If you want picture quality, 360 camera definitely can't replace a camera like your S5IIX. For me, I see 360 as a complementary, not a replacement to a large sensor mirrorless camera. But for a lot of people, the 360 camera's image quality is getting to the level that is good enough under most scenarios and offers a lot of other benefits that it's probably a better choice for them as you said that it makes sense to use that for vlogging..etc.

[@SpaklesDr]

I am looking for either an action cam or camera like this for a big hike I have this year. So hard to choose.

[@andrewcampbell3184]

i think 360 camera is more fun! but Action camera is tougher if you want to capture crazy dangerous action

[@SpaklesDr]

@@andrewcampbell3184 I'm mostly just looking to document hikes...no crazy action.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

If you want to shoot fast action, and have to mount the camera in crazy location, then action cam is still better. For general use, I prefer 360 cameras more as you have the flexibility to set your camera angle later on.

[@captteemo9133]

Use a 360 cam instead of an action cam due to capturing everything not just where the frame is. Film in 5.7k60fps and if you need more quality upscale it to 8k 90fps with Topaz Video Ai (needs rendering PC with min. 1k$ GPU).

[@JaimeAndresMedia]

Great video!! Thank you for this, I recently got the QCU3 and I realize that the 10bit video is only able to record at 100-ISO or below, therefore you are unable to get 10bit quality in low light or indoors. Or am I missing something?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

It shouldn’t be iso100 only, hmm what makes you think it’s iso100 only?

[@JaimeAndresMedia]

@@TheRealRichardWong when I select HLG 10bit, the ISO does not go above 100

[@JaimeAndresMedia]

@@TheRealRichardWong also, I realized that there is no way to do key frames to reposition the frame neither on the mobile app nor on the desktop app, or am I missing something?

[@zaldabus]

What options are available in terms of color profiles? Does it have a log profile and if yes is it real log or a prosumer version like D-Log M?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

it records in HLG standard.

[@TheGadgetGuru]

Hi Richard. Hopefully or someone can give me a quick reply to this question so that I can make a decision whether or not to buy it. Is there a Mac Desktop Studio App for this camera? I searched the Apple store and didn't find one. I'm hoping there's a desktop app where I can reframe my footage with keyframes and then export the files for post production in FCPX. Please advise.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@TheGadgetGuru yes there is a desktop software for mac. You can download it from their website.

[@TheGadgetGuru]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thank you for the rapid reply Richard, but with all due respect, in this day and age, downloading Chinese software for use on a Mac that hasn't been vetted by Apple is a bit concerning to me. In fact, it could be considered to be risky. So the question is: Why hasn't the QooCam studio desktop app been verified by Apple and available through the Apple App Store? This is a big factor for me (and possibly others) in deciding to give the new camera a try.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

​ @TheGadgetGuru I understand your concerns. Since I don't work for Kandao so I can't say why they didn't do that. However, majority of camera companies don’t put their software on the Mac AppStore as well. Insta360’s desktop app is also not available on Mac Appstore. I work for a software company and our software (which use by millions of people) are also not available on Mac Appstore. Neither is the software from our biggest competitor. There is just very little initiative for a software company to do that compare to the efforts required makes it not worth it. To be honest, I myself almost never use AppStore on Mac as majority of the app I use are not available there anyway. Kandao do have their mobile app available on the iOS and Android appstore though you can give that a try.

[@TheGadgetGuru]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thank you.

[@ezrakoper]

Richard I just edited my 1st video of Insta 360 X4 using the desktop version. The videos I took were 8K at 30fps with default setting in day light and sometime under a shade. Q1 - I noticed noise while editing the video the video looked grainy on the desktop monitor. On export I was offered to reduce noise and it disappeard. Why there is noise from the beginning under excellent light conditions? Q2 - I took a 72MB photo of me and my wife siting under a tree with let’s say 120cm selfie and 3 sec delay timer. The stitching was made by the camera. The result was very disappointing with not much detailed in me and my wife face. So I deleted the image. I am wondering why I got so disappointing photo?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Q1 the X4 has a small sensor.. and your preview is quite likely already zoom into a small portion of the video file which makes all the artifacts a lot more visible. And I'm guessing quite likely the original (raw) video has not got any noise reduction applied at all. Q2 sorry it's a bit hard to say without seeing the original and final photo.

