Insta360 X5 8K 360 Action Camera

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I am blessed to live in a beautiful riding area. Oceans, cliffs, beaches, valleys, mountains, canyons, quaint towns, and imposing cities are accessible. Summers and winters are mild. Spring and fall are breathtaking. The roads are mostly good, although traffic, earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and construction can sometimes make my weekend rides difficult.

But the time I spend on and about my CB1100EX is always cathartic. 



I am an old-school, DSLR photographer who enjoys planning a shot. I love to manually manipulate aperture, shutter speed, ISO, lighting, lens selection, and more to arrive at the perfect calculus to capture a moment. I rarely get it perfect, but there are moments where there is more good than bad. As we say in the Southern United States, even a blind hog can find an acorn every now and then.



But talent and technique are not my biggest challenges. I cannot take pictures or videos while riding a motorcycle with a DSLR camera or a smartphone. Although I frequent roads less traveled whenever possible, I still struggle to find a safe spot to park a motorcycle, take a picture or video, and return to the ride. 

To address that quandary, I recently purchased an Insta360 X5 8K Action Camera, outfitted for motorcycles like ours. I had read about 360 cameras, which use two opposing lenses to create a Dr. Seuss-style, three-dimensional photograph or video. However, the draw for me was the potential to set up a high-resolution camera to record while I rode. I was enamored with the idea of sharing a perspective with you that you might find equally engaging as I ride through Northern California.

The Insta360 X5 is a powerful technical platform. It has many of the camera settings of traditional devices, along with some artificial intelligence to help smooth things out. 

I have much to learn about the Insta360 X5. So far, this much I know:


• The device is highly configurable and offers an extensive range of features.
The default settings will not yield the image quality I want.
  
• Many YouTube experts have a firm grasp of the features but are not very knowledgeable about how to apply them to create a great video or photograph.
  
• If I am willing to make mistakes and iterate, I am confident I can use the Insta360 X5 in those situations where a traditional device is not possible.
  

Here are the videos and photos I took when I set up my first configuration and went for the inaugural ride. I welcome your feedback. If I spark an interest, I will gladly share more details. Enjoy the weekend. For the Faithful, Happy Easter. David

360 Dual Lens Video


Cropped Video of 360 Dual Lens Video Recording


Single Lens Video


Dual Lens 360 Picture Taken @ 35 MPH


Dual Lens 360 Picture Taken @ 30 MPH


Dual Lens 360 Picture Taken @ Full Stop


Single Lens Picture Taken @ 45 MPH


Single Lens Picture Taken @ 45 MPH


Single Lens Picture Taken @ 45 MPH


Mounting Option #1


Mounting Option #2


Mounting Option #3


Controlling with Phone


Camera Close Up


Firmware Update


Packaging #1


Packaging #2


Insta360 X5 Product Overview


Baseline Settings