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

Are you a dad looking for new ways to film your family activities and have some experience editing videos?Then the X5 is absolutely the action camera you've been looking for. Don't overlook that second part of my question though, experience editing videos is absolutely essential to get the most out of this camera. You can either edit them through the insta360 app or download the computer editing software which I'd recommend if you want to make videos with multiple clips and anything longer than 30 seconds. I find the software very intuitive being experienced with Adobe Premiere Pro but I would never recommend this camera to the average person because of the work involved.I'd bought the motorcycle bundle to use on my Waverunner (it was so dope) but at the very least get a bundle that comes with the action selfie stick as it's basically an essential component to handling the X5. Even just a little bit of use the X5 becomes very warm to the touch so using the stick is recommended for comfortable use.

This camera is an amazing device. It shoots 360 degrees in 8K and can easily be edited with a simple free application on your phone of PC device. The video is outstanding and even better than my DJI Drone. The fact you can take one video and edit it into many different views save time and effort in taking different shots. Very well made and with many options for mounting, charging and protecting the camera. It is all very high quality and worth the money. I have basically tossed my go pro as this is the next generation of cameras with lots of application shooting perspectives to choose from. X5 Appears to be the best out there right now.

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.