Ant Pruitt/ZDNET
When I reviewed the X3 Insta360 camera two years ago, I discovered that the combination of useful hardware features and smart software made it the perfect travel companion.
The camera also had some kinks; a 5.7K resolution limit for 360 videos translated for export to 1080p, which never showcased the extravagance of what was recorded, battery life was good but not great, and there have been quite a number of scratches and scuffs on the viewfinder touchscreen since being overhauled .
The Insta360 X4, which launches today for $499, goals to unravel all of those problems while providing excellent content creation capabilities. You can now record videos using hand and voice gestures by showing your hand or calling out to the camera.
The biggest change the Insta360 X4 brings is higher resolution capture, going from 5.7K at 30fps in its predecessor to 8K at 30fps. Insta360 claims the new camera can capture 78% more pixels, providing more detailed and fewer grainy images when creating 360-degree videos or some other type of content on the company’s mobile and desktop apps.
Differences in video recording
|
Insta360 X4 |
Insta360 X3 |
|
|
360 degree video resolution |
8K 30 fps and 5.7K 60 fps |
5.7K 30 fps |
|
360 degree slow motion resolution |
4K 100 fps |
3K at 100 frames per second |
|
Wide-angle resolution |
4K 60 fps and a couple of.7K at 120 fps |
4K at 30 frames per second |
|
Me mode |
4K 30 fps and a couple of.7K at 120 fps |
1080p at 60 fps |
Insta360 says editing footage through its own services, even at 8K resolution, is now more efficient due to AI Edit, which scans clips and suggests the best ways to crop and make cuts, in addition to the ability to download videos from the camera while the app is running. run in the background – something DJI and GoPro apps don’t currently allow.
In terms of hardware improvements, the Insta360 X4 offers a bigger, more durable 2.5-inch Corning Gorilla Glass-covered touchscreen, a 2,290 mAh battery (in comparison with 1,800 mAh in the X3), and a new included removable lens hood. You’ll need to remove this accessory for the most optimal video recording, in order that’s one other thing to consider. Still, having a lens hood should be helpful for patrons using the X4 in tougher conditions.
Popular Insta360 features similar to the invisible selfie stick, in-app framing, FlowState stabilization, horizon lock and various community-developed editing effects are still available for the X4. Users of previous Insta360 devices should subsequently be capable of use existing accessories and presets when creating content with the new device.
If you are concerned with the Insta360 X4, you’ll be able to pre-order it today for $499. That’s a $100 price increase over its predecessor, but improved video recording and hardware features could make the new 360-degree camera price the extra cost. We’ll discover of course when ZDNET’s Ant Pruitt puts the camera through the wringer, so stay tuned for the review.
Credit : www.zdnet.com
