Insta360 never stops developing new products and as we saw it has recently launched the Insta360 X5 camera, where the 360 function finally combines with up to 8K resolution! We have tested it, of course at sea, underwater, and have obtained unprecedented results.
Light always in any condition
What is great about the Insta360 X5 camera is the combination between high quality lenses, great dimensions and performance sensor and optimized software. These three elements permit to have excellent quality videos, and, even if not at the same top level, also photos, in almost any condition. Underwater, where light can be an issue after the first 10 meters of depth, the Insta360 X5 manages to have so much light and true colour results that today you cannot really find in any equivalent camera, especially if we talk about a 360 solution.
And even if the standard setting is already good enough to obtain high quality videos in low light conditions, the Insta360 X5 camera has an additional setting that optimizes the images in low light situations. This is the Pure Video function, which improves image quality in low light environments.
Perfect underwater Selfie function
What is amazing about the Insta360 for a spearo or freediver is the possibility to have the equivalent of a dive companion following you at any time. We tested the Insta360 X5 connecting it to our weight belt with a dyneema line and the work was done. In every moment of our dive the Insta360 X5, in its underwater dive case, which floats, will follow your action, positioned above you. Thanks to its 360 function you will have the entire view of the dive, being able to show either yourself or the frontal view. In fact, one magic function using the Insta360 app, is the “Selfie” setting, which will show the images of yourself all along the video. There is also the “Forward” view which will instead show the frontal images from the camera. Pure magic!
The Insta360 X5 is water resistant down to -15 meters, which covers many freediving and spearfishing actions. An increase to -20 meters would probably covers 80% of freedivers, and especially spearfishers’, needs.
Dive Buddy: Insta360 never stops researching
The Insta360 Dive Buddy is another amazing accessory by the company, that shows constant research for high quality solutions to support great video and photos shooting. The Dive Buddy is a “handle” with adjustable internal weights that permits to position the Insta360 X5 with its Invisible Dive Case underwater. The possibility to adjust the ballast permits to have the X5 and its case in a neutral buoyancy which keeps the camera at a fixed depth. This means that you can shoot videos as if a diver was holding the camera underwater. We have tried the function with great success and it made it possible to shoot videos of ourselves underwater just moving around the Insta360. Great! A lateral foldable side wing avoids the Insta360 to turn on its axis, keeping the video extremely stable.
With its tripod stand, it is also possible to position the Insta360 X5 on the sea floor, on a rock, and have the camera even more stable, but of course in this case only at the bottom of the sea. We will be able to shoot videos as if a diver was waiting for at the the bottom. Our dives will be recorded all the way from the surface to the bottom and up, with a fixed camera setting.
Beyond videos: magic adjustable boost
Another amazing function of the Insta360 X5 is the Boost function. Now, this is a well known function and nothing special if taken as it is, but with the Insta360 X5 the setting is so good that the potential is huge.
In fact, once more, if we want to take photo selfies underwater, whether using the Dive Buddy or taking the camera with us using a line, as we have done at Apnea Passion, we need a timed boost function. The Insta360 X5 permits to adjust the Burst Number, meaning the number of photos, and the Duration of the Burst, meaning in how much time the photos are shot. We have chosen the longest timing with the maximum photos, which is 15 photos in 10 seconds.
This has worked pretty well to make some nice underwater photo selfies diving alone without a dive buddy. Super cool! But to be able to start the Burst in the right moment we have also set the Timer, meaning the delay before the shooting starts after pressy the shoot button, at 15 seconds, a nice time to be able to start out dive. Of course we can press the shot button immediately before our dive or when already underwater, so to have the shots of the 15 seconds we are more interested in (descending, at the bottom, ascending and so on). A development of such function to be able to set personal timing of all these parameters would be even cooler. Let’s see if Insta360 will do it with future upgrades of the software of the X5.
Easy and super useful snapshot from videos
Another great tool coming from the Ista360 software and App, is the Snapshot function which permits to extract a photo from a video, simply scrolling the timeline. It won’t give you the same quality of photo shot, but definitely good enough and great to chose the exact right moment we want to capture.
