u/Hideshi_Izu

Someone on here recently asked if the Insta360 X5 was still fun to use even after owning it for some time. Like them, when I got my first 360 camera (the Insta360 X4 back in 2024), I had thought that the camera would be fun for a bit, then lose its appeal after the wow factor faded. At the time, I had an arsenal of 2 action cameras, a full frame camera, and a drone, all of which seemed to cover all the bases for any video needs, and I was sure that the 360 camera would be something I’d try and sell shortly after. I was wrong! Surprisingly, every time I want a fun shot, I find myself reaching for my X5. While the old iterations of 360 cameras didn’t have enough video quality to provide much freedom to crop, the 8K upgrade with the larger sensor on the X5 makes it possible to really take any angle and any zoom I want of a shot in post. Here are my pros and cons of the X5 and what I look forward to with the X6.

Pros:
- 8k capture quality allows for high quality framing of a shot in any aspect ratio, zoom, and angle
Replaceable lens allows us to use the camera worry free without plastic or glass lens guards (which make a huge hit to the video quality)

- The quarter inch mount is very strong and reliable, I have never had to worry about the camera falling off of my mounts in any of the precarious positions that I put it in (although my X4 did break off the mount in a snowboard crash going over 45mph, that is to be expected, even then, the camera worked perfectly inside a housing with another quarter inch mount)

- The absolute best thing about this camera is that you never have to ask if you got the shot, you just mount, turn on, and record and then in post you have endless options. Do you want POV? Do you want tiny world? Do you want to track a subject? Do you want to see the landscape? It’s all there.

Cons:
- The form factor, I’d say the biggest con is definitely how long this camera is, it makes it difficult to easily throw onto a head or neck mount without feeling bulky and in the way

- Capping out at 8k 30fps, slow motion isn’t really an option, it would be cool to have at least 60fps for 3X slow motion

- The waterproofing. The pop in battery is so convenient for quick SD card inserts and battery replacements, but it’s also not the most secure for underwater shots. Thankfully, Insta360 has made some awesome dive houses which not only fix this problem, but the system also outputs video without any distortion from the water. So maybe not as much of a con.

What I want to see from the X6 (looks like this is mostly addressed based on leaks)
- Smaller form factor to more easily mount the camera on myself for POV action shots

- Like I mentioned, 60fps 8K would be cool

- As always, a larger sensor would always be appreciated (more post zoom capability, better lowlight) its crazy how far we have come from 4 years ago with the X3 from a 1/2in sensor size to a 1/1.28in sensor on the X5.

Idk how we’ve gotten to this dead internet stage but all original ideas and all written by me.

Still love shooting with the X5 for random fun clips like this!

Bought these tickets so long ago but have since moved down to SoCal for school and won’t be able to make it back up in time after class on Friday.

Would you agree? From the few shots I’ve seen, the dozens of posts I’ve watched, and the number of stories I’ve heard it seems like this is the case. Yellowtail are typically on the surface or on the top of the water column, travel in larger schools, and usually provide a side profile shot as they swim up to you to check you out. Even after taking a shot, the school sticks around for a bit and if the shot was successful, they will swarm the shot fish, providing a potential opportunity for a second shot. The only thing is, finding them is so tough. Paddy hopping takes forever and requires luck to be on your side. Good spots with kelp/drop offs and current can sometimes have fish, and other times not. My biggest question is: when you find a spot (like a great looking paddy) that should hold yellowtail, do you hang around a bit, hoping that some pop up? Or pack it up when no one is home and head to the next spot?

Found this awesome shell at Catalina island at around 55ft during my second trip there recently skunking for yellowtail. It looked like it had just recently been eaten. Not a huge shell but it caught my eye from the surface and I loved that it was in great condition and had such a perfect shape. I decided to prep it for my girlfriend. Here’s what I did. If you have any tips for my next one let me know! This was my first time.

First, I scrapped off any barnacles and excess living growth with a butter knife, careful not to put any gashes into the shell itself. I then scrubbed the shell for around 10 minutes with a metal scrub, aiming to remove any of the smaller growths and debris along the lines of the shell. Note, you can easily do all this with a grinder, but the dust created is highly toxic and it is not recommended to do so without proper evacuation. Any calcium carbonate or scleroprotein dust that gets in your lungs will cause permanent lung damage. Hence, why I chose to go the manual way and ensured the shell was wet at all times. Once that was done, I gave the shell a 1 minute bath in muriatic acid (1:4 ratio with water). This is a stronger acid and any reactions create toxic fumes so I used an acid gas/particle respirator, goggles, nitrile gloves, long sleeves, etc. in a well ventilated area. I then used baking soda to neutralize the acid. After that was finished, I sanded the entire shell with rough 320 grit sandpaper and followed that with a medium grit 180 sandpaper. I dried the shell and finished with two coats of Interior Crystal Clear Satin Water Based Polyurethane.

Overall I liked the result! I thought I would get a bit more red in the mix. Has anyone done anything similar and gotten better results?

Currently have 5 wetsuits. A 7mm SpearPro, my custom 7mm PoloSub, a 5mm commercial Wettie, 3mm Yazbeck, and a 3/4 O Neil surf suit... too many wetsuits… but these hangars are great for keeping them organized. Gonna order a few more of these but before I do, anyone else have any cool solutions to try other than just folding them up or laying them around? I prefer not to compress the suits as much as possible.