The new Insta360 ONE X2 takes the action camera to a whole new level
Action cameras are a dime a dozen these days. The technology has advanced quite a bit since the first GoPro was unveiled more than a decade ago, but if you’re looking to take things to the next level, the new Insta360 ONE X2 is poised to deliver an experience that’s truly unique.
Rather than giving you a single camera, the new device features two, allowing for 5.7K 360-degree capture allowing for dozens of different photo and video capture modes to take advantage of the unique camera hardware.
While there are quite a few 360 action cameras out there already, the ONE X2 is capable of tracking subjects (humans, animals, and other moving objects) and keeping them in the frame when you’re editing the video, no matter where they move around you and the camera.
This means you can simply hold the camera and go about your activity rather than worrying about framing the shot just right.
Insta360 has also done a lot of work to improve low-light capture for photos and videos, allowing the content you capture to be brighter and more vibrant than what we’ve seen in the past. Since the Insta360 ONEX2 is also IPX8 water-resistant (allow you to take the camera up to 33 feet below the surface), they’ve also included an Aquavision color filter that brightens the shot and changes the white balance so that colors are more natural when shooting underwater.
The camera also comes equipped with a circular display to view what you’ve shot or change camera settings, though it also supports voice controls for different shooting modes. The 1630mAh battery will deliver 80 minutes of continual shooting and the 4 microphones of the different sides of the camera will ensure you have great audio with wind noise reduction. Users will also be able to connect their AirPods to the camera for better audio capture, but other Bluetooth headphones should be compatible as well.
Lastly, the INsta360 ONE X2 will also work as a webcam and for line streaming with a wide-angle view or a full 360-degree experience for services like YouTube and Facebook.
The Insta360 ONE X2 isn’t exactly cheap, but the $429.99 puts it in line with other high-end action cameras and should be a hot item this holiday season.
Insta360 ONE X2 specifications
| Aperture | F2.0 |
| Weight | 149g (5.25oz) |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 4.62 x 11.30 x 2.98cm (1.82 x 4.45 x 1.17in) |
| Video Modes | Standard, HDR, Timelapse, TimeShift, Bullet Time, Steady Cam |
| Photo Modes | Standard, HDR, Burst, Interval, Night Shot, PureShot, InstaPano |
| Video Resolution | 360:
5.7K@30fps, 25fps, 24fps 4K@50fps, 30fps 3K@100fps Wide Angle (Steady Cam Mode): 2560×1440@50fps, 30fps 1920×1440@50fps, 30fps 1920×1080@50fps, 30fps |
| Photo Resolution | 360: 6080×3040 (2:1)
Pano: 4320×1440 (3:1) |
| Video Format | Steady Cam: MP4
360: INSV |
| Photo Format | JPG (can be exported via mobile app or desktop Studio),
RAW (dng, must be edited on desktop) |
| Audio | Stereo audio with optional wind noise reduction
360 audio (ambisonic) |
| Battery Capacity | 1630mAh |
| 35mm Equivalent Focal Length | 7.2mm |
| ISO | Auto, 100-3200 |
| White Balance | Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K, 7500K |
| Exposure Value | ±4EV |
| Photo Exposure Modes | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-1s), ISO Priority (100-3200) |
| Video Exposure Modes | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000-1/30, ISO 100-3200) |
| Color Profiles | Vivid, standard, LOG |
| Video Coding | H.264, H.265 |
| Max. Video Bitrate | 100Mbps |
| Gyroscope | 6-axis gyroscope |
| Run Time | 5.7K@30fps – 80 minutes |
| Compatible Devices | iOS:
A11 or above chip iPhone SE, iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max, iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus Android: Kirin 980 or above (Huawei Mate 20, P30 and above) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above) Exynos 9810 or above (Samsung S9, S9+, Note9 and above) *Devices that do not meet the above requirements can still use the app to control ONE X2, however, performance of some processor-intensive, AI-powered features may be sub-optimal. |