Insta360 One X2 Action Camera

Haven't tried it yet completely. I love the design and the functionality. The only annoying thing is their convoluted phone interface. You can NOT have your WIFI for data and for camera control simultaneously. Only the one or the other works at a time (Have already consulted several web forums about this issue and it is a problem). This glitch sucks because you supposed to have internet WIFI to register certain systems while you are connected to the camera. If Insta wouldn't have this strange "must have a cell phone" to instigate your camera, I would have given it 5 stars ...

A action camera that can have a lot fun using it

It's a really good action camera with a lot of fun using it. It can be used in almost every kind of sport or even daily life, it will make you focus on what you are doing instead of taking care of the shooting, the perfect scenario would definitely be skiing, which offers you different available angles without influencing too much of your moves.The drawbacks are also very significant, the battery cannot last very long, and the video quality is not excellent, I'd say it's enough for social media whereas you don't care too much about the defects and the resolutions. If you shoot in 4K in 360 modes, it actually means 4K resolution of the whole range, so after clipping into the normal view, the resolution would be a bit low (I remembered it would be 1080p ... MoreIt's a really good action camera with a lot of fun using it. It can be used in almost every kind of sport or even daily life, it will make you focus on what you are doing instead of taking care of the shooting, the perfect scenario would definitely be skiing, which offers you different available angles without influencing too much of your moves.The drawbacks are also very significant, the battery cannot last very long, and the video quality is not excellent, I'd say it's enough for social media whereas you don't care too much about the defects and the resolutions. If you shoot in 4K in 360 modes, it actually means 4K resolution of the whole range, so after clipping into the normal view, the resolution would be a bit low (I remembered it would be 1080p instead)Another drawback I care about a lot is the battery, first, it's not long last, especially when I ski, it might be due to the low temperatures reducing the performance, anyway it's best to have 2 or 3 batteries, but insta360 doesn't provide a portable charging case, the only one you can get from the official store is a charging station that isn't suitable to carry. (It's possible to buy from a 3rd party online which I really appreciate.) So it would be a problem if you want to keep shooting for a whole day.The last drawback, or to be precise, a trade-off, since you pay less on shooting, you need to spend much more effort on editing, it's a new way of editing and really costs you some time to learn, and sometimes the logic of the editing is a bit weird.

Don’t Buy. Disconnects more than it’s Connected + Awful 360 quality.

INSTA ONE X2I wouldn’t recommend this camera. I use it for work & it makes me horribly inefficient because it disconnects like every 35mins and then I spent another 15mins reconnecting through the app then my app I use for work & it connects to the proprietary app then disconnects from my iPad. Connects to the app I use for work, disconnects from the proprietary app. Connects to my app for work, disconnects from my ipad. Connects to the Insta360 app, disconnects, tries to pair with my phone that already has other wifi & my AirPods connected when my beautiful ipad is just waiting to connect. Turn off everything on my phone so the fabulous Insta360 can pair to the intended device, disconnects.I waste more time trying to connect this to the intended device that I’m ... MoreINSTA ONE X2I wouldn’t recommend this camera. I use it for work & it makes me horribly inefficient because it disconnects like every 35mins and then I spent another 15mins reconnecting through the app then my app I use for work & it connects to the proprietary app then disconnects from my iPad. Connects to the app I use for work, disconnects from the proprietary app. Connects to my app for work, disconnects from my ipad. Connects to the Insta360 app, disconnects, tries to pair with my phone that already has other wifi & my AirPods connected when my beautiful ipad is just waiting to connect. Turn off everything on my phone so the fabulous Insta360 can pair to the intended device, disconnects.I waste more time trying to connect this to the intended device that I’m technically bad at my job because 1. I’m working so slow I’m useless 2. I picked this thing out and kinda reflects on my decision making. 3. The kicker: THE QUALITY ISNT EVEN GOOD! That’s why I bought the thing over my old GoPro 360. It says 2K or 4K, I forget, it’s some “K” of HD & the photos have more grains than a beach. You can’t zoom in on a 360 because it gets so grainy and unusable as a photo I don’t know why I bought this. The 360 is only useful if you don’t zoom which is kinda ridiculous if you ask me. For reference I have a light for my 360 & I take 360 photos of Contruction building before completion & I have a tape measure about 6-8’ away from the camera & I can’t read the tape measure zoomed out or in because the quality is like 480p at best. And I’ve changed my settings, set it to top quality on all camera settings & functions & they’re all poor.I’ve had this thing for almost a year & I regret the purchase so much. The photos are so bad and it disconnects so much, it’s so frustrating. Id stay away and do more research. Maybe it’s good for people who want to jump off tall rocks with great lighting and you can show your friends later about how you jumped off a rock. But if you want to use it for any capacity outside of the most perfectly lite area & you want to zoom in on anything, Dont buy this camera.

