In truth, that is the primary 360° digicam I’ve used whose footage continues to be very sharp and clear even when reformatted to 16:9. You will nonetheless must take care of the sew line the place the sides of the 2 lenses meet and the software program (imperfectly) fills within the gaps, however in any other case utilizing this materials in post-production is just like easy video modifying. I blended it with footage from the Sony A7R II. GoPro Hero 12And Insta360 Ace Professionaland aside from the broader viewing angle, the footage is troublesome to inform other than one another.
This alone is sufficient to say that that is the 360° digicam that filmmakers will want. 8K video nonetheless will not convert to 4K (you will have to attend for a 12K body earlier than that is potential), nevertheless it appears to be like adequate for something you are going to put up on-line.
It is not simply the upscale options which have modified within the X4. Body charges have been improved when capturing at decrease resolutions, with new capabilities for capturing 5.7K video at 60fps, 4K at 100fps, and 4K at 60fps when capturing in wide-angle mode. None of that is earth-shattering, nevertheless it does offer you higher slow-mo capabilities due to the upper body fee.
The colour profile choices stay the identical because the X3: Normal, Vivid and Log (for individuals who favor to colorize when publishing). I shot principally in customary mode and located the colours to be good, if maybe just a little heat. I discover the Vivid too vibrant, and naturally when you plan on mixing footage with different cameras, you will need to shoot every little thing in Log and colorize it in software program.
Movie crew in a field
Testing motion cameras is all the time top-of-the-line elements of this job, however the Insta360 X4 was particularly enjoyable to work with. I do not even like capturing 360-degree video, however capturing 360-degree video figuring out that I can trim, re-frame and nonetheless get sharp, clear footage with plenty of element and clean panning? Sure please.
In some ways, Insta360 is like including a small movie crew to your bag, particularly when you get the extremely giant 9.8-foot-long Insta360 selfie stick, which lets you simulate amazingly practical growth photographs.
New prices $99. Selfie stick prolonged model It is not low-cost, nevertheless it’s price it for the flexibility it creates when mixed with the X4. Absolutely prolonged and held behind you as you stroll, it simulates shot to accompany a low-flying dronehowever with out the entire tree accident factor.
Talking of bushes, shade and shadows, the X4 handles vibrant daylight very effectively. Excessive distinction scenes, comparable to a forest clearing at noon, are tougher (that is true for any digicam). HDR mode can generally assist, however then you definately lose the flexibility to shoot {a magazine}.
Photograph: Scott Gilbertson