Insta360 ONE X2 camera is like having your own camera crew

The Insta360 ONE X2 has an insane feature that sees it disappear. Check carefully and you can see its shadow in this photo.

REVIEW

Insta360’s latest iteration of their ONE X camera, the Insta360 ONE X2 is an extremely versatile tool for photography and videography, putting a unique twist on the traditional compact action cameras that you’re used to.

The camera is pocket-sized, waterproof up to 10m, has incredible in-built stabilisation and also has a touch screen (so you can also see and control what you’re recording). It has two in-built cameras – one on the front and one on the back of the device.

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The Insta360 ONE X2 camera.

Unlike a regular camera where pressing the record or shutter button to capture what’s in front of you, on this camera you’ll instantly capture absolutely everything. For photos this means capturing what’s in front of you, behind, above, below and everything in-between, so later on you get the freedom to choose your favourite angle or export a panorama shot.

And for video, the camera cleverly stitches the 360 view together to become one seamless shot that you can also manipulate. You do this through the Insta360 mobile app or desktop app.

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The Insta360 ONE X2 enables you to film from all angles.

These days you’ll find a lot of people are now choosing 360 cameras over other small action cameras for these abilities.

You can even capture a split-screen view where, for example, if you’re riding a bike, you could have it mounted on your handlebars so that you can film what’s going on in front of the camera and simultaneously the rear view or your face.

This camera is, at the very least, two cameras in one. Arguably, it’s even like having a camera crew with you, capturing every angle in one go.

The invisible selfie stick (which you must buy separately) has to be one of the coolest additions to this camera. Once you attach the selfie stick to the Insta360 ONE X2 it’s almost entirely invisible in your final shot.

That’s because of the way the 360 footage is stitched together.

This illusion is further sold due to the impressive in-built stabilisation. Sometimes the only time this illusion comes undone is if you spot the shadow of the selfie stick or it’s obvious the person is holding the selfie stick. It still looks better than having a selfie stick in shot though.

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The ‘invisible’ selfie stick can sometimes be seen in shadows.

You can be incredibly creative with this camera because it has a tripod thread which means it works with a tonne of traditional camera accessories and Insta360’s own unique accessories. I’ve seen people attach these to the end of a fishing rod or zip line to get some insane shots. Or for something a little more tame, though impressive, I’ve seen the camera mounted high up on the back of a car, which gives the illusion of a bird’s eye drone shot you’d typically see in a car commercial.

The only downside to this camera is that you still need to be somewhat tech savvy to take advantage of this amazing 360 technology. Though, if you can use a smartphone you should generally be able to figure it out.

The easiest way, I’ve found, to edit and manipulate the 360 footage is in the official Insta360 mobile app. This has tools which enable you to trim your video clips, ‘zoom in or out’, keyframe different camera angles, track movement, or even create unique effects.

The Insta360 ONE X2 is almost like having a film crew with you.

There’s also an official Insta360 desktop app available for the camera, though it’s a little less intuitive.

That being said, as far as 360 footage goes, this device is by far one of the easiest to use on the market and makes 360 footage accessible to everyone.

If you’re shopping around for an action camera or wish you had an extra pair of hands when creating content, this may be something to add to your tool kit. However, you want to be sure you’ll use it because it retails for $749. It’s a good rival for the GoPro Max which is a similar price point.

Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawwesome | YouTube