![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings.webp]] # Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCTFjBQfRb0) · MountMedia · 2023-02-18 · 13:06. Written from the uploader's English captions (manual track), plus the chapters, frames and the description. Section headings follow the video's chapters. ## Outline - **0:00 – Introduction to X3 settings.** Like most consumer cameras, the **Insta360 X3** takes good shots on its default settings, and in most cases that works well. To get the best out of it, especially when conditions aren't ideal, you have to dig into the settings. He moves from the slopes to his office to show the menus on the camera's screen. - **0:31 – Shooting modes overview.** Tap the camera icon and swipe left or right to pick a recording mode. The choice depends on whether you're in **360 mode** or **Single Lens mode**. The X3 has two lenses and two sensors and combines their images into one 360 image, while Single Lens mode records with only one of them. - There are **two reasons** to use Single Lens mode: you **skip reframing** and save time in post, and in **difficult, uneven light** (one side well lit, the other not) the camera can set exposure for one side, which can give better image quality. 360 mode has its own fix for that, covered later. - Single Lens records in **4K**, while a reframed 360 shot is only **1080p**. In even, good light there's hardly any difference, though, since it's the same sensor and lens. In his comparison the reframed 360 shot even holds a little more detail in the meadow. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t0200.webp]] - **Me mode** skips reframing and keeps you **automatically centered**. It's ideal if you film yourself and want to share straight from your phone. Otherwise he doesn't recommend it: you can only edit the shot to a limited extent, and image quality is a bit lower than in the other modes. - Apart from those cases, use **360 mode**, the only mode that uses the camera's special strengths. Of the 360 modes he covers **standard Video** and **Active HDR**. For hyperlapses, use **TimeShift**, or shoot normal video and speed it up in post. For time-lapses, he recommends **Interval** mode: it shoots single photos that you stitch into a video later, with better quality than the standard Time Lapse mode. - **2:38 – Active HDR vs standard mode.** Small consumer cameras struggle when one frame has very bright and very dark areas, and the highlights blow out. **Active HDR** is meant to preserve detail in those bright areas. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t0345.webp]] He only recommends it in exactly that situation, when you want the best result, because it has real drawbacks: it is **not suitable for low light** (much more noise than normal video), and it offers **far fewer capture settings** than standard video mode. The rest of the video covers standard video mode. - **3:51 – Resolution and frame rates.** These are the most important settings, and they go together, because the available frame rates depend on the resolution. The default is **5.7K at 30 fps**. 5.7K is the X3's highest resolution, and you should only lower it **for slow motion**. At 5.7K you can choose **30, 25 or 24 fps**. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t0410.webp]] - **Basic rule:** if the clips go into a larger project, shoot at the project's frame rate (30 for a 30 fps project, 25 for 25, and so on). - More frames look smoother, so 30 fps is smoother than 24 or 25. **24 fps** is the film standard and often reads as "cinematic". **25 fps** is the **PAL** rate, which reduces flicker under artificial light in PAL regions (most countries outside the US and Canada). - 360 cameras are mostly used for action and nature experiences, where you want an **immersive** rather than cinematic look, and he thinks the smoother 30 fps suits that better. He only changes 5.7K30 for **slow motion**, for **24/25 fps projects**, and possibly in **low light** (including indoors under artificial light), where 24/25 fps lets in a little more light, though the difference from 30 fps is small. - **Slow motion:** **4K** goes up to **60 fps** (slowed to **40%**), and **3K** up to **100 fps** (slowed to **24%**). These modes cost a lot of image quality on the X3, even though 5.7K vs 4K doesn't look like a big gap at first, because resolution isn't the only factor. Only use 60 or 100 fps when you're sure the slow-motion shot will be worth it. - **6:01 – Advanced color and exposure.** Swipe left to open the advanced settings, with **Auto** and **Manual** tabs. Manual sets exposure by hand. In Auto the camera still tries to expose the shot as well as possible, but you can change several things: - **Color profile: Standard, LOG, Vivid.** Vivid adds a lot more saturation, while Standard looks more natural. He only recommends Vivid if you like strong saturation and want to share without editing. If you grade your footage, he definitely recommends **LOG** on the X3. He's usually not a fan of log on consumer cameras, but the X3's works well and keeps more **highlight detail**, which improves dynamic range. He wouldn't use it in **low-contrast** scenes, such as skiing on a cloudy day. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t0745.webp]] - **6:55 – Manual exposure control.