Product review
The 360 camera that still makes sense after a newer one arrives. Who it is for today, what you gain and lose against the X5, and the cases where you should not buy it.
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What it is
The previous generation, and that is precisely why it is the smart buy
The X4 is a two-lens 360 camera. You record everything around you and pick the framing later, in the app or on a computer. That is the function that defines the whole category, and the X4 does it just like the X5: aim once, choose the shot afterwards.
What changes between generations is not the concept, it is the margin. The X5 is better where it shows when you shoot a lot and at night; the X4 still covers the same job when you shoot in daylight and do not need the last inch of quality.
So the real decision is not “which one is better”, it is “how much of my footage depends on that difference”. If the answer is little, paying for the new generation is paying for peace of mind, not for a better result.
Fit
Buy it if — skip it if
The X4 is not competing with the X5 on price. It competes with the way you shoot.
It fits what you already do
It is your first 360 and you want the concept, not the novelty. You learn the same things with this camera: framing later, stitching, reframing.
You mostly shoot in daylight. That is where the gap between generations narrows and the savings stay in your pocket.
You want a second body. To run two angles at once, two X4s cost less than two X5s and the edit joins without drama.
It does not fit
You shoot a lot in low light. That is exactly where the new generation pulls ahead. If your footage is night or indoors, go for the X5.
You want the cleanest file straight out of the camera. That is a single-lens action camera, cheaper and faster to pull out.
You need something pocketable. This is not a camera to wear all day; look at the Insta360 GO 3S.
The same reasoning in one place: the 360 camera comparison.
Budget
Accessories that are not optional in practice
The camera is the cheap part of the decision. These three are what people buy in the first month.
Selfie / invisible stick
Your arm is not long enough for 360. Move the camera away from your body and the stitch hides the pole, so you get a floating camera instead of a selfie. It is the accessory that changes the look of your footage the most.
Dive case
Only if you actually go under. Do not assume the camera handles whatever you have planned. If water is part of the plan, budget the case from the start and check the official depth rating of that case, not the camera’s.
Motorcycle kit
For riders, not for everyone. Mounts, clamps and the parts that keep the camera attached at speed. If the bike is the reason you want 360, the kit usually ends up cheaper than assembling it piece by piece.
Accessory links go to Amazon search results with our affiliate tag. We do not publish prices or claim what each kit includes: check what the seller ships.
Keep reading
Where it sits in the lineup
Next step
Check the current listing
Availability, seller and shipping change constantly. Open the Amazon listing and confirm who is selling before you decide.