Insta360 ONE X2 (listed twice): Full Review

The Insta360 ONE X2 is a consumer 360-degree action camera capable of capturing 5.7K spherical video and 18MP 360 photos. This compact, lightweight camera builds on the success of the original ONE X, adding a new touchscreen interface, upgraded stabilization, voice control and AI-powered editing features.

With its dual fisheye lenses, the ONE X2 captures everything around it in crisp detail. Its FlowState stabilization smooths out shakes and bumps, delivering gimbal-like stabilization without the gimbal. Simple one-button control makes capturing 360 content easy for beginners, while manual settings and modes provide advanced control for pros.

The ONE X2 aims to be the ideal 360 camera for everyone from casual users to professional content creators. Its compact form factor and waterproof design allow it to go anywhere you do. With an ecosystem of accessories and software for editing and sharing, the ONE X2 provides a complete solution for immersive 360 content creation.

Build Quality

The Insta360 ONE X2 has a durable and lightweight build made of plastic. Despite the plastic construction, it still feels sturdy and able to withstand some bumps and drops. The camera weighs only 149g, making it easy to take anywhere without adding much weight. With dimensions of 50.0 x 44.4 x 32.4mm, the ONE X2 can fit into your pocket or attach to various mounts.

The ONE X2 has an IPX8 waterproof rating, meaning it can be submerged under water up to 10m deep. This makes it a versatile action camera you can take swimming, snorkeling, or any other water activities. Overall, the ONE X2 has a solid construction and weather sealing that inspires confidence for outdoor use. Just make sure the battery door and ports are tightly closed before submerging.

Another great option to consider is the Insta360 ONE RS 4K Edition. This camera features modular design, allowing users to switch between a 4K wide-angle lens, a 360-degree lens, and a 1-inch sensor for high-quality photos and videos. Its rugged build and waterproofing up to 5 meters make it suitable for various adventures, while its user-friendly interface and advanced stabilization technology ensure smooth and professional-looking footage.

Image Quality

The Insta360 ONE X2 captures photos and video at an impressive resolution. It has a dual lens setup with two 1/2.3" sensors that can capture photos at up to 72MP. Videos can be captured at up to 5.7K resolution at 30fps. This high resolution allows for capturing intricate details and provides a lot of flexibility for cropping and reframing shots later.

One of the standout features of the ONE X2 is its excellent built-in image stabilization. It uses FlowState stabilization to smooth out shaky footage and help produce stable, professional-looking results. This works for both photos and videos. The stabilization is especially useful when shooting handheld or during active motion.

The ONE X2 also has some great AI editing features to help streamline the post production process. It can automatically edit videos to follow subjects or points of interest. There is also Shot Lab which uses AI to stylize footage with various effects and transitions. The app makes it easy to produce creatively edited videos without needing advanced editing expertise.

Overall, the image quality, stabilization, and AI editing capabilities make the ONE X2 a very versatile and user-friendly 360 camera. It enables anyone to capture high-quality, stabilized, and customizable spherical content.

The Insta360 GO 3 64GB is another fantastic option for those looking for a compact and efficient camera. This tiny powerhouse can capture 2.7K video and has impressive image stabilization, making it perfect for action shots and dynamic scenes. With its 64GB memory, it has plenty of storage for your adventures. The GO 3 is also incredibly lightweight and wearable, making it easy to carry and mount anywhere. For more details, check out the Insta360 GO 3 64GB.

Ease of Use

The Insta360 ONE X2 is designed to be very user-friendly and easy to operate. It has a large 2.25-inch touchscreen that allows for intuitive control and operation. The touchscreen allows you to easily frame shots, preview footage, and adjust settings.

The camera's controls are straightforward and simple to use. There are just three buttons - power, mode, and shutter. The power and mode buttons allow you to quickly turn the camera on and off and switch between modes. The shutter button makes it easy to start and stop recording.

The Insta360 app, available for iOS and Android, provides an effortless way to control the camera remotely via Bluetooth. You can view a live preview, start and stop recording, adjust settings, and more.

Editing the footage is easy thanks to the excellent Insta360 Studio desktop editing software. It provides AI-powered smart editing features that streamline the editing process. You simply import your footage and the software will analyze it and create an automatically edited video complete with transitions and effects. You can then easily refine the edit and export the video. The app also makes it simple to edit footage on your smartphone.

Overall, the Insta360 ONE X2 is designed for simplicity and ease of use from shooting to editing, making it accessible even for beginners. The intuitive touchscreen controls, remote app control, and smart editing software make capturing and producing 360 videos a seamless process.

Video Quality

The Insta360 ONE X2 captures impressive video footage up to 5.7K resolution at 30 fps (frames per second). It can also shoot 4K video at 50fps and 3K video at 100fps for smooth slow motion playback.

