Having experienced the fun of 360-degree cameras with the Insta360 X3, I was eager to try the new Insta360 X4. I rented one because I had to try it out.
As with the X3 article, any opinions such as “That’s not true!” should be kept to yourself, and you can gently close the page…
Rental site
It is a home appliance rental site, and the procedure was simple, and above all, it is reasonably priced for short rental periods.
Most companies charge around 5,000 yen for a one-day rental, but Rentio’s is around 9,000 yen for 3 nights and 4 days.
It’s very convenient because it gives you some leeway when considering pickup and return.
On a side note, I thought it was a good example of the recent trend of SDGs that the cardboard box used for returning the product was the same one that was delivered.
Now that I’ve digressed a bit, here are the specs and other details of the Insta360 X4.
Appearance
It is slightly longer vertically than the X3. However, the handling is not that different from the X3, and it is not something to be concerned about. It is 20g heavier. The placement of the lens, buttons, and display is the same as the X3. Those familiar with the X3’s operation will have no trouble using it.
The front of the body (opposite the display) has diagonal grooves that act as a grip. It also looks a bit cooler in terms of design.
The body has microphones on the sides, left and right, and below the lens, a USB port and battery insertion slot on the left side, and a MicroSD card slot inside the battery insertion slot.
The layout is exactly the same as the X3.
The display has been increased to 2.5 inches, making it larger than the Insta360 X3. The lens guard was adhesive on the X3, but the X4 has been changed to a replaceable one. I personally like this change very much. I’m a little envious of the removable guard because I sometimes feel like removing the adhesive guard on the X3.
I wrote that there is no big difference in handling, but to be honest, the X3 felt a bit heavy, so the 20g weight increase is definitely a negative factor. However, considering the improved usability due to the increased battery capacity and display size, I felt that the positive factors outweighed the negative ones for this unit.
Performance Comparison
As mentioned earlier, there is no major difference in how to operate the X3.
The main differences between the Insta360 X4 and Insta360 X3 are image quality, frame rate, battery life, and newly implemented features in the X4.
Image Quality
The Insta360 X4 can shoot 360-degree video at up to 8K 30fps or 5.7K 60fps, a significant improvement over the X3’s 5.7K 30fps.
The X4 also allows for 4K 100fps slow motion shooting, allowing you to capture smoother and more detailed slow motion footage. The X3 only supported slow motion shooting at up to 3K 100fps.
Frame Rate
In single-lens mode, the X4 supports 4K 60fps, an improvement over the X3’s 4K 30fps.
Battery Life
The Insta360 X4 has a battery capacity of 2290mAh, an increase from the X3’s 1800mAh. The X4 can shoot for up to 135 minutes at 5.7K 30fps, a 67% improvement in battery life from the X3’s 81 minutes of shooting at 5.7K 30fps.
Additional Features
A gesture control function has been added. This feature allows you to start and stop recording with a simple hand gesture. The X3 does not have this feature.
It supports Japanese voice control, allowing you to operate the camera with your voice even while driving. The X3 did not support Japanese voice control.
Well, well, that’s a significant performance upgrade. I didn’t try the gesture function or voice control, but I wish I had tried the Japanese voice control…
Comparison of Specifications
| Insta360 X4 | Insta360 X3 |
| Weight: 203g | Weight: 180g |
| Dimensions (W x H x D): 46 x 123.6 x 37.6mm | Dimensions (W x H x D): 46.0 x 114.0 x 33.1mm |
| Continuous recording time: 135 minutes | Continuous recording time: 81 minutes |
| *Verified in 5.7K 30fps video mode in a lab environment. Continuous shooting time at 8K 30fps is 75 minutes. | |
| Aperture: F1.9 | Aperture: F1.9 |
| Exposure value: ±4EV | Exposure value: ±4EV |
| ISO sensitivity: 100-6400 | ISO sensitivity: 100-3200 |
| Shutter speed: Photo: 1/8000 – 120 seconds Video: 1/8000 – Upper limit determined by frame rate | Shutter speed: Photo: 1/8000 – 120 seconds Video: 1/8000 – Reciprocal of frame rate |
| 35mm equivalent focal length: 6.7mm | 35mm equivalent focal length: 6.7mm |
| Photo resolution: 72 megapixels (11904 x 5952)18 megapixels (5888 x 2944) | Photo resolution: 72 megapixels (11968 x 5984)18 megapixels (5952 x 2976) |
| Video resolution: 360 degrees: 8K: 7680 x 3840 @30/25/24fps5.7K+: 5760 x 2880 @30/25/24fps5.7K: 5760 x 2880 @60/50/30/25/24fps4K: 3840 x 1920 @100/60/50/30/25/24fpsSingle lens mode: 4K: 3840 x 2160 @60/50/30/25/24fps2.7K: 2720 x 1536 @60/50/30/25/24fps1080p: 1920 x 1080 @60/50/30/25/24fpsMe mode: 4K: 3840 x 2160 @30/25/24fps2.7K: 2720 x 1536 @120/100/60/50fps1080p: 1920 x 1080 @120/100/60/50fps | Video resolution: 360 degrees: 5.7K: 5760 x 2880 @30/25/24fps4K: 3840 x 1920 @60/50/30/25/24fps3K: 3008 x 1504 @100fpsSingle lens mode: 4K: 3840 x 2160 @30/25/24fps3.6K: 3584 x 2016 @60/50/30/25/24fps2.7K: 2720 x 1530 @60/50/30/25/24fps1080P: 1920 x 1088 @60/50/30/25/24fps |
| Photo format: insp (exportable with mobile app or Studio)DNG | Photo format: insp (exportable with mobile app or Studio)DNG Raw (PureShot, requires Studio to edit) |
| Video format: Single lens mode: MP4360 degrees: INSV | Video format: Single lens: MP4360 degrees: INSV |
| Price: 79,800 yen | Price: 68,000 yen |
https://www.insta360.com/jp/product/insta360-x3
Shooting Modes
The shooting modes and how to use them are listed in the X3 article, so please refer to that.
