Insta360 X3 may be the most refined 360 action cam yet
Shoot everything, everywhere, all at once
360 action cams are a relatively recent tool in the arsenal of the on-the-go content creator, offering a novel approach to video and photos: they capture absolutely everything around them, allowing the user to crop and reframe later. Rather than point and shoot, these clever cameras allow you to shoot first, then point at your leisure.
Insta360 are market leaders in this field, and their mainline 360 action cam, the 2020-released X2, has just been superseded by a new and improved model. Meet the Insta360 X3 (available now from $450/£460), which shares the matt black candy bar design (and rugged build, waterproof to 10m) of its predecessor but improves things across the board, upping the image sensor size to 1/2in and adding an Active HDR video mode that lets you shoot stabilised footage with a wider dynamic range, as well as adding a much-needed 2.29in touchscreen for easier direct control. The X2’s circular touchscreen was usable but extremely small, and this rectangular display is much easier to see – not to mention prod with chubby fingers.
360 video can be recorded in 5.7K at up to 30fps or 4K at up to 60fps, and photos at up to 72MP, with Insta360’s ever-impressive Invisible Selfie Stick tech magically erasing your ‘wand of Narcissus’ from the image and FlowState image stabilisation keeping things level and locked to the horizon, no matter how wildly the camera is moving. You can also shoot in non-360 single-camera mode, more akin to a traditional action cam, at up to 4K resolution.
We’ve got ourselves a review sample of the Insta360 X3 already, so stay tuned for a full, in-depth review soon.
Sam Kieldsen
Contributor 