Great purchase!

You can’t go wrong with camera. I have been taking 360 videos for a few years and I just upgraded to the Insta360 One X2. I am using the invisible selfie stick that is also a tripod and the combo is excellent. The construction of the camera is solid. Good battery life, great image, and the best part of all is the editing software… insta360 really nailed it here. The AI reframing is phenomenal, so for those watching the videos not in VR this is like recording absolutely everything and then re-recording what you really want to see in any direction. For those that will watch in VR the experience is great at the full 5.7K.

Product leaks. Ruined after 8 uses. Do NOT buy

Purchased online from JBHifi. Please read all the other online reviews noting this issue before purchase if you plan to use it near the water. I wish I had! I have years of experience with under water photography equipment, and other brand underwater action cameras etc. None of which have leaked or let me down. I also purchased the dive housing (yet to be used) for deeper adventures but figured it should be fine on the surface with a 30ft rating.The Insta360 One X2 claims to be waterproof to 30 feet. My camera has been used for a little snorkelling and never been deeper than 4 ft. Every time it went near the water, the USB and battery latches were carefully checked. In all the time I had the camera I never removed the battery as it was always charged viat the USB ... MorePurchased online from JBHifi. Please read all the other online reviews noting this issue before purchase if you plan to use it near the water. I wish I had! I have years of experience with under water photography equipment, and other brand underwater action cameras etc. None of which have leaked or let me down. I also purchased the dive housing (yet to be used) for deeper adventures but figured it should be fine on the surface with a 30ft rating.The Insta360 One X2 claims to be waterproof to 30 feet. My camera has been used for a little snorkelling and never been deeper than 4 ft. Every time it went near the water, the USB and battery latches were carefully checked. In all the time I had the camera I never removed the battery as it was always charged viat the USB cable hatch and video transferred via the app. Yet, the last time I went to charge it, it short circuited and fried itself due to obvious water ingress into the battery compartment. Upon checking the surface coating seemed to have come off and was sitting around the seals.Camera less than 12 months old and used 7 or 8 times. Waste of money as many extra accessories added making it not a cheap purchase.Insta360 company won't talk to you if there is any water damage and puts the blame back on the consumer. This is nonsense. There are many upset people with the same experience.

