Insta360 One X review

The Insta360 One X has some impressive qualities, mainly in its wealth of shooting modes and its user friendliness, plus its pocketable dimensions – here’s a camera you can take pretty much anywhere on your adventures, where it’ll be able to capture some impressive footage that can be immediately shared via its app. It also comes with a form of electronic image stabilisation that we’d put right up there with the GoPro Hero7 Black’s, while its ability to expunge an attached selfie stick from any footage is genuinely impressive. That said, it’s quite expensive, and you’ll need to spend extra for its selfie stick or waterproof case – two things that many outdoorsy types will find essential. It also requires a companion smartphone to get the most out of it, which means the more self-contained and always-waterproof Hero7 Black isn’t defunct just yet.

Excellent built-in image stabilisation; Loaded with features; Compact design;

Needs add-ons to make it waterproof; Requires a smartphone for its best features; Demanding on said smartphone;

Insta360 One X review

In the theater of immersive imaging lives a cast of quirky characters, products of every shape and size. The threat of death looms every one of them; none are safe — even GoPro couldn’t produce a hero. The shaky first act feels cobbled together without a script, an incoherent improv that sees every player momentarily vying for stardom, only for most to promptly exit stage left. There is no director. The audience’s heads are literally spinning. This may sound like a comedy, but it’s trending toward tragedy. 360-degree imaging promised to be the Next Big Thing in the photo/video world, but it’s a giant leap that has yet to nail the landing. Time and time again, we’ve seen new 360 cameras release with much fanfare, then cut prices by hundreds of dollars just months after launch. Such was the fate of the pioneering Samsung Gear 360. Even the pretty impressive GoPro Fusion, which cost $700 when we reviewed it last year, recently went on sale for $299. These products cannot hold their value....

Lots of features; Decent 360-to-fixed-frame editing controls; Good image quality for the class; HDR and log gamma modes; Fun accessories;

Image quality still a sore point of 360; Some editing controls aren't intuitive; Awkward design for use as action camera;

Insta360 One X review review

Excellent built-in image stabilisation; Loaded with features; Compact design;

Needs add-ons to make it waterproof; Requires a smartphone for its best features; Demanding on said smartphone;