Is the Insta360 X5 the ultimate upgrade for 360-degree video capture?

Mint

02-08-2025

'Do we really need a better 360-degree camera?" I asked myself, when I first started using the new Insta360 X5. You see, in the world of 'capture-everything, decide what to frame later' 360-degree cameras, Insta360 has the segment well and truly beat, with X4 from last year already superior to every other 360 camera out there. It offered great video quality, an easy-to-use interface, and simple editing software that made short work of editing and sharing 360-degree footage.
Putting the X5 to use over several vacations and work trips, some in the wild outdoors while others decidedly tamer, I've tried to answer the ₹54,990 question—is the X5 worth the pretty penny, and is it a worthy upgrade from the already-excellent X4?
For those unfamiliar with the lineup, Insta360's X series are candy-bar-shaped devices with bulbous ultra-wide lenses on both sides for 360-degree footage, a bit like two GoPros bound and working together. Hit record without worrying about whether or not you got the shot, and once you're done recording, you can pick the exact angle, aspect ratio and perspective you need to stitch together your video in the companion app.
As with previous models, the dual-lens setup dictates the design of the X5, remaining largely unchanged save for it being a millimeter taller and narrower, and weighing a couple of grams less than the X4. The textured, geometric pattern gives the X5 an armored Batsuit look, but the real upside is improved grip in the hand, particularly for folks who need to use it with gloves on (motorcyclists, for instance).
Those same motorcyclists and outdoorsy sorts will also appreciate the built-in wind guard for its microphones, and I was impressed with how much wind noise it cut down. With the addition of a new magnetic quick-release for vastly increased mount compatibility and a repositioned battery door, existing cases and accessories from previous generation X-series cameras will not work, so there's that.
The headlining design change has to be one you wish you'd never have to use—replaceable lens. With the X3 or X4, if you took a hard fall that managed to scratch the lens, or worse still, crack them, you were out of luck. You could have used the company's optional protective lens covers, but you'd then have to contend with a degradation in video quality.
This time around, the X5 allows you to spend just ₹3,599 to completely replace the lens via an optional lens replacement kit…and you don't even need to take it in for servicing. It may seem like a small bonus, but it allows you to really go all out with the camera—take the training wheels off, in a sense—and use it with the sort of wild abandon that would have resulted in a permanent write-off with past models.
Now, given the previous iteration offered 8K 30fps or 5.7K 60fps resolution shooting and there's no perceptible change in shooting modes—star lapse, timelapse, interval road mode, loop recording, bullet time and time shift—you'd be right in asking if there was a need for an X5 after all. There is—the X5 comes with the most worthwhile of camera upgrades: larger 1/1.28-inch image sensors (compared to the X4's 1/2" sensors).
Upping the sensor size with the same resolution should theoretically mean more detail in the footage, whether you're shooting in good light or more challenging light conditions, and boy, this camera has levelled up! The final 4K footage—the 8K 360-degree shot exports to 4K on a flattened frame—is noticeably better than what the X4 delivered, which by itself was a high bar for 360 cameras.
The footage straight out of the X5 is great for a 360 camera, so much so that it can easily now be interspersed with 4K action camera or phone footage and not look out of place. No longer do you have to accept the tradeoff of less-than-excellent video quality to take advantage of the flexibility of using a 360-degree camera. Taking the X5 out to shoot in the clean California skies, the X5 shot punch, contrast-rich video outdoors without washing out the highlights or adding noise into spots in the shade, in the default modes without changing exposure or color settings. There is an HDR mode for trickier lighting, and the X5 has excellent dynamic range for natural looking videos that avoid the over processed look that HDR video typically suffers from.
Back home, I used the two new modes—the new PureVideo low-light mode which bumps the footage down to 5.7K but boosts indoor shooting dramatically, and the InstaFrame mode that uses its onboard AI smarts to whip out one flat video (centered on you as a subject) for instant use and a second 360-degree video to capture everything, allowing you the luxury of choosing additional angles should you need them later.
The latter is fun and gives you Insta ready video rather quickly, but since it dials down the resolution, I'd recommend you only use it when you're pushed for time and can't sit and export the full 4K output via the app. Performance otherwise is super snappy, from powering on and starting to record to navigating the on-screen menus and using the intuitive companion app.
As with previous X-series cameras, the camera does get warm when recording at full tilt at 8K resolution with HDR, but I've never had the camera overheat enough for it to halt recording. Battery life on the upgraded 2400mAh batteries is around 80-85 minutes of 8K video, and you can extend it via a new three-hour-long 'Endurance Mode,' which at launch would only work with 5.7K 24fps video, but a recent 'Summer' update in mid-July bumped it up back to the full 8K capture. Take a 20-minute break and the battery fast charges to 80%, so you should be able to manage with just the single battery.
Verdict
For a couple of generations now, the Insta360 X series have been the 'capture everything' cameras to get, and the X5, with its low-light video quality improvements and bumped up details levels, makes a strong case for those holdouts who still preferred traditional action cameras for their higher video quality.
This is a camera that can now beat action cameras at their own game, while still offering the added versatility of 360-degree video. It's a big deal, to not have to worry about framing the shot beforehand without feeling like you're making a quality compromise for that flexibility. One keeps hearing about a much-rumored GoPro Max 2 which might challenge Insta360, but until it lands, there is an undisputed champ in this space.