[@stéphane_bab]

k thank you! Do you think it will be possible to do long blu lines (several km and hours of hiking) using a low rate of video or a timelapse shooting and an external powerbank ? And do you think they deliver in 2024 ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Not sure about the timelapse because I haven't test that mode much so far. Re delivery, i believe Kandao is shipping out the first batch (early bird price) later this week once early bird special is finished.

[@stéphane_bab]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thank you very much !

[@captteemo9133]

Great video, really...so much information, I love it, thanks a lot! ❤ Where can I buy the batteries? Do you have a link?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

oh interesting, i can't find the link to battery too. Let me check with Kandao and let you know soon!

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thanks! :)

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Okay Kandao has updated the website so the battery is now listed as well, have a look and see if you can find it? US & Canada：reurl.cc/ez0jYj EU：reurl.cc/AjEGNY JP：reurl.cc/OM2xO7

[@herrlehmann6855]

Great review again, thank you! One Question: which mode did you use on the insta360 x4? dewarp, ultra or mega? looks like you used dewarp?

[@Binkoro]

Waiting for the x5 with the hope that it can film at 8K 60fps, unless it is possible to put an ND filter on the x4.

[@Sir-Kay]

It's fine but, just not there yet. I'm sticking to the X4 for now, I even made a review to back up my claims. X4 is still the king.

[@captteemo9133]

Please talk about Ozreviews comment on stabilization (and my related one) with their engineers. This is truly a dealbreaker and I will return my preorder if this still exists then...

[@wolfgangpetersun2730]

Great Video ! Do you know when the camera will be shiped and be available in Europe?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Yes I just checked with Kandao team, they told me they are expecting to ship out the first batch around 10th Aug (end of the early bird sales), and it will arrive in 1-2 weeks. If you like to order one, please consider using the links I put in the video description to support me :)

[@waynosfotoscameras]

Does this camera have the same go pro mount or 1/4 inch mount. That is the same as other cameras.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

It has 1/4" mount

[@_Oregon_Sunday_Drives_360]

Would also love to see QooCam Ultra heat test comparison without the battery installed (and the battery door removed, if it does remove). I am curious how much cooler the ultra is without the battery and if therefore the fan noise can be avoided?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

One of the first overheating test actually was done without the battery installed, but i couldn't use the result as the X4 stopped recording after 20 minutes (write issue :/) So the later tests I decided to insert the battery again. I didn't notice a huge difference to be honest re cooling fan noise with/without the battery installed. There maybe a small difference in when the cooling fan start run in full speed. But it still ran in full speed after recording for a while.

[@Coatsey007]

My next question would be do you know what they’ve got in the way of functionality for wireless mikes like the DJI Mic 2 using Bluetooth?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Qoocam 3 Ultra supports bluetooth connection as well as USB

[@Coatsey007]

After reviewing your video and desperately wanting 10 bit footage, the reason, and I have the budget, have not pushed the button on ordering is the battery life, concerns over the stabilisation and the desktop software, so close.

[@trx1124]

I have not seen any intense reviews for home users, for birthday's or any sort of home gathering of friends and family. How good would the photos and videos of 20 to 30 people come out with a 360 camera.

[@scstudios8]

Interesting. A loud fan kicking sounds crazy. It would be the loudest thing in the room, so even if you have a different mic, its going to pick up that fan noise. I would say when the fan starts, you are done, not just due to the fan noise, the thing is going to be hot and not able to restart soon without the fan blasting. You are stuck if you want to keep shooting with audio regardless of if you have an external mic. I wonder if it can cool better outdoors or with some wind. That would be a good test, with some slight breeze over the cameras, does that fan kick in and does the x4 still have the ability to run.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I would say it depends on how noisy/quiet the room is, if it's super quiet, then yes external mic would still pick up quite a bit of fan noise especially if the mic is within 1-2 meters. But if there is a bit of noise in the room, or using outdoor, external mic may not pick up any noticeable cooling fan noise at all. In my example video clip where I showed the fan noise, i was also shooting video with another camera at the same time sometimes I was standing right next to the Qoocam3 ultra, and i heard no fan noise at all from the other camera's videos.

[@captteemo9133]

Believe me it will always be noticeable. O have the insta360 pro 2 and the fan os driving me nuts since over a year. currentlyI try to open and replace the fan with a remote controllable just to get rid of it. But is os extra stupid in that case since it turns on when you start filming. PS: Since the cam is waterproof you could jus tput the non lense/mic part on cold water or a coolpack and get back tonworking temperatures really quick. Or you put it in a plastic bag and dip it into water (also water at the beach)

[@captteemo9133]

Might have found a trick: Buy mini cooling manchettes put them in a mini cosmetic thermo bag and wrap them around the camera when filming for extented periods of time with no movement/wind or when in direct sunlight in summer

[@captteemo9133]

What selfie stick does work with the Qoocam 3 ultra without bending?

