Insta360 X5 (reviewed here) has a brand new mode called Instaframe but it’s limited to 1080p. How does the detail compare to X5’s 8K 360 video?
One of the most groundbreaking features of
At the same time, when shooting in Instaframe mode, the X5 simultaneously records a 360 video at up to “5.7K+” resolution (i.e., an 8K video downscaled to 5.7K+), which enables the user to edit the 360 video any way they want to change the aspect ratio or reframe it a different way, or even share it as a 360 video for VR headsets. You therefore get the best of both worlds — the convenience and simplicity of a traditional action cam, with the versatility of a 360 camera. Here is a sample of Instaframe, straight out of the camera, with no editing at all.
One drawback of Instaframe is that the reframed video is only 1080p, and some users might hesitate to have a seemingly low resolution. But how much detail are you really losing compared to an 8K 360 video?
I shot an 8K 360 video, immediately followed by Instaframe in 5.7k+ / 1080p mode. Then I compared cropped portions of each.
From this comparison, even if we are looking at 300% magnification of a frame grab, we can see the 8K 360 video is only very slightly more detailed than the 5.7K+ 360 video. For example, the ground has more texture and the foliage looks more detailed. The 8K 360 video also looks like it has more contrast.
But if you don’t look closely, the 8K and 5.7K+ look very similar. Meanwhile, the 5.7K+ 360 video and Instaframe 1080p are practically identical.
From this test, it appears that Instaframe’s “1080p” mode has almost the same level of detail as when the X5 is shooting a 360 video at 8K resolution. This should give you peace of mind that you aren’t sacrificing much detail when shooting in Instaframe mode.
Thanks for this comparsion – your content makes most sense.
Happy to see you back in web
Thanks Mike!