During 2017-2018, a large wave of panoramic cameras emerged, including Ricoh Insta360、 Nokia, Samsung LG、 Nikon, Huawei, Xiaomi/Xiaoyi Garmin、Z Cacm、 Panasonic, Rylo and GoPro have all made panoramic cameras.
However, only Insta360 and Ricoh have always insisted on product updates, and the former is also known as the great frontier of panoramic camera industry. The Insta360 ONE X2 we experienced this time belongs to the ONE X product line close to the top of consumer products. Interestingly, the ONE X series is classified as a sports camera on the official website.
The initial price of the original ONE X was 2498 yuan, which had been inflated for two years. The price of Insta360 ONE X2 was 2798 yuan.
Upgrade points and selling points
The shooting and video specifications of Insta360 ONE X2 remain the same, and it is still an 18 megapixel photo, and 5.7K@30fps 、 4K@50fps 、 3K@100fps Video recording for. Body 149g, 4.62 x 11.3 x 2.98 cm, core upgrade point:
Touch screen with viewfinder capability, 10m waterproof bare machine, 4 microphones, wind noise reduction algorithm;
1630mAh battery (1050mAh of the previous generation, increased by 55%) can record more than 80 minutes of 5.7K video;
New H.265 support, PureShot pure shooting, picture in picture mode, depth tracking 2.0 (frame select target, let the lens automatically follow the target), new bullet time accessories and algorithms
AI creative library: shadow separation, shuttle delay, FPV perspective, passer-by removal and other functions
Conference mode for underwater color restoration and computer connection (when used by an external camera)
Insta360 ONE X2 comes with a storage bag, a flannelette for lens wiping, and Insta360 belief stickers.
The above is a silicone lens protection cover to be purchased additionally, a 1.2m long self timer rod that can be "invisible" in the panoramic video with the algorithm (1/4 screw holes at the head and tail). But one thing to say, the original storage bag is very good. It is fully cushioned and can wipe the lens every time it is put in, which is better than the silicone protective cover.
Insta360 ONE X2 has become a "three prevention" design style, which is covered with soft glue all over the body, with skin like coating on the front and back. u1s1， Although the second generation is easy to take care of, it is still the first generation.
Insta360 ONE X2 has round edges on both sides and top, flat bottom, standard 1/4 screw opening, and can stand on the desktop. At the top of the side is a microphone, and above the power button is a speaker. The volume of the prompt sound is enough, but the sound quality is average. When you get there, turn off the prompt sound.
Insta360 ONE X2 has only two physical buttons: "Start up and shoot". The keys are very hard. It takes a little effort. The feedback is clear and will not be touched by mistake. Click any key to wake up from the shutdown state. If you wake up with the shutter key, the recording will start automatically after starting up.
The Type-C connector for connecting the computer and charging has an independent waterproof cover, the removable battery has a waterproof washer, and the TF card slot is in the battery compartment. This year, the battery capacity soared by 55% to 1630mAh.
Insta360 ONE X2 is a round screen. The glass cover plate is very solid, and it can not be moved by pressing hard.
The screen of Insta360 ONE X2 is a LCD with standard RGB arrangement (LCD is never slave!). Visually, the fineness is similar to the 326ppi of the iPhone SE 2. But the small screen will force you to look closely, with the taste of fruit orange. The brightness of the screen is enough. You can see the content of the screen under the flash light in the studio, and it can also maintain a certain readability under the midday sun.
Use and function
On the use level, Insta360 ONE X2 has more screens for viewing. "It's been 15 years! Do you know how I've been here for 15 years?" Even though I complained about its small size, there is a difference between it and not. The local guy would like to call it the strongest promotion! Insta360 ONE X2 can be used completely without mobile phones, and it can also be used to shoot vlogs and easily adjust the composition.
It takes 6 or 7 seconds to enter the viewfinder box after cold start. The shutter response is very fast, nearly zero delay shutter. Even in the weak light scene, as long as it is not Parkinson's wobble, the film completion rate is close to 100%, which I think is OK. But the photo storage time is still a panoramic camera. It takes 2 or 3 seconds to take a picture in the normal mode, and about 5 seconds in the PureShot mode. It also takes about 3 seconds from pressing the button to recording. The official replied that the firmware will optimize the speed in the later stage, so I don't want to make too many comments now.
This screen is about the same size as a smart watch with a 1.19 inch screen. The screen interaction is also like a smart watch. The default viewfinder is:
Pull down is 8 shortcut switches (brightness, indicator light, anti shake, voice operation, radio mode, settings, etc.)
Scribing up is a quick switch between photographing/video recording/delay mode
The left side is the picture library, and the right side is the detailed setting of the mode
See the screen content under the flash
Slide the viewfinder box at will to move the angle of the panorama. PureShot mode is optional (enabled by default, but the effect can only be seen on mobile phones and computers). The interaction settings are very perfect. The small screen doesn't require any bicycles. But if the secondary menu can also be made as large as a smart watch, the parameter adjustment will not be so inflexible:
The panorama photo defaults to 6080 * 3040 (18 million pixels), about 5-7MB in jpg format, and about 35MB in RAW file (DNG format).