[@amanieux]

if you upload te 10 bit hdr video to youtube, will youtube convert it to sdr for playback ? will it look exactly like a 8 bit sdr video shot in the camera or will it offer better colors/dynamic range ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

if you upload HDR video, it will be available as HDR and offer higher dynamic range if you watch it on a compatible device/browser kzbin.info/www/bejne/mGG3haSVfrCobpY

[@bobbyDig]

How do you edit QooCam 3 footage? What's the workfolw? I have one for my X4.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

there is a desktop app and also mobile app. The workflow is largely the same as the insta360 workflow. So you would reframe/render using their software, then bring back to your normal editing software to join the clips together/colour grading

[@captteemo9133]

Hm regarding stabilization there seem to be lighter areas moving around in the qoocam video especially when running (add 1.5x if you can't see it)...

[@TheRealRichardWong]

That's the downside of electronic image stabilisation, especially when shooting at night with a slower shutter speed.

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWongInsta360 X4 did not have these issues. And it was daylight. So it seems to be an Kandao issue only

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@captteemo9133 oh I think I must have mistaken what you said. Can you point me to the part that has the issue?

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong The whole stabilisation part when you are running, especially the second scene nit also the beginning, mainly noticeable on the right

[@HenkWalks]

Is it possible to share some sample footage straight out the camera for download?

[@captteemo9133]

In 360°. Perhaps as file but also uploaded on KZbin so we can check it out with a VR headset

[@HenkWalks]

@@captteemo9133 I saw on Kandao website there are some files for download.

[@captteemo9133]

Where to get these black lense caps? I can not use the camera without, too much risk that anything gets destroyed...

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Mine came with the QooCam3. There isn't any come with the Ultra

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong Hm weird...

[@captteemo9133]

Regarding your question, we have recently identified that prolonged use of silicone rubber protective covers can impact the lens coating. Consequently, we have decided to no longer include silicone lens covers with our products. Best regards, -------------- | Kandao Online Store KanDaoTechnology Co., Ltd.

[@henkgroenen]

Image looks amazing, but the weight is too much for me. I saw some shots with a lot of sunflare where the stitching messes up, like the x3. Would be interesting to compare photos with Ricoh, it could be a cheaper option for quality photos.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Sometimes stitching could mess up, it seems especially when you enable dynamic stitching. But if you don't have much in close distance it seems fine. Check out my 360 sample video or the HDR video shot with this camera

[@TheRealRichardWong]

oh and yes i would like if the camera is a bit lighter as you can feel the extra weight when you use a long selfie stick. But it seems as the camera has higher and higher specs especially for video, the size/weight would just keep increasing as the rate of spec increase is faster than tech increase. I've made a video recently discussing why there haven't been any small micro-four thirds cameras for a while and cameras are just getting bigger in general. This applies to the 360 cameras as well.

[@HenkWalks]

@@TheRealRichardWongI found the X4 already heavy compared to X3. With the One X i could walk easily for 26 minutes, the X4 after 10 minute I get pain in my arms. This maybe after 3 minute. I think the problem they get more heavy is that they want to please too many people. I no care for waterproof camera, and it does not need to be robust, because you still have to be very carefull with it because of the lenses. I could also live without big screen, because you know you will capture everything, only need it for settings.

[@z352kdaf8324]

@@HenkWalks eat more spinach and turn into Popeye!!!

[@HenkWalks]

@@z352kdaf8324 Ha ha, maybe. But I find tech should work for me, not the other way around.

[@captteemo9133]

How does the fan work underwater? :o (Hot sun, fan on, dive in water) If it really works there too: We could use that to cool it with water and without noise maybe...

[@YamRaj]

Nice vid mate, @DheerajThakwani got a great workflow for HDR on resolve!

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks for the info!!