That’s why I’ll omit it.
Noticeable Performance Improvements
What I felt was “amazing” in terms of performance was the beauty of the 5.7K+ shooting mode images and the lack of wind noise.
The high bitrate footage has a strong color that may divide opinions, but it looks very impressive and “sharp” as a picture.
Regarding wind noise, please compare the following videos, it’s completely different!
The X3 also has a setting to cut wind noise, but compared to the X4, it doesn’t cut it at all…
Wind noise X3
Wind noise X4
I’d be super satisfied if I could shoot such clean and clear sound in my daily life.
Video Comparison
Please set the image quality to 1080p high quality.
Reasons Why the Insta360 X4 Is Recommended for Motorcycle Riders
This time I attached the camera to my bicycle and shot, but Insta360 has a wealth of accessories that are useful for shooting motorcycle scenes.
Some may say, “It’s not just for motorcycles!”, but as a motorcycle rider, let me recommend it from the perspective of a motorcycle rider.
Abundant Accessories
You can shoot from a variety of angles using a chest mount, helmet mount, selfie stick, etc.7
I mounted it on the handlebars, but the clamp can be modified to fit any way you like, and the 360-degree shooting capability allows you to shoot from unusual angles.
They even sell a motorcycle shooting kit, which makes it easy to get started.
Features Perfect for Motorcycle Riders
The following is an excerpt.
Why X4 is chosen by motorcycle riders
Can also be used as a dash cam
The X4 comes with an Auto Dash mode and loop recording function that makes it ideal for motorcycle riders who want to use it as a dash cam. With Auto Dash, the X4 will automatically power on and start recording as soon as you start driving. Once mounted, the X4 enters loop recording mode, automatically recording pre-determined segments, continuously overwriting files to save time and card space. This helps to capture those important moments on the road, or highlights found along the way.Delivers clear audio with automatic wind noise reduction
The X4 also features improved audio, with an automatic wind noise reduction mode that reduces wind noise for clearer audio.Supports motorcycle headsets
Great for motovloggers, the X4 supports a variety of Bluetooth motorcycle headsets such as Cardo, Sena and more. Pairing your Bluetooth headset with your X4 enables clearer audio recording and easier voice control. No cables or bulky setups needed.Link with GPS
Pair your X4 with your Garmin device or Apple Watch to add overlays to your footage during editing, such as unique data and GPS data, as well as elevation, speed and more.Gestures, Japanese voice operation
https://www.insta360.com/blog-jp/tips/x4-the-best-motorcycle-camera.html
Equipped with a 5nm AI chip, the X4 supports smart controls such as gesture control and voice control. No problem even with gloves on. The X4 is also equipped with Japanese voice control, allowing you to control recording start, stop, power off, and more with voice commands while driving.
The new features in the X4 are very motorcycle-oriented. It’s also very fun to overlay the meter on the video by linking with Garmin.
Notes on Editing
A dedicated application is used to export and convert video file formats.
This is a difficult part to judge, but both 8K and 5.7K+ video editing on the app was extremely difficult.
It’s possible that the specs of the smartphone I’m using are low, but when I try to play back the video to reframe it, it doesn’t move at all!
Even when I move the cursor to the frame I want, the image doesn’t move at all, and I get a little worried that the file might be corrupted.
The conclusion is that you have to be patient and wait for the frame to change (and in some cases restart the app), and just watch patiently as your smartphone struggles to process the image.
I can’t help but think that this is due to the amount of information the file holds. Incidentally, the same thing happened when I operated it on my PC (cries). You might need a PC with a lot of memory to cope with it.
Insta360 X3 and X4 Comparison Summary
Having tried the X4, my impression is that the functionality and performance have been significantly improved. For a price increase of just over 10,000 yen, I think you’ll be happier with the X4.
While the improved performance is a plus, the larger file size and sluggish editing app behavior are downsides.
I can imagine running out of storage space in no time, and considering the situation where the app freezes during editing, I feel like the work time will increase significantly (maybe it’s recommended to use the quick edit mode).
The fact that the camera body is slightly larger and the price is slightly higher seems to be offset by the performance, but I wonder how to reconcile the increased work time…
