![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained.webp]] # Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer – Best Features Explained! [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfOYnEWKivw) · MountMedia · 2025-04-22 · 16:25. Written from YouTube's English captions and the creator's chapters. ## Outline - **0:00 – Introduction.** Werner introduces the X5 as supposedly the best 360 camera available, thanks to what Insta360 calls 50 new features, and promises to show what they are, how they work and how good the camera really is. Insta360 provided the camera, but the video isn't otherwise sponsored. ![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained-t0020.webp]] - **0:36 – Image quality and new sensors.** The two sensors are 1/1.28-inch, much larger than the X4's. He explains that larger sensors matter most in low light but also give better color, dynamic range, detail and less noise in good light. Against the X4 in bright light the differences were mostly subtle, visible over time or zoomed in, and he suspects the gap is larger in single-lens mode than in 360 mode. The sensors also improve hyperlapse and Me mode shots. - **2:02 – Slow motion.** The X5 now shoots 360 slow motion at up to 120 fps (previously 4K100). It still drops to 4K, and reframing lowers resolution further, but the bigger sensors make the footage more detailed and less noisy, usable even for higher-quality productions. - **2:50 – New AI chips.** Besides faster image processors, Insta360 says the X5 has three new AI chips, needed to read two large sensors at once; he notes the effect this could have on battery life and overheating. - **3:38 – Low light and PureVideo mode.** A dedicated PureVideo low-light mode, previously seen on the Ace Pro 2 (and like Super Night on the DJI Action 5), is new for a 360 camera. Its footage looks far better than the X4 and visibly better than a GoPro Hero 13, both of which have smaller sensors. Unlike those cameras, it doesn't require lowering resolution, so you can shoot 8K in low light. He calls PureVideo perhaps the X5's best new feature and promises a detailed X4 comparison. ![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained-t0350.webp]] - **5:03 – HDR improvements.** HDR is no longer a separate Active HDR mode as on the X4; it's built into standard video like on the Ace Pro and Ace Pro 2. It still requires 5.7K but now runs up to 5.7K60. He finds the results natural, not over-processed, and notes HDR can be switched off and turns off automatically in 8K. - **6:12 – Twist to Shoot.** Twisting the camera back and forth twice on a stick starts a recording or takes a photo; it must be enabled in settings. Voice and gesture control remain. - **6:56 – The replaceable lens cover.** The body looks almost identical to the X4. Protruding lenses are a 360 camera's weak point, and he rejects the lens guards in the Essentials Bundle because they cause flares. The X5 has reinforced lens material (tested when he bumped it against a wall) and is the first 360 camera with a user-replaceable lens cover. He demonstrates the kit: align the dots on the lens grip tool, turn it two full turns counterclockwise to remove the ring, lift off the cover with the removal tool, clean with the blower, brush, wipe and cloth, fit the new cover with the suction cup, and screw the ring back in. It's cheaper than sending the camera for repair and avoids downtime. ![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained-t0755.webp]] - **8:49 – Reframing and the invisible selfie stick.** Single-lens mode (up to 4K60) avoids reframing but loses the 360 benefits. He shot everything with the 114 cm Invisible Selfie Stick, which he recommends as the first stick to buy. - **9:36 – InstaFrame mode.** InstaFrame records a normal 360 clip plus a flat clip, either auto-framed on you (selfie view) or using a custom view with preset perspectives like rear or front. Resolution is limited to 5.7K+ for the 360 clip and 1080p for the flat clip, so the flat clip suits quick social sharing. ![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained-t0945.webp]] - **10:36 – New wind guard and audio.