Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1523663
VOLUME ISSUE JULY , P135 List Price: $596 w/ motorcycle bundle Website: https://www.insta360.com • SHOOT NOW / FRAME LATER • TWO FULL HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE • 360 VIDEO OR SINGLE-SHOT CAPABILITIES • SHOOT NOW / FRAME LATER • SLIGHTLY HEAVIER THAN THE X3 • GETS HOT WHEN SHOOTING 8K CAMERA STANDOUT FEATURE Stunning 360-degree video in 8K resolution RIDER ANALYSIS I'll be the first to admit that the pho- to and video side of this business is not my forte. I simply don't have the patience for all the effort that's re- quired to capture really good imag- ery, nor do I have the skills needed to edit anything worthy of being seen by our Cycle News subscribers. But I can attach a camera to the end of a stick and ride until the battery is dead, which is reason number one why I love the Insta360 X4. All fram- ing is done in the editing process via a really handy app and software provided by Insta360, which you can download for free. The app has built-in AI, and it will walk you through the editing process, or it will do it for you. I was surprised and impressed with the content that the app generated, which it did all on its own. It will also show you step- by-step instructions for creating some incredible videos. You simply attach the camera to your bike and do some riding, and the camera and app will take care of all the difficult stuff afterward. Being able to do the framing later makes this the easiest, most user-friendly camera I've ever worked with. The camera can be mounted at any angle, still capturing We loved the two hours of battery life. your point of view and everything else within its 360-degree field of vision. The Insta360 X4's two hours of battery life is a dream come true for those of us who are ac- customed to carrying around a pocketful of GoPro batteries that last all of about 10 minutes. The bigger battery makes the camera slightly heavier, 7.2 ounces for the X4 versus 6.4 ounces for the X3, but I'm happy to deal with an extra ounce or so of weight for that much more battery life. Insta360 certainly had motorcyclists at the top of its prospective buyer's list when it was developing the X4 since it designed it to pair directly with six different helmet systems, including the Sena 50S, ST1, and 10S, and the Cardo Packtalk Edge. This makes moto vlogging or narrating bike reviews super simple, as there's no need for extra microphones or cords. There's also a new field of view called "Megaview," which widens the view without making everything look like a wacky carnival mirror image. As with the old X3, you can still do single-lens shooting, which means the X4 can be used like any other action camera on the market, so it's like you're getting two cameras for the price of one. The image quality, ease of use, compact size, and long battery life—plus all the features available through the app—make the new Insta360 X4 the only camera I will ever need. Keith Dowdle