[@PiotrBlogVideos]

Deserved for my sub for going on all the detail about sensors and their effective crop (even mentioning that we actually use only 3.14/4 ~=79% of the square crop). The parity between iso performance of qoocam 3 and 3 ultra can be easily explained by fact they use exact same optics. The larger sensor of qoocam 3 does not matter because projected image circle is exact same size on both sensors. All the extra surface of the 1/1.55” sensor is not used. Actually the qoocam 3 ultra does not exactly have enough resolution for 8k using just the “super” pixels. Image circle is most likely around 3.5k wide so at max 7k. You mentioned yourself that DR boost drops the photo resolution to 24Mpix which is the native “super” pixel resolution. 8k is 32Mpix. Are you sure they don’t use remosaicing like the x4? Also are you sure they oversample for 5.7k even at 60fps? That would be awesome! Can DR boost be combined with 10bit video or does it limit resolution/framerate. Ex no 8k or no 5.7k60. What I think is happening is that they have slightly undersampled 8k image but extremely good quality. Where x4 probably has oversampled 8k but much lower optical and sensor quality. Sounds like an amazing camera for 5.7k60 10 bit hdr video. Probably best mode of the camera?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you very much for the sub! Good point re the 8k using super pixels only or not. The 24MP photo resolution is 6944 × 3472 and the 8K video genreated by QooCam is 7680 × 3840. So the video resolution is slightly higher. But Kandao told me they only use superpixel for 8k output. I guess my only explaination is, QC3 Ultra does only use superpixel, but there is some interpolation/upscaling when they generate the 8k video. Re DR boost with 8k, yes it's possible, but DR boost is not possible for some of the high frame rate video like 4k120. 5.7k 60fps is also oversample from 8k output. Info from Kandao: All 5.7K video modes (24fps, 25fps, 30fps, 50fps, 60fps) are oversampling from 8K.

[@PiotrBlogVideos]

Great news, thank you! Do I understand correctly that 5.7k60 is possible in 10 bit (DR boost would be optional bonus). I would be really interested in comparison of x4 5.7k60 vs qoocam 3 ultra 5.7k60 10 bit DR boost in bright outdoors.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I don't have the camera with me right now to double check but I'm pretty sure 10bit output is possible with all the 8k and 5.7k recording

[@PoloHungary]

so this is 4k in 360 in final or just 2.7K like the insta x4?

[@Unnaymed]

Thank you for the very high detailed review 😍

[@TheRealRichardWong]

thank you for watching Dam!

[@cradle_n7515]

Insta 360 x4! Osmo pocket lover here

[@captteemo9133]

Has the fan just max speed / off or also some slower speeds in between?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

There are three different settings. But there isn't a OFF setting

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong So it is ALWAYS on making noise?

[@captteemo9133]

Does it remember the time/date when switching batteries? (Pro 2 does not, really annoying)

[@TheRealRichardWong]

yes i think so as I've swapped the battery a few times

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thank you! :)

[@Splexon763]

If you could only keep one, would you keep insta360 x4 or Qoocam 3 ultra for 360 videos?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

It is a really tough choice. I think the x4 is a better all round camera as it has more features and better apps. On the other hand, ultra's image quality is just hard to beat, and it also won't overheat so easily especially when shooting on hot days. But anyway as I mentioned at the end of review, for my next trip to Japan, I will be bringing the ultra because of the two reasons I mentioned.

[@trassy]

Does this camera support in-camera hyperlaps, like GoPro's timewarps? Could you plese share some raw samples with GPS data? Thanks for review!

[@captteemo9133]

Yes with some manual work but it has far better quality - there is a mode shooting an 8 stop dng each second. Export and stitch together. Follow Hugh Hou for tutorials, he is the timelapse god ^^

[@trassy]

@@captteemo9133 I think it is not the same as hyperlapse. What you described is rather timelapse, good for static recording. Hyperlapse is needed for dynamic recording, e.g. during the MTB ride. It features the limited speed up level, e.g. 2 or 5 times, and stabilization. With timelapse and available interval, the speed would be like 25 to 60 time faster. No idea about the stabilization, probably lost or poor.

[@captteemo9133]

@@trassy Ahh you are right sorry!

[@captteemo9133]

@@trassy But isn't hyperlapse than just a stabilizied speed up + effect? So could be still easily done in davinci?

[@trassy]

@@captteemo9133 There are 2 problems. First, with in-camera hyperlapse, the needed storage is reasonable (I am recording several ours of MTB ride). Second, how to stabilize in Davinci? Even Gyroflow does not support stabilization of 360 videos.

