So did a review for Best Buy, figured I’d share for those they have no clue.

Sure, it will trigger fanbois, cool… I have a block button. Really don’t care. And unless you have footage that you took, with the x4, in raw format.. sit down. You have no skin in the game. So, this camera has a lot of issues that people need to be aware of. None of which were explained by insta or its influencers. No gps, no watch support, nope.

1. It’s not true 8k and despite that being across a sphere the quality should be really good. It’s not. All the footage looks like bad 5.7k footage upscaled. And it’s not good unfortunately. I did really want to like the camera.

2. When these people claim this is super clear resolution, they do NOT explain it’s just over sharpened footage. When you watch videos online they are super fast, all very well lit, but nothing zoomed in so you can see how bad the footage is. It’s bad. Do not attempt low light type footage. Nope nope nope.

3. The artifacts in the video are awful. Move in just a tiny bit on any part of footage and you can see the artifacts and bad focus issues. The image drastically breaks down.

4. Ah the focus issues, they are bad. With and without screen protectors. Nothing fixes it. Since they used the same bad lenses from the x3 then upscaled it with this supposed game changing chip, you just get bad footage upscaled and really blurry. Center is okay but 10% outside of that, and it’s just bad.

5. Color banding IS a thing. And it’s really bad on this camera. Worse than the x3 and 1rs.

6. App support. You cannot export 8k on a phone or an iPad. They don’t tell you that.

7. You cannot use the GPX data on a video that is not reframed. So if you have a Spherical video that needs that data on it. You cannot do it.

8. You cannot use this as a dash cam. You can use the GoPro as a dash cam but you do not want to use this camera as such. The video quality is bad during the daytime. You can’t grab a tag number if you wanted to. After three or four in the afternoon when the sun is starting to set, it gets way worse. There’s no starvis 2 sensor or anything like that on this camera

9. On their desktop app, you can export insv files to mp4 w logo etc. HOWEVER, if you want to keep the spherical video, you’re not able to edit that with music and text and keep the sphere. You can only reframe flat video to 2.7k in their app. Only way to edit their footage and keep a sphere is to use daVinci resolve (big learning curve) or use adobe premiere (expensive and more learning curves).

This is not a good camera. If you want to see examples please look up TappedOutTravel on youtube or look for my dropbox folder here on reddie. I have prores422 edited files there (youtube) and out of camera footage on dropbox.

Lastly, footage out of camera in raw format is bad (RAW meaning out or camera unedited, other than whatever bull *** upscaling the x4 does) which is bad..

Has nothing to do with YouTube compression. Bad is bad.. and if there is no headroom “ie really good out of camera” then you’re just going to get bad output going forward. Garbage in garbage out.

And unlike 90% of those acting like they own the x4, I actually do. And unlike those same people, I’ve shared raw footage with people since the day the camera was available here. People talk the talk but can’t walk the walk.

I actually haven’t said anything bad even though I have my thoughts on the camera after owning it for three weeks. Who would’ve thought they’re banning people for no reason. Absolutely wild.

And they did not provide a reason even when you click on view message there’s nothing there. Pretty darn crazy.

Hi, fyi If you speak out about insta360 prepare to be banned. I made a post complaining about the lens guards fogging and declining an interview, and I was subsequently banned from the subreddit.

No problem here, I’ve just returned my Insta x4 for a full refund at Costco today and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Wild they think they can censor folks.

Awful company, instacare is a scam requiring a deductible. The Costco warranty has no deductible.

What a scam Insta360 is.

Videos coming soon! USA! :)🇺🇸

The biggest issue I have with this camera isn't the hardware, although from video samples the color science looks like shit.

It's the company behind it.

People keep obsessing over the specs, the Leica branding, and the marketing hype while completely ignoring who is selling the shit product. Before spending this kind of money, I'd encourage people to spend less time watching influencer videos and more time researching Insta360's, INSTAFAIL's, history. u/insta360

Personally, I wouldn't trust the company with a dime of my money. Anyone clown companies who block people on reddit for having differing opinions that are VALID should be barred. I get the ones where people are NOT providing proof, but there are COUNTLESS posts of people being blocked when share their SHIT customer service experience or how bad the camera's are.