Promising but unreliable

The seller was quick in sending the package-Quick delivery. 5 stars for the seller!For the product---meh...1 STAR. I missed most of our precious moments while vacationing. Product keeps on turning off and will stop recording. SD card error keeps on recurring despite having the V30 MicroSD card. Read some articles online (It is a common problem so beware) on how to fix the problem. So instead of enjoying my vacation, I was wasting my time fixing the issue.I paid top dollar for all activities in Cancun and guess what. I only got few footages because of this SD Card overheating issue! Left this insta360 and just used my old gear360 camera from Samsung. Very frustrating. I just hope I brought the gopro Max. Even if Insta360 will refund me for paying all the ... MoreThe seller was quick in sending the package-Quick delivery. 5 stars for the seller!For the product---meh...1 STAR. I missed most of our precious moments while vacationing. Product keeps on turning off and will stop recording. SD card error keeps on recurring despite having the V30 MicroSD card. Read some articles online (It is a common problem so beware) on how to fix the problem. So instead of enjoying my vacation, I was wasting my time fixing the issue.I paid top dollar for all activities in Cancun and guess what. I only got few footages because of this SD Card overheating issue! Left this insta360 and just used my old gear360 camera from Samsung. Very frustrating. I just hope I brought the gopro Max. Even if Insta360 will refund me for paying all the activities that I purchased in Cancun, I will never get back those missed footages of precious moments with my family!

So much fun.

After a lot of search, comparing many action and 360 cameras, I decided to go with insta360 One X2.I'm still discovering using 360 camera because shooting and editing flow is very different from other "normal" cameras.If you like editing and tweeting your photos and videos and enjoying the process, this camera will give endless possibilities of doing it, and it's a lot of fun.Connecting the camera with my iPhone was very easy, fast and stable. The app is very good and can do a lot with it.To clarify, I don't consider it as a main camera. I have a dedicated mirror-less and a smartphone. This 360 is a great addition for the fun part and type of shots you can't do with regular camera.The only down side is the resolution, but under good lighting and for social ... MoreAfter a lot of search, comparing many action and 360 cameras, I decided to go with insta360 One X2.I'm still discovering using 360 camera because shooting and editing flow is very different from other "normal" cameras.If you like editing and tweeting your photos and videos and enjoying the process, this camera will give endless possibilities of doing it, and it's a lot of fun.Connecting the camera with my iPhone was very easy, fast and stable. The app is very good and can do a lot with it.To clarify, I don't consider it as a main camera. I have a dedicated mirror-less and a smartphone. This 360 is a great addition for the fun part and type of shots you can't do with regular camera.The only down side is the resolution, but under good lighting and for social media it's enough and can deliver great results.If you have a main camera and you are not a pixel piper, this 360 camera can be a great addition for both fun and unique shots.

Some notes abt camera that isnt mentioned

After activation, the camera can be used for whatever you want. But it will not get access to all the functions on its touch screen; must use the app to get access to all the features. My old Ricoh decided to not connect to my old samsung s8, and that meant I cannot set up manual shots anymore. So now I buy insta 360, but seems like similar problem may happen.To me, that means I gotta upgrade my phone too, and my old phone would run out of battery quickly. Having to connect to the phone to set up the shot also slows me down, and I might miss that photo worthy moment. But if I'm comfortable with just standard photo/video /timelapse, then it's no problem. I believe if i take a video, i can adjust the color to near HDR quality later and take a snapshot.The night ... MoreAfter activation, the camera can be used for whatever you want. But it will not get access to all the functions on its touch screen; must use the app to get access to all the features. My old Ricoh decided to not connect to my old samsung s8, and that meant I cannot set up manual shots anymore. So now I buy insta 360, but seems like similar problem may happen.To me, that means I gotta upgrade my phone too, and my old phone would run out of battery quickly. Having to connect to the phone to set up the shot also slows me down, and I might miss that photo worthy moment. But if I'm comfortable with just standard photo/video /timelapse, then it's no problem. I believe if i take a video, i can adjust the color to near HDR quality later and take a snapshot.The night lapse mode allows shutter speed up to 2 minutes, which is good to know, bc when I was looking it up, plenty of documentation mix that up with the time interval between the shots.All the editing can be done inside the camera via wifi and app, though may suffer from occasional stutter and connection issue, after a few playback, it usually gets pretty smooth. During edit, the more action you do on the clip, especially speeding it up, the lower the video quality gets when streamed back to you. To get the real quality, you gotta download the whole video.The editing software only works on phone, the desktop version DOES NOT have access to AI shotlab and flash cut. I tried using Bluestack to emulate android environment on my PC, that end up with oddly colored images, frequent freezes, and crashes. So now I end up borrowing work phone to do the editing...😭After some time on manual editing, I feel that the video stutters sometime. I'm not sure if it was my improper shot framing /trimming, or the SD card is crapping out (I just got the camera). If you're using it for pro purpose, you might wanna test it a bit first, before using it for work. You may need to pay for Adobe Premier pro if you wanna do lots of editing to smooth framed shots out and create a more cinematic moment. Otherwise, you might be able to export flat video out and use other free editors on the phone/desktop. For recreational use, I hope Insta360 at least add a text function on the editor, so we can put words in the video, to give it the video more context without out-of-video caption to explain anything. As of now, the flash cut's on screen decoration cannot be edited or added manually in their app, and that lack of customization has kept me from using the flash cut feature.The watertight seal relies on the O-rings around each panels on the camera. Looks nicely built, have not tested it. With all the underwater shot people do, I assume itll be fine. Just follow manual's instruction, rinse with fresh water and dry after sea exposure, before opening up. Each spare battery you purchase comes with watertight panel cover attached, so I wouldnt worry abt O-ring getting old. Enjoy your cam!