** The chapter continues through the Auto-tab settings before switching to Manual: - **White balance** sets a warm or cool tone, and white should look white, not yellow or blue. Setting it by hand takes experience. He finds the auto white balance good and usually leaves it on **Auto**. A manual value helps on **long shots in steady light**, so the camera doesn't shift white balance mid-shot for no reason. For example, **5500 K** suits a sunny day outdoors. - **EV (exposure value)** makes the shot brighter or darker. A slightly negative value protects highlights: burned-out highlights can't be saved, but a slightly dark shot is easy to brighten in post. He sets **EV -0.5**. - **Separate lens exposure** (far right) lets each sensor expose on its own when the light is very uneven, for example filming from a dark room toward a bright outdoors. This is the 360-mode fix he mentioned earlier. - Switching to **Manual** adds **shutter speed** and **ISO**. Shutter speed is how long each frame is exposed: a slower shutter means a brighter image. He only sets shutter manually in **low light**. The X3's **excellent electronic stabilization** needs very sharp frames, which means very short exposures. Auto handles that in daylight, but in low light (including indoors) auto lengthens the shutter, which can cause **smeary, bad shots**. For low light he recommends **24 fps with a 1/50 shutter** as a good ratio. Stabilization works less well at 1/50, so hold the camera steadily. In good light he leaves shutter on Auto. - **ISO** is how sensitive the camera is to light. Higher ISO is brighter but adds **noise and artifacts**, so keep it as low as possible. In sunny daylight, fix it at **ISO 100** for optimal quality. In low light, ISO 100 is too dark, so raise it only as far as needed. The image looks quite good up to **ISO 400**, quality drops quickly **above 800**, and he'd only use 800 if there's no other way. If the light may change during a recording, set an **ISO max** (for example 800 max or 400 max) on the far left, and the camera will adjust ISO without going over it. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t1035.webp]] - **10:16 – Bitrate and sharpness settings.** Two more settings live in the main menu under the **Settings** icon: - **Video bitrate:** set it to **High**, the only way to get the best image quality. Use Standard only if you really need to save storage. ![[images/Insta360 X3 The BEST Settings-t1140.webp]] - **Video sharpness:** much of the X3's sharp look is **digital sharpening** (the camera boosts contrast at edges). It looks artificial and unprofessional, and it's hard to remove later. If you edit, set sharpness to **Low** and add some in your editor if needed. Even if you don't edit, he'd lower it to **Medium**. - **12:19 – Summary of best practices.** Use Single Lens only to skip reframing or in very uneven light. Use **5.7K30** as the default. Set color to **Standard**, or **LOG** if you edit, and **EV to -0.5**. In low light, expose manually with a **1/50** shutter and ISO **400**, with **800** as the maximum. Always lower sharpness to **Medium**, or **Low** if you edit. For comparisons with the **ONE RS**, the **ONE RS 1-Inch 360** and the **GoPro MAX**, see his other videos linked in the description. More X3 tutorials are coming. ## Things mentioned ### Cameras - **Insta360 X3**: The subject. A dual-lens 360 camera with 5.7K top resolution, Single Lens 4K and strong electronic stabilization. - **Insta360 ONE RS** and **ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition**: Compared with the X3 in a related video. - **GoPro MAX**: Compared with the X3 in a related video. ### Shooting modes - **360 mode** (reframe in post), **Single Lens mode** (4K, no reframing, one-sided exposure), and **Me mode** (auto-centered, quick share, limited editing). - **Video** (standard) and **Active HDR** (highlight protection; noisy in low light, fewer options). - **TimeShift** (hyperlapse), **Interval** (photo time-lapse stitched later, better than the standard **Time Lapse** mode), and speeding up normal video in post. ### Recommended settings - **Resolution/frame rate:** 5.7K30 by default; 24/25 fps to match a project or in low light; 4K60 (40% slow-mo) or 3K100 (24% slow-mo) only when the shot is worth the quality loss. - **Color profile:** Standard, or LOG if you grade; Vivid only for unedited, saturated sharing. - **White balance:** Auto; manual (for example 5500 K in sun) for long, steady-light shots. - **EV:** -0.5. - **Separate lens exposure:** for very uneven light (dark room to bright exterior). - **Low light:** Manual, 24 fps, 1/50 shutter, ISO 400 (800 max). - **Daylight:** ISO 100, auto shutter. Use an ISO max cap when the light changes. - **Video bitrate:** High. - **Sharpness:** Medium, or Low if you edit. ### Concepts - Frame-rate matching, the **24 fps** "cinematic" look, **25 fps PAL** flicker reduction, digital sharpening, dynamic range and highlight clipping, and why stabilization needs short shutter speeds. ### Related videos - Insta360 X3 vs GoPro MAX: https://youtu.be/IdQMI1PsDXk - Insta360 X3 vs ONE RS vs 1-Inch 360: https://youtu.be/Gr8KEIc8T8w ### Purchase options - Insta360 X3 accessories (Insta360 store, affiliate): https://store.insta360.com/accessory?insrc=INRNHMF - Music (Audiio), promo code **SAVE70** for 70% off: https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=606 - Support the channel: https://www.ko-fi.com/mountmedia - Description links are affiliate links. ## Bios - **Werner Plank** runs MountMedia, a YouTube channel of camera tests, comparisons and tutorials focused on 360 and action cameras from Insta360, DJI and GoPro, often filmed in the Alps (Instagram: @werner.plank; contact [email protected]). Here he films skiing, biking and town scenes to illustrate each setting, then explains the menus on the X3's screen from his office. - **Insta360** is the Shenzhen-based maker of the X-series and ONE-series 360 cameras. The X3 (released September 2022) was its flagship consumer 360 camera when this video was made.