[@TessLowe]

Do the optional lens protectors impact the IQ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

As i mentioned in the review, I have not receive the lens protector when working on this review so can't say. But from the previous experience using the protector with other 360 camera like X4, it will have some impact on the quality

[@Map360]

can you make some test and share some examples of google street view blue line please?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

here is one i just created: maps.app.goo.gl/DRuk5gJVFNekLqCLA

[@z352kdaf8324]

I'm going to wait for GoPro MAX 2 before I decide anything with this camera.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I'm curious about that too!

[@captteemo9133]

Which one has better low light video quality (moving camera)? 1-RS 1Inch or the Qoocam 3 Ultra?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

my previous comparison between Qoocam 3 (not ultra) and Insta360 1RS suggests these two cameras have very similar low light performance. And this time Qoocam3 and QooCam3 ultra is quite similar so that suggests the ultra and 1RS have similar low light performance

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong But hasn't Qoocam Ultra a smaller sensor size? And 1-Inch is quiete large?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

But different aperture for the lens. And I also based on my test results

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong Understood, thank you! :)

[@hayabusaTravels]

The X4 already hit the used market so is already cheaper where I live! It's 650 euros with an extra battery and the motorcycle bundle. QooCam 3 Ultra requires a almost 800 euro investment from me and simply, I don't trust the reliability after the previous QooCam 3 release.

[@captteemo9133]

I really need that black lense caps fot the Qoocam 3 ultra. Can't buy one without it will get destroyed instantly...

[@Calvarydima]

Continuous shooting - 30 min limit chunks ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

There is camera setting for you to adjust how long each clip is.

[@Calvarydima]

@@TheRealRichardWong no. Insta has 29 min limit due to licensing for video cameras . Does qoocam has this limit as well?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

There is a option to not cut up the video, i just did a test and was able to record 30+ minutes of video in a single file.

[@izzieb]

I love the POV angle of you running with the two cameras to test stabilisation 😅. Must have got some looks from people.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

"Look, it's that crazy dude here running with his cameras again!"

[@captteemo9133]

​@@TheRealRichardWongReally? :D

It looks really cool, but I personally miss the 1 inch sensor in these gadgets to being successful in night events. That's why I didn't buy x4 too.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Insta360 has a. 1" sensor but to keep the size of the camera small, they have to use a slower lens, so the QooCam3 and (3 Ultra to some extent) with the faster lens actually has similar light gathering power. I think that's the problem with a 360 camera or action camera is that there is a tradeoff between light-gathering power (i.e. sensor/optics) and the weight/size of the camera so it is technically very hard to increase the sensor size without making the camera become too heavy to use handheld.

[@soundfishtv2277]

@@TheRealRichardWongit’s true. But that would be good if the companies are thinking on those users, who use their camera at night. I have a Wedding company dealing with DJ’ing and MC and I make innovations at this field in my country. I want a 8k 1 inch camera to feel free my creativity at night. 😊 PS: I am the same person who wrote the other answer. 😂

[@chrisw5742]

@@soundfishtv2277 Adjustable shutter would be good. And super slow shutter at 1/12 , 1/6 and 1/3 would make it awesome. I have a Canon C100 MKII cinema camera that does it.

[@amanieux]

can meta quest2 replay the 8k30 10 bit hdr video ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

i don't think Meta Quest2 has HDR display

[@amanieux]

@@TheRealRichardWong so which vr headset can display hdr 360 videos ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@amanieux not that many at the moment, Apple vision pro, psvr2 are what I can think of immediately. Non 360/VR HDR is a lot more common, most latest Apple devices and a lot of TV supports HDR

[@captteemo9133]

Great review despite the stabilization test : Qoocam 3 Ultra does not have a comparable stabilization if you watch the rainy street there are highlights moving around and when running the jitter makes it unusable, not just slightly worse. Furthermore you missed testing mounted on e.g. a bike/bicycle and drone, a common use case. Drone videos are completely messed up and unusable, watch Hugh Hous stabilization test here. I hope they can provide a fix soon, otherwise I need to return my camera within the return timeframe :/

[@captteemo9133]

FYI @everyone: Regarding stabilization issues (lighting and jitter) I got this answer by Kandao: "Thanks for your support to us. Our beta testers and influencers have feedbacked those problems to us, we have identified the problems and are working on fixing them. Please rest assured that these problems will be fixed when you get the camera. Thank you once again for choosing us."