The built-in FlowState stabilization provides gimbal-like stabilization to videos, helping smooth out shakes and bumps during action shots. This produces incredibly stable and smooth footage, even during fast motion activities like cycling, skiing or running.

The 360 degree viewing angle means you can capture everything happening around the camera in all directions. This allows creative perspectives like tiny planet, 360 tours and point of view shots. The invisible selfie stick feature also removes any mount or pole from the video.

Overall, the video capabilities of the ONE X2 are extremely versatile for both standard and 360 degree capture. The high resolution paired with advanced stabilization provides professional quality results.

Audio Quality

The Insta360 ONE X2 has excellent audio quality for an action camera. It features dual microphones to capture stereo sound. The microphones do a good job of picking up voices clearly, even in noisy environments like on the street or beach.

Wind noise reduction works well when filming outside on windy days. The microphones minimize distracting wind noise in your videos. They also have a decent range and can pick up audio from subjects that are several feet away from the camera.

For more control over audio, you can connect an external microphone to the USB-C port. This allows you to use a higher quality directional mic for improved sound capture. The Insta360 ONE X2 detects when an external mic is connected and switches to it automatically.

Overall, the built-in mics and ability to connect external mics make the ONE X2 a versatile action cam for audio recording. It's a major upgrade over past Insta360 cameras in terms of audio capabilities. Clear audio definitely complements the great video quality you get with the ONE X2.

Battery Life

The Insta360 ONE X2 comes with a 1630 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery. This provides enough power for the camera to record up to 80 minutes of 5.7K 360 video on a single charge.

The battery life is decent but could be better for longer recording sessions. You may need to bring extra batteries or an external power bank if you plan on recording 360 videos for more than an hour at a time.

Charging the battery fully takes around 80 minutes via the USB-C port. The camera can also be charged while in use which is helpful to top up the battery between shots.

Overall the battery life is fairly average. It's sufficient for casual use but hardcore 360 videographers may want more recording time from a single charge.

Connectivity

The Insta360 ONE X2 has excellent connectivity options. It has built-in WiFi which allows you to connect the camera directly to your smartphone or tablet via the Insta360 app. This makes transferring photos and videos a breeze.

Bluetooth is also included for maintaining a constant connection between the camera and your mobile device. This allows you to use your phone as a remote viewfinder as well as remotely control the camera.

In terms of ports, the ONE X2 has a USB-C port for charging and wired transfer of files. There is also a microSD card slot to augment the 32GB of internal storage. The microSD card can hold up to 256GB of additional storage.

Overall, the connectivity options on the Insta360 ONE X2 are versatile. You have multiple ways to control the camera, transfer files, and expand the storage capacity.

Accessories

The Insta360 ONE X2 comes with a good selection of accessories in the box. Here's what's included:

• Invisible Selfie Stick - This telescoping selfie stick attaches directly to the camera to capture point of view shots while remaining invisible in the footage. It provides a great way to film yourself hands-free.

• Lens Guards - The ONE X2 has protective lens guards that snap onto the front of the camera. This helps avoid scratches and damage when the camera isn't in use.

• Charging Cable - A USB-C charging cable is included to charge the camera battery.

• Pouch - A handy carrying pouch is provided to store and transport the camera and accessories.

Some optional accessories can further expand the capabilities of the ONE X2:

• Selfie Stick Tripod - This mini tripod screws into the bottom of the invisible selfie stick to make it freestanding for stationary shots. Very useful for vlogging and solo filming.

• Extended Battery Base - This base snaps onto the bottom of the camera to provide over double the battery life. Great for all day shooting.

• Dive Case - For underwater usage, a dive case takes the ONE X2 down to depths of 60 meters.

• Venture Case - This rugged case protects the camera from dirt, sand and other elements when using it in extreme environments.

• Lens Mods - Special lenses like fisheye and zoom can be attached over the existing lenses to alter the field of view.

The ONE X2 has a solid selection of accessories to protect the camera and enable different types of shooting scenarios. The availability of optional extras allows customizing the device for your needs.

Price and Conclusion

The Insta360 ONE X2 comes with a premium price tag of around $429. However, for a feature-packed 360 camera that can shoot 5.7K video and 21MP photos, the price seems fair.

Pros: - Excellent image quality with 5.7K video and 21MP photos - Advanced image stabilization makes videos incredibly smooth - Simple one-button operation - Clear and vivid touchscreen display - Useful editing features in app - Waterproof and durable design

Cons: - Expensive compared to other 360 cameras - Mediocre battery life - Limited connectivity options - App can be glitchy at times

Overall, the ONE X2 delivers exceptional image quality and video stabilization in a compact 360 camera. The high resolution and advanced software features make it stand out from competitors. While the price is on the higher side, you get great value considering the premium design, easy usability and stellar performance. For serious 360 content creators, the ONE X2 is an excellent choice worth the investment.