Another new camera??

 

No, I didn't get another new camera.  Insta360 released another new camera this morning at an event in NYC.  Kind of like premiering a new movie...

 The X5 is the "new and improved" upgrade from the X4, the camera I use for 360º footage.  It used to be the camera I used the most... but it is time-consuming to edit.  Insta is promoting the "AI editing" on this new camera.  If all you want to do is post a 15 second clip to Instagram, that is fine; but, if you are trying to truly "capture the moment," it takes real human input to know what is important.

That said, the new X5 has a bigger sensor, more battery life, better low-light resolution, built-in wind noise reduction, and the biggie: user replaceable lenses.  The lenses stick out away from the body on these 360º cameras, so they are prone to getting scratched... which makes any further imaging worthless.  With the X4 and previous models, the only thing you could do was send it back to China to have the factory replace the lens.

So, are you going to be one of the first in line for this new camera, Jim?  No, but thanks for asking.  No doubt it will be another hit for Insta360.  The release was also the worst kept secret: Insta sent out an e-mail blast last week, inviting current owners to the release event in NYC; the attached video teaser showed a new 360 camera, with the same form factor as the X4.  And Insta always gets new camera models in the hands of "influencers" ahead of a release... and even though they weren't supposed to post anything about the new model until after the release event, some of them have to try to be "the first" to get a post out on social media.  There were plenty of those online yesterday.