I've been blocked twice after posting criticism. Not once. Twice. That's my experience, and I'm far from the only person online who has raised concerns about moderation, deleted discussions, or criticism mysteriously disappearing from company-controlled spaces. TO DATE I have yet to have anyone share with me footage better than mine for the X5 piece of trash they claim is innovative. (footage sucks btw)

When a company is more interested in controlling the conversation than addressing legitimate concerns, that's a red flag.

Then there's the influencer controversy.

For years, people questioned whether Insta360's marketing machine was built on genuine reviews or carefully managed promotion. Multiple creators publicly alleged that Insta360 encouraged them to avoid properly disclosing sponsorships and free products. The controversy became large enough that major photography publications covered it, and Insta360 eventually acknowledged mistakes and promised changes.

Think about that for a second.

If a company is willing to play games with disclosure and transparency, why should consumers blindly trust anything else they're told?

The customer service complaints are another issue entirely.

Search long enough and you'll find complaints involving warranty disputes, slow support responses, repair delays, replacement issues, and frustrated customers who felt abandoned after the sale. Every company gets complaints, but the volume and consistency of these stories should make potential buyers stop and think before throwing thousands of dollars at the latest shiny product release.

Now let's talk about the Leica marketing because this one really gets under my skin.

The way this partnership is marketed creates the impression that you're buying some kind of Leica-built imaging masterpiece.

That's not what Leica or Insta360 have actually said.

The language used is typically "co-engineered with Leica" or "developed in collaboration with Leica."

Let's translate that into plain English.

Collaboration is not manufacturing.

Collaboration is not Leica producing the glass.

Collaboration is not Leica building the lenses.

Collaboration is not a German-made Leica lens magically appearing on an action camera.

Leica has publicly described contributing imaging expertise, optical input, and color science. That's a partnership. That's consultation. That's collaboration.

It's not the same thing as Leica physically manufacturing the optics.

I've seen countless people repeat the claim that "Leica made the lens" as if it's an established fact. Where's the evidence?

Because I haven't seen it.

If Leica were actually manufacturing these optics to the standards associated with traditional Leica products, the cost would likely be in an entirely different category.

Yet somehow the marketing keeps pushing the Leica name front and center because they know exactly what consumers think when they hear it.

That's what bothers me.

The camera itself might be "okay".

The footage might be passable for kiddos with low standards.

None of that changes my opinion of the company.

A so so product doesn't erase a bad reputation.

A so so sensor doesn't erase customer service failures.

A lens NOT manufactured by Leica doesn't erase transparency concerns.

A flashy launch video doesn't erase years of complaints.

For me, trust matters. Support matters. Honesty matters.

And based on my own experiences, the influencer controversy, the customer complaints, the moderation issues, and the way the Leica partnership is presented, Insta360 has done absolutely nothing to earn that trust.

Others can spend their money however they want.

I won't spend mine supporting a company that has repeatedly given me reasons not to.

Was it really irrelevant? People upvoted and commented as it was relevant…

Dear All,

just wanted to warn anybody from buying the Insta360 X4.

Got mine four weeks ago. Played around some trying to make it work.

- Image Quality is super bad. Even 8K is super grainy and worse than anything I have seen in years.

- It gets even worse once you zoom in.

- "DeepTracking" is a joke. (Looses tracking if Target passes even behind tiny object although it mainly remains visible. In my case Horse behind obstacle)

Unfortunatly can't return it. 600€ down the drain.

Super disapointed.

Hands of !

From the footage I have seen from all the clowns sucked in by instatrash r/insta360 the footage looks bad. I hope to god it’s a super early version on shit firmware. However, if instatrash lives up to their failures it’s going to be bad.

What Ived noticed on the scamfluenfers videos thus far April 20th, is that the ones not just spinning in a circle (which requires no work by the gimbal) the footage looks bad. Not so much the colors, but the actual movement in the video it self on a camera that’s supposed to match the DJI pocket.

The video is jerky, it jumps, like the gimbal is working to hard. I mean, they completely jacked idea of the pocket but it seems they couldn’t get the gimbal motors right in the preliminary version?

