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We bought the Insta360 One X2 to put it to the test for our reviewer. Continue reading for the complete product review. Basically, action cameras have only been able to record a small portion of the world. The Insta360 One X2, on the other hand, is one of a new breed of cameras that aims to prove this age-old truth by recording everything in a single spherical image. This gives up a slew of possibilities, ranging from creative editing to simple VR capture.
Insta360 One X2 is robust and waterproof.
The Insta360 One X2 is a thick little rectangle with a robust feel to it. It’s small enough to fit in a large pocket and feels tough and robust, however, the bulbous glass lens elements mean you’ll need to be cautious with it.
When you merely want to carry the camera in your pocket, it comes with a stylish neoprene cover that provides a reassuring extra level of protection.
The Insta360 also comes with a microfiber cloth, which is extremely useful considering the lenses’ proclivity for attracting smudges and dust. A USB-C cable is included for charging, but no charging brick is included.
The One X2 is totally waterproof to a depth of 33 feet, which is a significant increase over its less resistant predecessor. The battery compartment and USB port have to lock sealed doors to achieve this waterproofing. The locking mechanisms were a touch difficult to open and close, but the waterproofing made up for it. The battery also serves as the door of the battery compartment, which also houses the microSD card slot.
A shutter button, power button, and circular touchscreen serve as controls. A typical tripod mount is located on the underside of the camera, and an LED light indicates the camera’s status.
Setup is simple for the most part.
Once I inserted a microSD card, the One X2 was partially charged and ready to begin, albeit I had to first install the Insta360 software on my phone and activate the camera. The Bluetooth connection needed to activate the One X2 and set up the Wi-Fi connection constantly timed out and failed, making this a bit of a nuisance.
I eventually got everything up and running, and aside from one minor snag, the process was relatively painless, if a little is more complicated than I’d anticipate from a camera.
Image Quality: Good lighting is a must
The weather circumstances in which I first tested the Insta360 One X2 tainted my early thoughts of it. Winter in Western Washington can be bleak and dismal, so I ended up shooting in dim light for the majority of the day.
As a result, when I tried to edit the video, I couldn’t believe how bad it looked. When given sufficient light, though, the One X2 generated reasonably good-looking photos and video.
What’s particularly striking about this camera is the level of picture stabilization it can achieve. It’s good enough that you won’t have to worry about getting a steady shot even if you’re walking or running on uneven terrain.
With this in mind, you must think about the Insta360 in terms of its intended use. Action cameras have always been action-oriented, and 360 action cameras are no exception. Basically, you must achieve something worthwhile to justify the sacrifices.
Resolution of the Recording
The One X2’s 5.7K recording resolution isn’t as clear and detailed as you might anticipate, and when cropped to a typical 16:9 frame, you get 1080p. That’s fine for viewing on a phone or small tablet, but when viewed on a large computer monitor, the low resolution, noise, and visual abnormalities become quite noticeable.
Overall, the audio Of Insta360 One X2 is unimpressive.
The One X2’s audio recording may be classified as subpar at best. It’s there, and it’s usable, but it’s a little disappointing in a camera that would otherwise be ideally suited to vlogging due to its compact size and ease of use. Though it may be the bare minimum for quality 360 footage, the One X2’s 5.7L video recording is nonetheless somewhat demanding in terms of storage capacity. You’ll need a large microSD card and lots of hard drive space on your PC and/or smartphone because a single short video clip can easily take up hundreds of megabytes of space.
Brilliant, but buggy software
Most of my issues with the One X2 are related to the Insta360 software, the most serious of which is the inability to connect to the camera. Every time I tried to connect to the One X2, I had to keep tapping the connect button in the app until it finally connected.
Once it’s connecting with the device, the software has a simple but well-designed remote viewing and control interface. Moreover, a fantastic editing suite for processing 360 films. It’s an excellent and extremely intuitive application that lets you rapidly and effectively manipulate your films on the go, from framing your shot and changing playback speed to making camera motions using keyframes.
You can also share your work and communicate with other creators on the app’s fully featured social media platform. There’s a lot packed into the Insta360 app, and thankfully, every component of it comes with thorough lessons, though some of the content in some of them isn’t translated into English.
The software of the One X2 is pretty basic, which is understandable given the small size of its circular display.
However, because the camera’s settings were not easily accessible. I found myself frequently returning to the app on my phone to make adjustments. This further added to my frustration with the connectivity troubles I was having.
You may also use Insta360’s free editing studio software or a plugin in Adobe Premiere to gain additional control over your video editing on the computer. However, altering the photos on my phone using the app made it easy to acquire the shots I desired.
Accessories:
There are numerous options available. The Insta360 One X2 comes with a variety of accessories. A diving cage and a “bullet time” attachment used to swirl the One X2 around your head are among them. A selfie stick is also useful for use with the One X2, and I found a tripod useful for capturing timelapse films.
Price: Reasonably priced
The One X2 is only a little more expensive than a high-end action camera. With an MSRP of $430, but it’s not terrible for a 360 camera. If being able to shoot 360-degree video is a must for you, it’s a good deal.
GoPro Hero 9 Black vs. Insta360 One X2
If you can’t decide between a 360 camera and a standard action camera. The GoPro HERO9 Black is the logical pick to go up against the Insta360 One X2. On the surface, the GoPro appears to be the logical pick for significantly superior image and audio quality. As well as more durability at a lesser cost. If you want to capture unique moments in your life, though, the One X2 is the way to go.
The Final Word
Despite its shortcomings, the Insta360 One X2 is a waterproof camera that allows for effortless 360-degree recording. After coping with setup troubles and a high learning curve. The Insta360 One X2’s tiny size, lightweight, and ease of use more than made up for its shortcomings. It’s perfect for taking videos in situations where you don’t want to bother with a standard camera.
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