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thank you for the feedback! i will see how i can improve for my future reviews, but at the same time every reviewer can only do so many tests because of time/resource constraints and different focus, but it's great we have multiple reviews so I highly encourage everyone to watch all the reviews and understand all the pros and cons found by each reviewer :)

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong Thanks :)

[@ezrakoper]

Thanks. Amazing comparisons

[@TheRealRichardWong]

thanks for watching Ezra!

[@Robterdammer]

In low light the Insta looks natural en the QooCam very digital en agressief.

[@mvrckgames]

Qoocam Ultra is slightly sharper but image processing looks washed and jitter. Definitely prefer Insta 4X.

[@Deweak]

My QooCam 8K v1 was promising but terrible due to the lenses losing focus when overheating. My Insta X2 makes crappy shots in low light conditions. Maybe this new QooCam could be a good update option ? I’m shooting corporate movies / live shows and I want to include reframed 360 shots in my edits. My main camera is a Sony FX30. Will this QooCam 3 be good enough ?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

This camera's low light performance is noticeably better than the X2

[@PTMY_998]

日本から ハードウェア的な観点ではInsta360に対していくつかの大きなアドバンテージがあることがわかりました。X4だけでなくONE RS 1-inch 360エディションに対しても描写が全体的に勝っているように見えます。熱に対しても空冷ファンがついていることでかなり持つこともわかりました。バッテリーを付けた場合はちょっと残念ですが。 重さが100g以上重たいようですが、使ってみてどう感じましたか？　X3から重くなったX4や1-inch 360エディションよりも重たいとなるとセルフィースティックの先に付けて運用するにはちょっときつい気がします。

[@TheRealRichardWong]

In terms of hardware and feature, this is easily the most advanced consumer 360 camera in the market right now. But yes it is noticeably heavier than the X4, or even the original QooCam3. It is managable but you will feel the difference. ご視聴ありがとうございました

[@z352kdaf8324]

SanDIsk lost my business a few years ago. Could not longer handle GoPro. Samsung Pro Ultimate 512GB v30 have worked flawlessly -and the price is right too.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

I might need to try that out with the X4!

[@Windsurfingaddict]

Think it all depends on which Sandisk card you use as some are compatible and some are not, they have worked perfectly in my Go pro 4 and 7 and X2/ X3 / and x4 versions, but can not say about Go pro 8 to 12 as don’t own them. yes the Samsung cards are also a great choice.

[@SupraSimple]

Can the ultra do livestreams?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Not with the firmware I have right now

[@SupraSimple]

@@TheRealRichardWong do you know when they will add the livestream option

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@SupraSimple No sorry i don't

[@DreamWevr]

Is the qoocam 3 still good option Can you do 24 fps Can you connect to usb c on Mac computer It’s it more portable than ultra The qoocam 3 is cheaper on their website under $300 would you prefer it over insta 360 X4 It’s it best in its price range 300 or less That’s all thank you

[@TheRealRichardWong]

QooCam3 is still a good option for sure. It has better low light performance than the X4, but the X4 does have more features and better app/software support. So if you need to shoot under low light/indoor a lot, the QooCam3 could be better option for you. But if you just shoot during the day outdoor, and want all the features, then the X4

[@ghostyaksha152]

if the app of this is good and easy i will choose this over insta360

[@TheRealRichardWong]

The app in a lot of way very similar to the one from Insta360. If you have used the Insta360 app (especially the mobile app), you will feel at home right away. However it is missing a few features, and it's just not as smooth as the Insta360 app

[@Splexon763]

Is rendering videos much slower then x4 on a computer?

[@TheRealRichardWong]

it depends on your video/audio settings. with some settings it is pretty much the same, some can be a bit slower

[@costagf]

QooCam 3 Ultra 8K 360 Camera seems to have harsh image in general, crushed blacks

[@Windsurfingaddict]

Excellent detailed review and love the fact you did the stitching line comparison, I wish my X4 had onboard GPs as you say, it’s much nicer to not have to try and sort out afterwards. The quality does look better from this new camera, X4 still for me is better size for extreme water sports but as a normal use camera this new camera looks fine to use. I enjoyed watching 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Thanks for watching! Glad you enjoyed it. Yes i agree the X4 size and more importantly weight is better for extreme sports when you want a smaller/lighter. It's a trade off between image quality/some of the more advanced features

[@captteemo9133]