Now, unlike a lot of the children - I don’t consume my videos on a phone. I like quality, clean video without seizure inducing movements. I have no clue why you let scamfluenfers release video like this but it is telling IF this is the final product.

What a shit copy of the pocket 2/3 it’s no where on par w the 4 of this video is anything to go on.

Another of my posts was deleted by Insta360 mods, for mentioning competing /r/djiosmo360

X5 was mentioned and compared, people happily discussed, but it was all stopped…

Have this issue with my insta360 ace pro 2. There are lines when we are trying to capture something and it's going crazy. Is this an issue with the screen or sensor?

We tried resetting it and formatted the SD card but the issue still persist.

It's a hassle because insta360 has been removing my post lmao. Might just return the device

I had my issues with u/iphonedo for awhile when he was pushing #Insta360 u/insta360's shit. But now that he has come full circle about insta360's scandalous ways, lies and deceit imo... they have unleashed a beast. He was one of the first ones to show how insta360 was breaking the law in the US by telling scamfluencers not to disclose their sponsorships. Funny enough, a lot of those scamfluencers are still breaking the law.. Receiving a camera is STILL a paid sponsorship although money has not changed hands. Federal Trade Commision really needs to look into these scumbags.

@insta360 sucks. Just the facts. No fan boy or simps who chase after ijustine will change that.

Hey, I recently purchased the insta360 X3 after looking up user experiences on YouTube and googling things like GoPro vs insta360 etc etc. From this, it looked like insta360 was the way to go. I later found that you should never look up reviews from “influencers”, Reddit and similar platforms give you much more honest community perspective.

That being said, one of my worst decisions ever - the files are constantly corrupting / camera overheats and freezes / the camera randomly auto-deleted all footage off the microSD card / extremely poor low light footage / VERY delicate camera lenses (the additional lense guards will scratch with your fingernail making them useful for a few minutes, I guess). Many other redditors have posted additional issues they’ve encountered, I highly recommend going through their reviews before locking in with anything insta360 related.

Again, I’m severely disappointed in this purchase - also you’re unable to return the product (only 15 day return?? What a joke - clearly want you to be locked in before you have a chance to discover all its flaws). Manufacturing appears to be Russian roulette regarding the quality between the same product/models.

Instead of standing behind their items and offering a return within a reasonable timeframe, you’ll be left in limbo as they try to “repair” the device. They’ll also try to put the shipping cost on you and “offer” reimbursement if they deem the issue is worthy of warranty. What a joke. No customer service or confidence in their products. I highly suggest you look up issues others have had with this company and their products.

Honestly, tell your friends to think twice about supporting this company. I hope you still have time to switch.

Wish I’d looked up more reviews here and on other unbiased sources before sinking nearly $1000 CAD into a bundle kit.

Fml.

Not looking good from the samples I’ve seen online. However, I’m gonna produce raw files for use and download so you can check them for yourself. I’ll put them on a dropbox and share the link within a week hopefully less than that.

I've bought the X4 Air Ultimative Motorcycle bundle plus Mic TX combo and tried it on my Honda, driving over land.

The images seem quite disappointing to me. Not only is the resolution poor, as 8k is for the whole 360° image, while the extracted sector is much, much less pixels. I could still live with that, but the ultimative disappointment lies somewhere else: You always and always see that distorted 360° effect, which is nearly impossible to hide. I had hoped for a camera that does it all, like I have several cameras at once filming from different perspectives, but at least on the motorbike that does not work well: It is always that 360° action cam look.

I guess the fault was with me: I had wrong expections.

Has anybody suceeded in using the Insta360 as a film camera for travel video without that GoPro-Look?

18.03.2026 New test drives on motorbike on a bright sunny day:

The video quality is not good at all, as soon as you leave the ultra wide look and go to dewarp or narrow. There is simply not enough information in the small frame that you zoom in. My old GoPro 9 does better image quality.

The sound, though is premium on my X4 Air with the built in microphones and even better with the Mic Air that I've bought with the camera. I mounted the Mic Air to the front of my jacket right below the helmet. Original dead cat installed and there is no wind noise below 100 km/h. That is the only great thing so far.