The maximum panoramic video is 5760 * 2880 (5.7K). At 30fps (HDR mode is limited to 25fps), the maximum code rate is 100Mbps. Therefore, it is recommended that the memory card should be above V30 level (the maximum export code rate of the official PC terminal is 200Mbps, and the delay video can also reach nearly 200Mbps).
The panoramic motion camera in 2020 is still very hot. The Insta360 ONE X2 is a little warm when it is not powered off. If you record 5.7K video for more than one minute, you can feel the temperature of technology. Remarkable progress has been made in the endurance. Official standard 80 minute 5.7K video recording. It was actually recorded intermittently (the total length of the film was 30 minutes and dozens of photos), and there was still a little electricity in the afternoon. In addition, the Insta360 ONE X2 can work as usual after being connected to the power supply. There is no need to buy additional batteries.
For example, the settings of "single click on the shutter directly triggers power on and video recording" and "single click on button power on" are prone to false power on in early use, and then the next day there is no power... This setting is used to for a period of time.
After all, it's experience, and we can't be too detailed. For example, USB connection to computers, sophisticated AirPods connection (radio and voice operation, voice triggered video recording/photographing/power-off/marking), Apple Watch remote control and GPS data introduction, intelligent speed adjustment, bullet time 2.0 of any axis (the movie's "people and things are still moving, but the lens revolves around the target" picture) AquaVision underwater color restoration (correcting underwater tone and contrast), PC video chat/panoramic live streaming and so on will not be mentioned.
Post processing: shooting is fun, and later crematorium
Even if the local guy is here Love to play computer games They have already "mastered" PR operation, but their videos will not be urged by fans. Look at the mountains of sports cameras and UAV video materials in the hard disk, and think about the workload of PR editing, the results are "next time must be".
From drones to motion cameras, all manufacturers are trying to reduce the pressure of users in the later period. While shooting panoramic videos from all perspectives at one time is a shot without considering composition and shooting. Although it will not miss the best angle, it is simply the ultimate "instant shooting, later crematorium".
Official one click template
The mobile app has about 10 one button templates. In addition to its unique perspective, the focus is to automatically select the focus, control the speed, and automatically change the scene.
The video of walking with a selfie stick on the road is processed by one button template. The effect is ↑. It will automatically change the focus and speed according to the text and moving objects in the video.
The mental journey of using Insta360 ONE X2 is as follows:
Before buying: Shit, it looks awesome
Unpacking: Right here?
Shooting: quite novel, not very complicated
Import to computer: What format? Is the official software so PR like?
Mobile APP: One button template? Try first. Shit! Bull!
Daily life: The PC terminal has never been opened again. After taking the video, a template is set on the mobile phone and sent to the circle of friends, and the harvester gets √
Insta360 Studio
Although the body is honest, Insta360 Studio, a PC client, is far more powerful than APP, which is obviously aimed at professional users or video workers, with its own preview function patch and PR plug-in. There are no adjusted items during shooting, and the later operation can almost be remedied.
Small planet mode
Reverse small planet
Crystal ball mode
The "asteroid, fish eye, crystal ball, perspective, tiling" perspective switch, diving shell/waterproof shell correction that cannot be seen on the mobile phone are available, and even the splicing correction can be customized at a time point. The field of view and distance of bullet time can be adjusted, and the free editing mode can also perform intelligent tracking (also available in app) and functional blowing of moving targets in the frame selection screen, just like the Dajiang UAV.
After using PC for 1 hour:
If you don't understand it, what kind of music and sex device, as complicated as the SLR, is it for human use?
To understand: there are so many functions and customized items that most of the early setting errors can be corrected. What kind of bicycle do you want?
Anti shake
Insta360 ONE X2 video and photography have HDR mode, LOG/RAW、 Exposure compensation, white balance and wide-angle distortion correction can be customized:
Video optional 150 degree field of view (maximum 1440P@50fps ）And 360 degree field of view (highest 5.7K@30fps , there is a picture in picture mode, you can see your own viewfinder, and vlog users leave tears);
Take photos. In addition to 360 and 150 degrees, there is a 270 degree "extreme wide-angle mode" (3:1 super long picture, suitable for group photos in narrow spaces such as KTV rooms)
The first generation of ONE X was called "Cloud Platform Killer", and the same generation of GoPro Hero7 was used as a video anti shake PK object. The story is about super super wide angle hanging and super wide angle setting. After all, for electronic anti shake based on cutting, the bigger the original view angle, the better the anti shake effect will be, and the anti shake hanging motion camera of panoramic camera should also be.
Later, as we all know, after the super wide-angle lens is added to the mobile phone, there is a similar super anti shake mode. But what the official will not publicize is that the larger the wide-angle, the weaker the details of the image itself (the less pixels can be divided for the same scene).
Unlike mobile phones, Insta360 ONE X2 inherits Insta360's ancestral anti shake algorithm "FlowState anti shake" (supported by insta360 Go, the family's weakest neutral energy). No matter how the body rotates, the image can be kept level by the gyroscope.
