There are a few iterations of the Insta360, but a simple answer is...it's not exactly an apples to apples comparison. I have both and they're both good. But the 360 is just different...it does different things, a lot of cool things. Video from GoPro pretty much just gets loaded up to whatever editor you want to use. Cut it up and add your titles, voiceovers, etc... and your done. GoPro will need you to set your viewpoint prior to filming (superwide, wide, etc...). With the 360 camera, with the exception of EV comp, HD/HDR and some others...you can change the viewpoint, angles and the like in editing. That said, editing involves reframing in their own app (or desktop editor) in order to get a format you can then use (if you want) in iMovie, DaVinci Resolve, or your other favorite video editor. The 360 camera let's you edit your footage to include panning the entirety of a 360 sphere too so you can make it look like the POV is being moved within your own video. You can also do some crazy other POV editing as well and get pretty creative with mounting spots, etc... Want to have one video that is a follow cam, leading cam and 1st person POV? You can do that with one video shot and editing. It's a very fun toy.

 

I have been thinking about this camera lately as, oddly enough, I have encountered several birds that were just sitting on the trail. They then just hopped off to the side as my front wheel rolled by, or flew low - like near my front axle or under my handlebar - before settling again just off the trail. Maybe they're juveniles that don't yet fly well and don't recognize me as a "threat"?
I figured the 360 cam would be the only way to capture it.

How is it in low light?


-F

 

Not as good as the others.

I have a collection of cameras even though I don't film that many rides and use it mostly for my own personal instruction when I do. Currently have the GoPro 12 Hero Black, DJI Osmo Action 4 and Insta360 X4.

Best picture in any light, heat resistance and just the best overall camera-DJI Osmo Action 4 and I don't think it is particularly close. For first person POV videos it is far and away the best. You can pair with a GPS remote and get speed, distance, etc data which I find fun.

Coolest feature and most useful camera-Insta360 X4. Really cool to be able to shift perspective and if you upload a video straight to YouTube, another user can shift perspective within the YouTube app. I don't publish videos for general audiences but will send stuff to my friends when they ask what a particular trail is like and I've found that they love this feature. It is also useful when filming stuff like your kids or family events as it keeps you from missing stuff. You can use Adobe Premier to edit as well as their app but generally I prefer to use the Insta app for quick perspective moves and only use Premier if I'm doing more complex editing. You can also pair this with a remote to add stats/data as well. It works but isn't as solid as the Osmo in that department. Picture quality and low light performance don't match up with the other two but are fine unless you are trying to produce content for broader audiences. In that case you can get it there by most accounts but involves way more work than I'm willing to put in.

Mostly sets in a drawer unless I need a 3rd camera-Go Pro Hero 12 Black. It is a very good camera but I think the picture quality is no different than the Osmo but it overheats so quickly that it is unusable during a lot of the year here. It might be slightly better at non-external microphone audio than the other two but not by much. When I want a 3rd camera, perhaps something I can put on my back or film from an alternate angle, it gets the call.

If I combine video from them I usually get it ready in their apps and then transfer it to Premier where I combine stuff.

Screenshots from Osmo Action 4:
Statistics view:

Trying to explain "The Leoge" drop at McDowell Mountain Tech Loop to friends

Bad camera work but wasn't expecting to share beyond friends

Going off and this camera is far away so it is a zoomed in version

Now for the Insta360 (cool thing about these is that it is all one shot, just changed perspective while editing):

Camera settings are the best I could get them to on each. Probably somewhat of a skill limitation on my part however. Again, was not trying to make content so, eh, good enough.

Glad to answer any questions I can about any of them though.

 

I have the Insta Ace Pro and Hero 11 Black. I like them both. However Ace Pro is way sharper in video quality. You can process Ace Pro video with higher bits per second which cleans it up dramatically.

If you want a good action shot on your bike, GoPro seems to have great angles. When I try to mount my Ace Pro vertically for my Instagram videos, it tends to be a little off centered. Overall, I love the video quality from the Ace Pro. However I love the camera angles captured by my Hero.

 

what software do you use for insta360?

 

Theirs but as I said, you can do it in Premier with their plug-in.

 

I own several of each brand. The Ace Pro is a great camera and has the best remote I've ever seen, but it's not a 360. The GoPro MAX is a reasonably good camera, but the offset lenses on either side create a problem with stitching close to the camera (within about 6-10 feet). Both brands of 360 can eliminate the selfie stick in firmware, and the Ace Pro can do it in software (post-processing).

Overall I've found the 360 software to be better, but the GoPro hardware to be a little more dependable.

 

In Insta360 the stabilization is way better than I expected, and the reframing options really make trail riding shots fun to mess with later. I also got the dive case for using it as an underwater camera, and it works surprisingly well for quick lake trips after rides. Battery life could be better, but I just carry a spare. Editing’s smooth once you get used to the basic flow in their software.