Edit: Not latest firmware, will post updates as soon as I tried out the latest firmware. ----- Got my Qoocam 3 Ultra finally... footage unusable for VR when walking (normally, not "gimbal sneaking") while filming, especially when camera is not in direct sunlight. All larger, non vibration like movements are stabilized but all bumps and minor shakes (e.g. walking down a stair outdoory walking a bit faster, and so on) cause the video to disturb/blur for the bump durstion. No camera from Insta360 I had before (1-RS 1 Inch, Pro 2) had this issue. So for me this feels like a joke... why is my Insta360 Pro 2 that is not made for beeing walked around in a backpack so much better in stabilizing shocks from walking than a camera advertised for action sport. I am so sad...I was so hyped for this cam, the support promised to fix this before arrival, they released Stitching Software V2.8 but still the same issue it seems. PS: Your app doesn't work too... I am connected as described with the cam but no live feed even though I can watch the thumbnails of saved videos (but I can't play them) - Galaxy S21 Ultra. What a pity. ---- Besides that I can confirm that the fan is running for 13-16min without audible fan noise (fan always on but inaudible at lowest setting if more then 50cm away). After that it kicks in quite loud so all ambisonic recordings ruines but lavalier with noise cancelling should still work. Hope the recording time with silent fan can be increased some day (not by changing the temp limit, this us already crazy hot). But yeah...the thing I was scared most was no real issue. But not beeing able to record handheld while moving the camera converts it to a photo camera or stationary video camera only. And for that the quality is not good enough (even with your 0,5gb large dng files or AEB).

[@captteemo9133]

Btw: It heats up quickly but you can extend recording time without fan by 8min if you clamp a cooling pack on the outside :D (waterproof so no issue). But it will be visible in the recording. Better tip is to change batteries after a long shot so the new room temp battery can cool the cam down from Inside.

[@captteemo9133]

Btw time to capture for images is great. AEB still not fast enough if moving subject around but everything else really cool! :) Export Prores to see real quality

[@captteemo9133]

(Firmware upgraded from 1.0.1.21 → 1.0.1.23)

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Sounds like the shutter speed maybe a bit too slow? You got a video you can show me?

[@captteemo9133]

@@TheRealRichardWong What is the minimum shutter speed to avoid that? What are your preferred settings? Should I use manual shutter outdoor when lighting conditions change while walking? (street with much shadow to street without trees etc.) I tried to set manual shutter speed to see if it fixes something yesterday to 2x the framerate (1/60 for 30fps, 1/120 for 120fps) (read that somewhere online and with anything above 1/250 it is not bright enough without iso getting bumped like crazy). It wasn't better/worse than with auto settings...

[@patrykgrzyb2776]

It is not fair comparison , it is overheat as the camera is waterproof. Even I have X4 I wold prefere QooCam 3 Ultra for family videos. For sport X4 will be much better.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

hi there, sorry what is not fair? I genuinely love to hear more :)

[@patrykgrzyb2776]

​@@TheRealRichardWong There is no air circulation in the x4 because it can be used up to 10 meters underwater, which is why it overheats.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

@@patrykgrzyb2776 hi Patryk, I've just double-checked with Kandao, they told me that QooCam 3 Ultra is also waterproof up to 10m despite Ultra has an active cooling system. So it's the same level of waterproof as the X4

[@patrykgrzyb2776]

@@TheRealRichardWong I'm so disappointed as I got X4 few days ago, I was looking for camera for my trip to California in august so I can view it on VR in the future. I notice that X4 have extremely blur image if is not extremely sunny day. Even without deep comparison you can see QC3U is way sharper. To bad I did not know this camera is coming out before I order this, for me battery life is not the issue as I usually connect camera to usb-c power-bank. X4 will turn off after 23 minutes (overheat) if you connect good power-bank using usb cable.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Would you be able to return your x4? But even if you can't, the x4 is also a great camera and it has a few features and advantages the qoocam3 ultra can't offer so just enjoy your x4 😊

[@captteemo9133]

I love, that Qoocam focusses on real hardware features instead of just throwing in 8bit non HDR with stereo audio for a 360 video as Insta360. Also the oversampling, dng modes and high bitrates show that they are targeting people that need really high quality. Sadly the marketing material seems to focus on the wrong group, mainly motorcycle videos while those just do not care of it's 8 or 10 bit. You should market for stuff where quality matters reframed but also for VR

[@chrisogrady28]

Woah this is the first I'm hearing that the X4 isn't recording real 8K! Using subpixels is absolutely cheating, this is the same bullshit smartphone's do when they claim their 12MP sensors are 48MP. If we counted pixels this way my real camera would be nearly 200MP! (nikon Z9)

[@0LoneTech]

Newsflash: All color camera manufacturers (except 3CCD and Foveon) do that. It's why they put "effective pixels" and "dots" in their specifications. E.g. the Nikon Z9 has 45.7 million "effective pixels", each from a photosite covered by one color filter, not 48 and certainly not 200.

