With the release of the Insta360 One X2 you may be wondering how it compares to the other Insta360 cameras. The original Insta360 One X was released in 2018 and the modular Insta360 One R came out at the start of 2020. In this post I’ll be showing you the difference between each of these cameras, how the One X2 has improved upon the last camera and which you should buy.
Insta360 One X2 vs One X vs One R
| Specs | Insta360 One X2 | Insta360 One R | Insta360 One X |
|---|---|---|---|
| Image |  |  |  |
| Video | |||
| Aperture | F2.8 | ||
| Resolution |
| 360 Mod
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| Bit Rate | 120MBPS | 120MBPS | 100MBPS |
| Format |
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| Modes |
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| Coding | H.264, H.265 | H.264, H.265 | H.264 |
| Audio | Ambisonic | x 2 Microphone | x 2 Microphone |
| Livestream | Yes - 4K | Yes - 4K | Yes - 4K |
| Photo | |||
| Resolution | 18MP | 18MP | 18MP |
| Modes |
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| Format |
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| Exposure Modes | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) |
| White Balance |
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| Design | |||
| Waterproof | Yes - 10 metres | No - Extra Case Required | No - Extra Case Required |
| Battery | 70 Minutes of Video | 60 Minutes of Video | 40 Minutes of Video |
| Special Features | Invisible Selfie Stick, Re-framing App, Waterproof Design | Invisible Selfie Stick, Re-framing App, Modular Design | Invisible Selfie Stick, Re-framing App |
| Where to Buy | Insta360 Website | Insta360 Website | Insta360 Website |
The Insta360 One X2 is a direct upgrade from the Insta360 One X. They share a similar form factor & design. The Insta360 One R is slightly different in that it’s a modular camera which features replaceable lenses. The One X2 and One X are primarily 360 cameras whereas the One R is a 360 camera and a standard action camera depending which lens you plug in.
The One X2 brings with it several design upgrades compared to the One X. Higher quality materials, waterproof body and an LCD touch screen make the One X2 a much better design. The downside is that the newer camera is slightly thicker and larger but not so much that it negatively impacts usage.
The One R modular design is completely difference to the unibody One X2. The advantage of the One R design is that you can switch out the lenses to change the functionality of the camera. You have the option of a 360 lens, 4K lens and 1-inch lens which makes the One R incredibly versatile. The down side of this design is it can be frustrating to keep taking the camera apart, it’s also not particularly well built with easily breakable plastic.
Overall the build quality of the One X2 beats the other two cameras hands down thanks to its native water resistance and more premium materials.
Video & Photo Quality
The One X2, One X and One R each feature the same maximum video resolution of 5.7K @ 30fps, that doesn’t mean the video quality is the same. The One X2 video is noticeably better than the original One X thank to improved lens & color technology
Looking at direct comparisons between the two you’ll see that video shot with the One X2 looks considerably sharper with better dynamic range. The One X2 also shoots at a higher bit rate than the One X.
In some situations the difference isn’t massive but I think there’s a noticeable improvement. The One X2 also has a video mode called steady cam which uses just one lens to shoot non-360 video. This option is not available on the original One X.
In comparison the One X2 and One R video look pretty similar. In multiple situations I only notice a slight different in colour; it may be that the two cameras use the same sensors in their lenses.
All three cameras have identical resolution options; from 4K@50fps to 3K @100fps. It’s somewhat of a shame that there was no bump in resolution or framerate between the One X and One X2 given the two year gap. You’ll also find the same video modes in all three cameras including LOG mode, HDR video, timeshift and bullet time.
When it comes to shooting video the One X2 is definitely a decent upgrade from the One X whereas the One X2 and One R are pretty similar. The One R has the ability to transform into three different camera’s but it’s more expensive and you may not need the extra capabilities.
The One X features a few new photo modes that makes it the better choice for 360 photography. Pureshot mode allows the camera to combine multiple exposures automatically; this leads to a much higher quality image compared to normal and doesn’t require any editing. The One X and One R doesn’t have this photo mode but all three do have the ability to shoot RAW images. Overall it’s a close call and none of the Insta360 cameras can shoot professional quality images.
One advantage that the One X2 does have over the other cameras is the inclusion of a single lens “steadycam” mode. This allows you to use the One X2 to shoot normal non-360 video using one of the two lenses. This turns the One X2 into a 2-in-1 camera.
Steadycam mode is limited to 1440p resolution at 50fps. The quality is not great even compared to modern smartphones, never the less Inta360’s excellent stabilization technology is applied to this mode and allows you to shoot super stable flat video without any editing required.
Stabilization
What makes all Insta360 cameras popular is the amazing stabilization software called flowstate. This software makes Insta360 cameras great for action shots as they can handle even the most extreme movements while maintaining smooth video. The One X was the first camera to feature this software and it worked great, however less so in lower light situations. The One X2 and One R feature the second generation of this software which works even better in all lighting situations.
App & Software
Every Insta360 camera utilises the same Insta360 App for editing, color correcting and re-faming. There are dozens of automatic editing modes within the app that automatically create unique effects using your 360 video. Re-framing is super intuitive using the Insta360 App and you can easily apply filters or do full color correction.
One thing to note is that some of the effects are not available when using the One X whereas all of them can be used in the One X2 and One R. There isn’t really any reason why all the video effects couldn’t be used in all three and the decision to limit them was probably based on marketing rather than functionality.
The App features some advanced feature like object tracking, high bit-rate exporting and clone trail. All of these features require a fairly powerful phone and you’ll find that the app can be a bit buggy after a lengthy editing session.
Other Differences
Battery Life: Insta360 cameras are not well known for their good battery life. The original One X had a pretty poor battery life and the One R improved somewhat upon this. The One X2 is the best of the three for battery life with a 55% improvement on the original One X.
Waterproof: The One X2 and One R are both waterproof to 10 metres without any extra case whereas the One X isn’t waterproof at all.
Summary
If you are trying to choose between the One X2 and One X then I think it’s a fairly easy decision. For a start the One X is no longer available unless you want a second hand one; it’s also the oldest out of the three any pretty out of date. The One X2 features a much better design and a the video quality is notably improved.
So that leaves the One X2 and One R. If you are trying to choose between these two then the decision is slightly more complicated. The One X2 is more suited for those who want an all-in-one camera with a focus in shooting in 360 over other formats. The One R with its modular format is more complicated but more versatile with its multiple lenses.
Where to Buy
Only the Insta360 One X2 and One R are available brand new. The One X has been discontinued. You can get the One X2 and One R from the official website which ships worldwide