** A fixed front wind guard, as on the Ace Pro 2, greatly reduces wind noise, demonstrated in a listening test. There's a voice-emphasis vlogging mode, and external mics still work. - **11:24 – Water resistance.** Unlike the Ace Pro 2's guard, the X5's can't be removed and doesn't need to be: the camera is waterproof to 15 m without a dive case. 360 shooting underwater still needs a dive case, since stitching fails without one; otherwise only single-lens mode works. - **11:52 – Recording time.** The battery is 2,400 mAh. In 8K30 standard mode it recorded 1 h 27 min, 15 minutes more than the X4. The new Endurance Mode recorded exactly 3 hours at 5.7K30 but isn't available in 8K. Fast charging reaches about 80% in 20 minutes. - **12:38 – Overheating test.** In a 22 °C office the X5 shut off after 1 h 19 min in 8K30, about 15 minutes longer than the X4; at 5.7K it ran until the battery died. He notes real action use usually has wind, so overheating isn't a problem even in 8K. - **13:13 – New reframing features.** The revised app recognizes subjects and shows them in thumbnails. Choosing selfie view analyzes the clip and reframes the whole thing in one tap, similar to Deep Track but faster; tracking and keyframes remain, and another tap removes the fisheye effect. These features also work with X4 footage. - **14:19 – Insta360+ cloud.** When charging, the X5 auto-uploads files over Wi-Fi to Insta360+, where you can edit, reframe and share without connecting your phone. It rescued this video after his year-old SanDisk SSD failed. It costs $110 per year for 2 TB. ![[images/Why the Insta360 X5 is a Game Changer Best Features Explained-t1455.webp]] - **15:03 – New accessories.** A horizontal mount (for example on a chest mount), a new magnetic mount, and his favorite: a long selfie stick with a built-in bullet-time function offering three fold-out angles. - **15:32 – Price and verdict.** The standard bundle is $550. His link adds a free gift in the first 7 days, for a limited number the $35 Lens Replacement Kit. He recommends the X5 as the best 360 camera right now; upgrading from the X4 depends on how much the new features, especially low light, matter to you. ## Things mentioned ### Cameras - **Insta360 X5**: new 360 camera with 1/1.28-inch sensors, three AI chips, PureVideo, InstaFrame, integrated HDR up to 5.7K60, 120 fps slow motion, 15 m waterproofing and a user-replaceable lens cover; $550 standard bundle - **Insta360 X4**: predecessor with smaller sensors, separate Active HDR and 100 fps slow motion - **Insta360 Ace Pro 2** and **Ace Pro**: action cameras that inspired PureVideo, integrated HDR and the wind guard - **DJI Action 5 Pro**: cited for its Super Night mode - **GoPro Hero 13**: compared in low light ### Software and features - PureVideo low-light mode and HDR in standard video mode - Twist to Shoot, voice control, gesture control - InstaFrame mode (selfie view and custom view) - Endurance Mode and fast charging - Me mode, hyperlapse, single-lens mode - Insta360 app: subject thumbnails, one-tap perspective reframing, Deep Track, keyframes, fisheye removal - Insta360+ cloud storage ($110 per year for 2 TB) ### Accessories - Insta360 X5 Lens Replacement Kit ($35) - Essentials Bundle lens guards - Insta360 114 cm Invisible Selfie Stick - Dive case - New horizontal mount, magnetic mount, and bullet-time selfie stick - SanDisk SSD (the drive that failed) ### Purchase options - Insta360 X5 (free Lens Replacement Kit for the first 20 purchases): https://bit.ly/MountMedia-Insta360X5 - Insta360 X5 accessories: https://store.insta360.com/accessory?utm_term=INRNHMF - Insta360+ cloud storage: https://www.insta360.com/sal/insta360plus?utm_term=INRNHMF - Audiio music licensing used in the video (promo code SAVE70): https://audiio.com/pricing?oid=1&affid=606 ## Bios - **Werner Plank** runs MountMedia, a YouTube channel of camera tests, comparisons and tutorials focused on 360 and action cameras, filmed largely in the mountains where he lives. He narrates this review. - **Insta360** makes the X5, X4, Ace Pro 2, the Insta360+ cloud service and the accessories shown. - **DJI** and **GoPro** are the action camera makers whose Action 5 Pro and Hero 13 serve as low-light reference points.