Sooner or Later You Will Need To Buy Replacement Lenses!

It is a very unstable design. Too tall and thin and doesn't stand up by itself in most places and will topple over every chance it gets. Of course the lenses stick out like the nose on your face and like that, goes splat each time you fall head first. The second day mine was on their selfie stick on a desktop mini tripod outside and the slightest breeze knocked it over and chipped one lens and it bounced around to chip the other so after 5 minutes the camera was ruined. The app and PC software are totally useless and takes you forever to do anything. Have it running on your phone and watch the video there but if try to do anything else with it outside of that you are up for heartache. You drag their insv video files off the sd card to their studio program as they ... MoreIt is a very unstable design. Too tall and thin and doesn't stand up by itself in most places and will topple over every chance it gets. Of course the lenses stick out like the nose on your face and like that, goes splat each time you fall head first. The second day mine was on their selfie stick on a desktop mini tripod outside and the slightest breeze knocked it over and chipped one lens and it bounced around to chip the other so after 5 minutes the camera was ruined. The app and PC software are totally useless and takes you forever to do anything. Have it running on your phone and watch the video there but if try to do anything else with it outside of that you are up for heartache. You drag their insv video files off the sd card to their studio program as they say and it's not recognised and the screen stays blank so you have to go back to the phone and convert it from the camera to the phone to the pc. It is a very long way from plug and play. Don't waste your money.

Wishing I knew more before I wasted my money

I now understand how affiliate marketing works and why this camera has so many positive reviews. $$$$$$$$$$You cannot create the stunning visuals without using the app on your phone. The laptop 360 studio is very limited. (of course this is not communicated by insta360) The permissions to use the app on your phone are long and arduous. I can't use my home network? Broadband wifi? Must us the cameras wifi. WTF.The support person was polite but the answer was basically tough s***.Went from very excited to disgusted with my $400 paper weight. Don't tell your friends you have a 360 camera and that you will make these great vids for them. Egg on face.It should not be this difficult. Shame on Insta. I have little doubt that they know exactly what they are doing. I ... MoreI now understand how affiliate marketing works and why this camera has so many positive reviews. $$$$$$$$$$You cannot create the stunning visuals without using the app on your phone. The laptop 360 studio is very limited. (of course this is not communicated by insta360) The permissions to use the app on your phone are long and arduous. I can't use my home network? Broadband wifi? Must us the cameras wifi. WTF.The support person was polite but the answer was basically tough s***.Went from very excited to disgusted with my $400 paper weight. Don't tell your friends you have a 360 camera and that you will make these great vids for them. Egg on face.It should not be this difficult. Shame on Insta. I have little doubt that they know exactly what they are doing. I just don't know why.