The ONE X promises pro-level 360 video at an amateur price
360 cameras put you at the centre of the universe, which is great for the ego (and hence social media) but brings very exciting photographic possibilities too – especially with the announcement of the Insta360 ONE X.Watch the Insta360 ONE X video.
360 cameras like this one capture a spherical view of the world via two 180+ degree lenses on opposite sides of the camera’s body. The two hemispheres they capture are stitched automatically and seamlessly inside the camera to produce 360 video or still images.
What the ONE X does is raise the game considerably for a relatively low-cost consumer camera. For a start, it can capture video at 5.7k resolution at 30fps. (That sounds a lot, but remember this is spread over the inside of a virtual sphere, so it doesn’t go as far as you think.)
You can mount the ONE X on your helmet, handlebars or anything else.
It also has new high frame rate shooting modes for capturing slow motion, including a 4K 50fps mode (2x slow motion) and a 3K 100fps mode (4x slow motion).
Or, if you prefer stills to video, the ONE X can capture 18 megapixel stills for interactive display on suitable platforms or for editing into ‘flat’ panoramas in 360-compatible photo editing apps.
The other big story with the ONE X is its “gimbal level” image stabilization. This is achieved using the company’s FlowState algorithm, which analyses movement in all directions to produce a stabilisation effect which Insta360 says has never before been possible.
You can fit the Insta360 ONE X in this optional Drifter 'camera dart' and launch it into the air for unique first-person aerial shots.
Shoot first, point later
We can’t take credit for this brilliantly snappy slogan as it’s one of Insta360’s, but it does sum up the potential of 360 imaging perfectly.
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You don’t have to worry where the Insta360 is pointing when you capture your video or still because it’s pointing everywhere at once.
You then have a choice of sharing the full VR experience with others via any platform that supports VR content or, more interestingly, you can edit it yourself via the companion smartphone app to produce ‘flat’ video or stills where you have complete control over the camera direction and can pan to follow the action in the editing stage rather than having to do it ‘live’ with the camera.
With the ONE X’s new TimeShift feature it’s even possible to mix frame rates within the same clip, swapping to slow motion or fast motion at key points in the video.
You can connect the ONE X via Wi-Fi for previewing and controlling shoots and transferring footage, or you can hook it up via Lightning, USB Type-C or Micro-USB cable.
The optional Dive case lets you shoot 360 video at depths of up to 30m.
There are optional extras too, including a customized 10ft selfie stick, and the app can automatically remove the camera support from your captures, making it look as if the camera is ‘floating’ in the air. There’s an Insta360 Drifter ‘camera dart’ for airborne shots and two rugged cases: the Ventura case is for use above water, with splash protection and waterproofing down to 5m, while the Dive case is for underwater 360 shooting down to a depth of 30m.
The Insta360 ONE X is available now priced $399.95 (about £300) from dealers worldwide and the Insta360.com website.
Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com
