![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review.webp]] # Bored of Action Cams? Try This: Insta360 ONE X2 | Review [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GNEiZGML1Q) · MountMedia · 2022-06-17 · 11:10. Written from the full English captions (creator-uploaded `en` track) via yt-dlp, plus frames and the description. The video has no chapters, so section headings follow the topics as he covers them. ## Outline - **0:00 – Why a 360 camera.** He admits it gets boring always taking the same shots; if you want a camera for creative, unique and interesting footage, he highly recommends a **360 camera**. The video asks what the **Insta360 ONE X2** can do, whether it's still the best choice for 360 shots in **2022**, and what it offers compared with a common action camera like a **GoPro**. - **0:40 – Three crucial features.** First, **360 video** you can look around in during playback (with the mouse on a computer, like **Google Street View** in video form). Cool, but not the key feature for him. As a **solo creator** who always films himself, the other two matter more. Second, **reframing**: you convert a 360 shot into a normal flat clip and are completely free to set the framing from the full 360 field of view, so how you hold the camera hardly matters. You set distance and angle with a pole or mount and pick the framing later in the phone or PC app, which gives unusual perspectives and removes the need to check framing while filming yourself. The ONE X2's very wide lenses also mean you needn't hold it far away. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0045.webp]] - **2:00 – Invisible selfie stick.** Third, when you film yourself on a **pole**, the 360 shot **removes the pole automatically** by stitching the two lenses' images so the stick falls in the blind spot. That creates shots that look as if taken by a **drone** or another person, which would be extremely hard at these movements and distances. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0140.webp]] - **2:33 – Editing and software.** Those features apply to most 360 cameras, so what sets the ONE X2 apart? You can't just copy 360 footage to a drive and watch it; **every shot needs editing** to choose the framing, a disadvantage versus a regular action cam. But Insta360's implementation is a strength of all Insta360 cameras: the **desktop software** is easy to understand and use and has run absolutely stable on his **Mac**, with no complicated editor to learn. Pick the framing and export. The **smartphone app** connects quickly, is easy to use and stable, so you can view and edit clips on your phone. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0095.webp]] - **3:45 – Creative app effects.** The app adds many automatic creative tools: **FlyLapse** makes a clip that looks shot with an **FPV drone**, **Shadow Clone** clones you within the same clip without heavy editing, and **Horizon Flip** flips the horizon and rotates the image. All his examples were generated by the app from a simple 360 shot with no manual editing on his part. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0255.webp]] - **4:28 – Resolution drawback.** The ONE X2 shoots up to **5.7K**, but since you reframe and export only a small portion of the 360 image, the result is about **1080p**. Not a problem on a smartphone or for social media, but if you watch and edit mainly on a computer, the difference from **4K** is noticeable, especially side by side. A true 4K reframed clip would need a much higher 360 resolution; he expects the next generation (he calls it the "**ONE X3**") to shoot at least **8K**. - **5:28 – Slow motion.** Slow motion requires lower resolution: **5.7K at up to 30fps**, **4K at 50fps**, **3K at 100fps**. Even a 1080p export from the reduced-resolution footage shows greatly reduced image quality. A 360 camera was never going to be a slow-motion monster; you accept some disadvantages against a classic action cam in exchange for 360 benefits. - **6:15 – 150-degree mode and field of view.** The ONE X2 can also record normal, non-360 video saved directly as a regular file by switching to **150-degree mode**. Its field of view is extremely wide: on the same **chest mount** at the same angle, it is clearly wider than a **GoPro HERO 10** on **Wide**. The same limits apply: max **1440p at 50fps**, or **1080p at up to 120fps**. - **7:00 – Colors.** The ONE X2's colors differ a lot from a GoPro's. Earlier GoPro clips used **Natural** (GoPro's rather desaturated profile); against **Vibrant** (GoPro's typical profile) the ONE X2's image looks a bit **cooler** but slightly **more saturated**. Both look nice; it's a matter of taste. - **7:30 – Stabilization.** Insta360's **FlowState** stabilization is very good. In a running test (360 shot reframed and exported), the ONE X2 was **significantly better stabilized** than the HERO 10's **HyperSmooth** set to **High**; HyperSmooth **Boost** or **Linear with Horizon Leveling** would improve the GoPro but add extra crop. In 150-degree mode the ONE X2 also convinces, which he attributes to its extremely wide field of view. - **8:15 – Body and handling.