360° cameras are becoming more and more popular in the fun sports sector, as they promise first-class shots without the usual fixed viewing angle. The lenses mounted on both sides of the camera film or take photos in virtually all directions at the same time and combine these images to create a 360° panoramic view. This means that the perspective can be changed freely when viewing recordings. Manufacturer Insta360 has now launched a new cam with the X4 model, which delivers ultra-sharp 8K video recordings and images with 72 megapixels and is intended to raise the bar to a new level - we tried it out in water sports use while windsurfing and wingfoiling.
360° panoramic view - nothing remains hidden
The Insta360 X4 comes with dimensions of 12.4 x 4.6 x 3.8 centimetres (weight approx. 200 grams) out of the box. It costs 559.99 euros with battery and is available, for example available at Amazon. It can be operated via a large touch display, where all the necessary settings can be made. If you want to mount the action cam on a sail or wing, you will of course also need a bracket, such as the Flymount Aero 40 for the mast or the Flymount Aero-130 for Wings and the small Flymount tripod adapterwhich is screwed into the bottom of the camera thread as a connecting piece.
Aligning the camera with the material is then done quickly: while with normal action cams you always have to check the image section precisely before surfing, with the Insta360 X4 a rough adjustment is sufficient - after all, the camera films in all directions. You only need to select the width of the field of view in advance - for action shots while windsurfing and wingsurfing, this was not necessary. Ultra Wide Field of view well suited. If you select the full quality, which in the case of the Insta360 X4 is ultra-sharp 8K recordings at 30 frames per second, you will fill up a memory card (micro SD) with 128 gigabytes of capacity in just under 1:30 hours. We therefore "only" filmed at 5.7K and 30 frames per second - which roughly halves the amount of data, but makes little difference to the visible end result. Speaking of capacity: we were impressed by the battery life, which lasted over two hours in the mode we selected.
Then simply press the record button and surf away. The X4 is waterproof down to a depth of ten metres. What quickly becomes apparent is that the Insta360 X4 protrudes further from the mast or wing than a standard GoPro, for example, due to its elongated shape. Due to the larger lever, you have to tighten the wing screw on the mount with more finger force so that the Insta360 does not change its angle due to vibrations and bumps while surfing. It is always helpful to use a screw with a large handle, as this is easier to tighten. As always, you are not immune to unwanted water droplets on the X4's highly curved lenses, but we still managed to take some pretty good shots straight away. By the way: The protective lenses supplied should be unscrewed for water sports use, as they are not waterproof and drops will otherwise collect between the protective lens and the actual lens. The lens should not get scratched on the water, but a little caution is required on land.
The bottom line is that the video quality absolutely convinced us, and slow motion in particular is excellent with the X4. Up to 100 frames per second can be filmed with 4K resolution - this means that you can stretch a move to four times its length afterwards and still have the frame rate of 25 frames per second required for smooth recordings.
Evaluation via app
We recommend installing the Insta360 app on your smartphone for analysing and editing. Once the camera has been paired via Bluetooth, the app can be used to review the recordings and edit small clips. Thanks to the great video quality, once you have selected the desired perspective, you can simply export individual images and share them directly. There is also a free Insta360 application for the computer. Exporting individual frames from the video footage makes more sense, especially in water sports, as you can always catch the right moment.
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Of course, the Insta360 X4 can also take interval photos with up to 72 megapixels, but the minimum frequency here is three seconds. Capturing exactly the right moment during a manoeuvre or jump with this setting is like winning the lottery - in this respect, the X4 cannot compete with a current GoPro camera. On the other hand, the X4 has a useful Loop-function and it works like this: you press the shutter button and start surfing. If the first successful move is only taken after ten minutes, you press the shutter button again immediately afterwards. Depending on the setting, the cam now only saves the last minute, for example. The previous nine minutes are deleted immediately, saving storage capacity and a lot of time when viewing the footage.
Insta360 X4 - the conclusion
The new 360° camera from Insta360 offers many exciting options and extremely good video quality for water sports use. The problem of unsuitable perspectives is now a thing of the past.
Video quality; Stabiliser; Good app
Large wing screw required for locking
Frequency for interval photos; protective lenses not waterproof