[@JeffBourke]

Wow active cooling!!!! That’s insane!!!!

[@0LoneTech]

What's insane is a whole category of products overheating when even smartphones have vapor chamber cooling.

[@herrpedro]

hi, thank you for this video. i'd like to see the stitching of the photos too. not just video. In photo comparisons you only compare the centre of the lens just for the sake of it (or just remembering the qoocam 8k) .. did you test the focus on video/photo when the camera reached the top temperature? was it ok? could it have some kind. it would be great to have some kind of liquid cooling under the camera.. even with a 3rd party accessory of somekind.. if it's sumbergible may be we could glue some water tank or cooling liquid of somekind Did you try the overheating without battery (only with external power) ? Thank you

[@yuidfbse]

Thank you for the excellent video. I have two quick questions: 1) Will it be possibly to edit QooCam video files on the Insta360 studio app that is much better than Kandao's software? 2) Does the QooCam 3 Ultra have SHARPENING SETTINGS like the X4 to lower the values? Because I find the images of the QooCam very over sharpened and very artificial. Yes the Insta360 X4 is lower resolution but the images look much more natural and pleasing with the sharpening settings down. Thank you again😊

[@EricLouisYoung]

It's too bad the QooCam is way oversharpened. Rookie mistake, why does every company roll out with everything oversharpened?!

[@Emtbtoday]

1.04 x4 much better than that anyway! That's like what the X3 is to the x4 yeah not 100% sold on this being accurate sound like a sales pitch

[@tommylee4787]

8k? They don't look like 8k quality to me. Some cams 1080p even better quality than these 8k

[@Amil_Developer]

Because is not! 8k is the equirectangular resolution and not after the reframing. Final resolution is less than a quarter

[@AirsoftGamesPH]

I would've bought this if it had a dive case. I need the case to protect it from hits from airsoft bbs

[@SpeedDemonExpress]

Most people don't even watch anything on 4k. Especially with cell phones.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Hi there, without repeating myself, you can watch the beginning of my review, I have explained why you need 8k for 360 camera. 😀

[@SpeedDemonExpress]

​@TheRealRichardWong I know what you're saying. But most of us are probably watching KZbin with our cell phones and KZbin automatically sets the quality at 480p. 8k is overkill even for a 360 camera most of the time. If I decide I want 4k or less, and the camera can accommodate, that will save memory and battery life. Most viewers won't notice the difference.

[@TheRealRichardWong]

8k is the resolution of 360 degree footage (up/down/left/right/front/back...etc). When you edit the video, you will usually only pick a small portion of area/field of view that you need. So even if the total resolution is 8k, once you crop in, the result video would be way less than 8k. . So when you upload the edited/rendered video to youtube, the actual resolution quite often is not even full HD. That's why you want the original video to be as high resolution as possible.

[@JeffBourke]

Yeah $35k is a bit more than I want to spend on a 360° 😂

[@TheRealRichardWong]

Oh just in case I confused you, this camera is not $35k. It is $599US, and right now it is $499 for earlybird

[@olivertsethegreat1]

There will always be newer 360 cameras nothing new about that.... The only reason I'm with insta360 is the software, companies can make 10k 360 cameras ( I know there isn't ) but if they lack good support , it's hopeless. I had a GoPro max after owning the first gen insta360. Thought by going with a big name back then I would get all the bells and whistles as what insta360 would offer ... Boy was I wrong, the app was hopeless, it couldn't pair with my Samsung galaxy s9 plus ( that was the top of the range in the galaxy line back then ) . Contacted GoPro numerous occasions with no reply... Sold the damn thing and stayed with insta360 till now, from X2,X3 X4 and now with additional go3s black...

[@TheRealRichardWong]

yes very fair point. The app is really important. I gave up using my GoPro session back then because the app support/connection was terrible. Insta360's app is one of the best I've ever used! But to be fair, even though I did complain a bit about the Kandao app in this review, it was more about missing some of features. The app itself is quite well polished, connection works, all the features seem to work very well. When Kandao adds a few more features are added, it would be easily as good as the Insta360 app.