** The body looks high-quality and well made and is far more comfortable to hold than an action cam thanks to its **elongated** design; it holds like a small phone. Thinner than a GoPro but much longer, about a **quarter larger** overall (also shown next to an **iPhone 13 Pro**). The **protruding lenses** are a weak point in action and should be protected with a **lens protector** when stored. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0515.webp]] - **9:00 – Display and shooting modes.** The **round touchscreen** looks unusual but cool, though small, perhaps a third the size of a GoPro's display. Handling is simple: switching between 360 and 150-degree modes and between lenses is easy. Exposure can be fully **manual**, and there are extra modes such as **HDR**, **timelapse** and **starlapse**. - **9:30 – Audio and waterproofing.** He plays an audio comparison with the GoPro HERO 10. Unlike the ONE RS, the ONE X2 is **waterproof to 10 m** without an extra housing, like a GoPro, which generally makes very good audio hard to achieve. - **9:45 – ONE X2 vs ONE RS.** The **Insta360 ONE RS** is **modular**: besides a **360 module** it has a **4K Boost Lens** and a **1-Inch** module for use as a typical action cam. The 4K Boost Lens shoots high-resolution **4K at 50fps**, clearly beating the ONE X2's 150-degree footage on resolution, so if you want an action cam as well as a 360 camera he'd choose the ONE RS. The ONE RS 360 module takes the same shots as the ONE X2, so for **360 only** he prefers the **ONE X2**: it looks better, is more comfortable to hold, stows more easily in a pocket, feels like a better overall package, and is **cheaper** than the ONE RS with the 360 module. ![[images/Bored of Action Cams Try This Insta360 ONE X2 Review-t0610.webp]] - **10:40 – Wrap-up.** He asks whether viewers are interested in a 360 camera and promises more tests and tutorials on 360 and action cameras. ## Things mentioned ### Cameras - **Insta360 ONE X2**: 5.7K 360 camera with 150-degree single-lens mode, FlowState stabilization, round touchscreen, waterproof to 10 m; the review subject and his pick for 360-only shooters. - **Insta360 ONE RS**: Modular camera with 360 module, 4K Boost Lens (4K 50fps) and 1-Inch module; his pick if you want 360 plus a conventional action cam. - **GoPro HERO 10 Black**: Comparison camera for field of view, color profiles (Natural, Vibrant), HyperSmooth stabilization and audio. - **"ONE X3"**: His name for the expected next generation, which he predicts will shoot at least 8K. - **iPhone 13 Pro**: Used for a size comparison. ### Features and specs - **360 playback** (look around, like Google Street View in video form). - **Reframing in post**: choose the framing later in the phone or desktop app. - **Invisible selfie stick**: pole removed automatically by stitching. - **Resolution**: 5.7K 360 reframes to about 1080p. - **Slow motion**: 5.7K30, 4K50, 3K100. - **150-degree mode**: up to 1440p50 or 1080p120, wider than GoPro HERO 10 Wide. - **FlowState stabilization** vs GoPro **HyperSmooth** (High, Boost, Linear with Horizon Leveling). - **Shooting modes**: manual exposure, HDR, timelapse, starlapse. - **Waterproofing**: 10 m without an extra housing. ### Software and effects - **Insta360 desktop software** (stable on Mac) and **Insta360 smartphone app**. - **FlyLapse** (FPV-drone-style clip), **Shadow Clone**, **Horizon Flip**. ### Accessories - **Selfie stick / pole** and **chest mount**. - **Lens protector** for the protruding lenses. ### Related videos - More 360 camera and action camera tests and tutorials promised on the channel. ### Purchase options - Insta360 ONE X2 (affiliate): https://www.insta360.com/sal/one_x2?insrc=INRNHMF - Insta360 ONE RS (affiliate): https://www.insta360.com/sal/one_rs?insrc=INRNHMF - On Amazon (affiliate): ONE X2 https://amzn.to/3QqBXZk · ONE RS https://amzn.to/38RxQo8 - His camera gear (Amazon affiliate): main camera https://amzn.to/3kmRJqp · main lens https://amzn.to/2WN8cIl · favorite lens https://amzn.to/3fUDV1w · YouTube lens https://amzn.to/2Qi6d9b · 4K SD card https://amzn.to/2QVOPd7 · microphone https://amzn.to/3tDOxe6 - Music (Audiio), code **PRO70** for 70% off: https://audiio.com/partner?oid=1&affid=606 - Support the channel: https://www.ko-fi.com/mountmedia ## Bios - **Werner Plank** runs MountMedia, a YouTube channel of camera tests, comparisons and tutorials focused on 360 and action cameras (Instagram: @werner.plank; contact [email protected]). A solo creator who films himself, he values reframing and the invisible selfie stick most, and in this early review weighs the ONE X2 against his GoPro HERO 10. - **Insta360** (Arashi Vision) is the Shenzhen-based maker of consumer 360 cameras. The ONE X2 (released October 2020) and the modular ONE RS (released March 2022) are the cameras discussed here, along with its desktop software and mobile app. - **GoPro** is the San Mateo, California action-camera company behind the HERO line; the HERO 10 Black (September 2021) is the comparison camera in this review.