- Firmware “Summer Update” adds battery life boost and improvements of exposure and lowlight performance
- ND filters, Ultrabattery and specially designed lenses now available
- Plus a package of improvements to motorcycle riders
I am a big fan of the Insta360 X5 and call it the “best total 360 camera that is currently on the market” in my review from earlier this year. Its large image sensors make it the first 360 camera, I will be happy to use at night, its lenses are harder than ever (and easier than ever to replace if you damage them) and its simple controls and AI-assisted editing makes it a pleasure to use.
But the Insta360 does not rest on its laurels when it comes to the X5. Hot on the heels of the impressive Insta360 MIC Air, the wireless microphone added announced a few weeks ago, the company has just launched a “summer update” for the camera, which not only consists of a larger firmware update, but a number of new accessories and even a new special limited version of the camera for motorcyclists. The result seems to be that the best 360 camera is getting even better.
Let’s start with the firmware update. First, it increases the life of the battery by adding the power-saving endurance condition to 8K uptake (increasing the life of the battery to “barely two hours” with continuous uptake) and improvement of endurance mode performance to 5.7K uptake (increasing registration time from 185 minutes to 208 minutes when shooting at 5.7k 24p).
It also brings a new feature called adaptivetone, designed to improve exposure in difficult lightning situations, where part of the stage is very dark, and some are very light – such as shooting from a shady interior to a sun -lit outside. Previously, the X5 used the same lighting data for both lenses, but adaptivtone detects it independently, automatic balancing of the exposure, retained both highlight and shade details and keep things looking natural. It sounds a bit like HDR that the X5 already offers, so I’m eager to test it out and see what it can do beyond that.
The third and final improvement of the headline is that PureVideo, the Low Light Insta360s Video Mode is now available when using the X5S Single-Linse mode. It was previously only available for 360 video, so this feels like a correction that brings single-lens mode in line with the counterpart of its double line.
New Insta360 X5 Hardware also comes
The Insta360 also launches a number of new accessories for the X5, starting with a set of ND filters – the first designed specifically for a 360 camera. X5 ND -Filters -Set contains three pairs of filters (ND16, ND32 and ND64), giving users more control over exposure on bright, sunny days. These can be attached to the X5’s lenses in the same screw-in-way as the lens guards, and must enable movement of movements to fast footage.
There is also a new X5 Custom Replacement Lens Kit, which contains works of art that appear on the lenses. Users can upload their own patterns, use pre -formed patterns or use AI to create them. This only seems cosmetic.
Insta360 has also launched a new Ultra battery for the most demanding users. With 2,800 mAh capacity, it adds approx. 17% extra runtime for the X5 and takes it for just under four hours when you detect at 5.7k 24p quality using Endurance Mode. The Ultra battery costs $ 49.99 (UK and Australia Price TBC).
The last new accessory announced is the invisible Dive Case Pro, which offers better optical quality than the existing X5 Dive case as well as buoyancy control, which allows users to keep the camera floating in place underwater. There is no release date for this yet, but it has to come soon.
Alongside the summer update, the Insta360 also announced a new BMW Mottorad edition of the Insta360 X5. This bundle of limited edition aimed at motorcyclists has a different design, ultra battery and mini-remover that allows riders to control the camera without removing their hands from the handlebars.
It also comes with some motorcycle-specific software improvements, which I suppose will roll out to all Insta360 X5 cameras with the above firmware update. Immersive Shake stabilization is a new state of image stabilization that preserves a certain naturally shaking and tilted to add a certain sense of speed and terrain, while plate turning automatically blur your bike’s license plate in recordings. There is also integration for Sena Headsets.
All of the above seems to cement the Insta360 X5 as the best all-round 360 camera on the market-in at least at least. As GoPro Max 2 teased and DJI reportedly prepared his own Osmo 360 camera for launch, there could be other strong challenges on the market by the end of this summer.