The actual anti shake effect of Insta360 ONE X2 can "kill the selfie stick". Except for slow shutter scenes such as weak light and HDR, the image shake is well controlled as long as it is handheld, even running. However, if a 1.2m long selfie rod is mounted, the shaking will be magnified several times (I learned it in Grade 2 of kindergarten, and the arm will amplify the displacement in equal proportion). At this time, I have to hold the machine carefully to control the shaking.
Picture quality and splicing
Panorama mode
270 degree mode
The splicing effect of insta360 products has been very good before. Insta360 ONE X2 will give an example report. White balance, light metering, and stitching traces are properly handled, whether it is under a sunny tree with a large light ratio, indoor lighting, or extremely weak light scenes with kneeling image quality. It is difficult to determine the actual position of the splice unless details such as the purple edge of the edge and image quality degradation are used as reference.
Automatic mode
PureShot mode
Zoom in and contrast in the center of the picture
The 270 degree mode is used uniformly to compare the effect of "PureShot pure photography" (the image resolution is 4560 * 1520). The dynamic range of PureShot mode is immediately reflected, and the highlight suppression has the flavor of the flagship mobile phone. Too strong dark details will reduce the overall contrast. Users have to choose whether to attract attention or screen details.
In the video, the different angles of view at the same second are magnified. Can you guess where the splice is?
The dynamic range of the HDR in the aircraft is very good, even a little over the top. The sunny days with a little smog can bring out the flavor of the sea. The effect is very pleasing to the eye. After countless boulevards on and off duty, it suddenly becomes a tourist attraction.
But even in 2020, the discrimination is still the biggest weakness of panoramic cameras, or "1m high-definition, 2m anti aliasing, 3m avatar". The 4800W ultra wide angle pixels on the phone are not enough, not to mention that the Insta360 ONE X2 needs a 1200W camera to cope with a 360 degree picture (in fact, the single eye is 400 degrees, after all, the edges of two lenses must overlap to facilitate splicing).
Picture cutting in panoramic video
Central amplification of the cutting part (indoor lighting, ensuring the lower limit of illuminance of purity)
Insta360 ONE X2 now has good image tolerance, and the noise reduction performance of PureShot mode is OK. Previously, the panoramic camera was only available for outdoor picture quality in daytime, but now it can be used for normal indoor lighting. However, the weak light performance is only upgraded from the previous "black" to the "bright" level.
Previously, you can only see it in the circle of friends (and also on the Android platform, which compresses the fierce circle of friends), but now you can see it on 1080P mobile phones and computers with acceptable image quality. Before the advent of black technologies such as curved surface sensors, it was difficult to improve the discrimination of this panoramic camera in a qualitative way. Maybe there will be dual 100 million pixel CMOS products designed for daytime use in the future, but the light/weak light performance will definitely not beat the current Insta360 ONE X2.
The most interesting thing is that the discrimination of Insta360 ONE X2 in the side direction of the fuselage has not changed significantly (although the purple edge near the edge of the picture will be more obvious), so you can usually use the holding posture of the microphone to shoot, effectively reducing the embarrassment of taking photos in front of passers-by.
Conclusion: Strong in the circle of friends
With Insta360 ONE X2, my mentality has changed several times. The appearance of "just like this?", easy interaction and constant waiting in the preview process require getting used to it. All negative comments become "wow, awesome" at the moment when the template automatically generates the video.
In 2020, don't ask if you want to buy a panoramic camera, just ask Insta360 ONE X2 (you can save some money to buy our chili sauce with the help of GoPro Max of 4000 yuan). However, it is recommended that all users who plan to buy panoramic cameras should be prepared. Even the Insta360 ONE X2 is far from the standard of mobile phones in terms of picture quality, let alone the weak light performance. They must have an attitude of early bird or players to enjoy themselves.
Now the situation of panoramic camera is a bit like the previous UAV, which has not broken through the critical point and has not yet gone out of the circle. It is also a product for producers and players. Today, many video ups use UAVs, but few use panoramic video. One is that the video platform does not support panoramic video; Second, the discrimination of panoramic products has not really caught up.
Even in Dajiang, they have to wait until after Spirit 4 to "take off from Wuhu". We don't know whether Insta360 ONE X2 will be the "Genie 4, iPhone 4" in the panorama, but we can be sure that until today, panorama videos/pictures are still rare in the circle of friends to collect praise "instant treasure". Of course, perhaps the insta official would like you to use Insta360 ONE X2 as an anti shake motion camera.
When I think of these photos and videos that can be converted into VR content, it is like looking back to the photos of the early 20th century, like seeing my own photos when I was a child. Only once in childhood, only once in youth, and only once today.
In the future, you will thank yourself for being the first user of panoramic equipment, for taking pictures of graduation parties, entrance/graduation ceremonies, ball games with old friends, and concerts with former girlfriends/wives. These lights and shadows at that time were completely captured and recorded. Whether you edit them or not, they will eventually be stored on the hard disk, waiting for you to open them again ten years or decades later. Then you will get a stack of exploding hard disks
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