Insta360 X5 - Waterproof 8K 360° Action Camera, Leading Low Light, Invisible Selfie Stick Effect, Rugged and Replaceable Lens, 3-Hour Battery, Built-in Wind Guard, Stabilization, Triple AI Chip Design

Like others, I was a little surprised to see Insta360 already released a new version of their 360 camera. I think it took them nearly 2 years just to go from X3 to X4?? The upgrades they did include that seemed kinda minor actually make a huge difference when I'm shootingDaylight shooting looks largely the same on X5 as it did on X4—sharp, crisp, vibrant, and really smooth. But once the sunlight disappears, you immediately notice how much the bigger sensor improved its low light performance. I think the low light quality is on par with typical point-and-shoot cams, which is wild since 360 action cams notoriously perform poorly in low light situations!And then there's the sound quality, which I think has always been one of my pain points with Insta360s. But I think X5 fixed this and has some of the best quality on any action cam I've ever tried. The built-in windguard finally makes audio usable even when it's windy or the camera is moving fast with my bikeI also really like the removable lenses, extended battery life, and improved water proofing. The list goes on, but everything together makes for an incredible 360 camera for just about any situation. You don't need to be a professional content creator to use X5. It shoots flat video just as well as it shoots 360°. The only difference is that X5 gives you the option (and freedom) to choose which format you want to use.I think this is likely going to be my most used camera of 2025!

I joke with friends that I'm using the X5 to record video of death-defying, bone-breaking keyboard, flute, and cello performances. Seriously, though, the X5 is nothing less than AMAZING for my calm recordings of beautiful music. Even the built-in audio mics are up to the task, with a bit of help from the Izotope Ozone Elements audio mixing plugin for DaVinci Resolve Fairlight (I use the Warm Synth preset). It's absolutely wonderful to be able to place the tiny camera 1-2 inches from the keyboard, and it will capture the pianist as the main eye-strong subject with the flute and cello nicely framed as secondary subjects. The recordings are simply stunning - I film in ProRes 4K/30 at High bitrate, then edit in Resolve (not much editing needed). Even though the file size is huge (25GB for 5 min of music), the workflow is VERY smooth with my i5 PC and RTX 3080 graphics card. I look forward eagerly to doing more music recordings, as they yield beautiful video and audio. (The ProRes 422 footage is amazing before export - every little bit of quality helps.) I export in H.264, as there is a bit of quality loss with H.265. The resulting file for YouTube is around 2 GB, which is very reasonable. An added wonderful benefit is that I can place the X5 and then go and site 50 feet away across the room and start/stop/monitor the recording on my iPhone via the very reliable wifi connection.

When I review a product, it is because I bought it myself with my own money. I don't generate reviews with Al or accept freebies from companies just to write fluff pieces. With that out of the way...As someone who produces video content for both personaand commercial use, I've worked with nearly every major action and 360° camera system on the market. The Insta360 X5 is the first one that truly bridges the gap between convenience and professional-grade results.Let's start with image quality. The 8K resolution paired with the bigger sensors delivers exceptionally clean footage, even in mixed lighting. I've used it for outdoor shoots, indoor interviews, and low-light environments, and the footage consistently holds up. Colors are accurate, dynamic range is surprisingly strong for a camera this size, and the PureVideo mode is a genuine leap forward in nighttime performance.What really makes the X5 stand out, though, is the post-production flexibility. With 360 capture, I can shoot first and choose my framing later. Yes, it's basicly Insta360's slogan,but it's a slogan that's actually true. This functionality (which is inherent in 360° cameras) is invaluable during run-and-gun shoots where reshoots aren't .an option. Insta360 Studio has matured into a powerful, reliable editing tool, and the mobile app is fast becoming a go-to when I need to deliver social-ready content quickly.Audio has also seen a big step up. The built-in micsare far more usable now, with betterclarity and less wind distortion-a major win for those of us tryiing to minimize gear on thego.