I am completely new to the videography world and have no experience with action cameras yet not one time did I have a hiccup using the X3. I initially looked into the camera because I wanted a hands-free solution when traveling to Japan because I wanted to experience the moment I was in rather than concerned with catching everything on camera to look back on later. This met my expectations and far beyond. The 360 footage I was able to get during my entire trip was so crystal clear it’s almost as if when I watch the videos I’m right back in my vacation. This was so easy to travel with and so compact it fit in my sling bag as if when I put it away it was never there. I coupled this camera with a backpack clip mount and you would assume the shaking of the camera and the constant moving around Jostling up and down would cause very shaky footage, but the stabilization in the X3 made it seem like it was a floating drone camera that had no movement other than gliding along with me and catching every scene flawlessly, utilizing the Insta360 app on my phone and looking back through the footage, there are so many things that I caught on camera that I had no idea about while I was in the moment, and that is exactly what I was hoping to accomplish with purchasing this camera I would recommend it for anyone who wants to capture the moment, but also be completely immersed in the moment as it’s happening.

 

Great little camera and 360 video is a fantastic thing, but absolutely buy the insurance because it’s incredibly easy to damage the lenses:

I had the camera tip over accidentally and was super-lucky the first time because it landed on its edge and didn’t touch the lenses. So from then on I was WAY, WAY more careful, and I STILL damaged BOTH lenses by the end of my vacation (!).

Fortunately I had purchased the insurance and I strongly recommend you do the same, because these things are simply WAY more vulnerable to damage than, say, your phone.

The camera did shut down on me a few times for temperature protection, which caused me to miss some video I would have liked to have had, but it was in warm conditions (90F) and high-dynamic range (HDR) mode, which tends to run hotter, and they warn about that, so I can forgive…somewhat. Just be aware of that, and check frequently to see that the red “recording” light is still blinking. (I switched to non-HDR video eventually because of the thermal shutdown possibility; might not be a factor in colder conditions.)

BIG TIP: These things record video in approximately 15-minute “chunks”, after which they finalize the video for the last chunk, and then start recording a new chunk. (I suspect this is done to preserve as much video as possible, in the event of a mishap).

However, it takes several seconds to finalize one chunk and begin recording the next, so if there is a critical bit of action going on right at the switch, those missing 15-20 seconds might be the exact thing you didn’t want to miss! (This is especially a big deal if you’re recording, say, an entire day.)

So, if possible, right before something you want to make SURE you capture, it’s probably worth it to stop recording, then start recording anew so that you’re sure to capture the stuff you wanted.

AND, one final tip: there is a programmable button on the camera that in its default setting switches to “single lens mode”. If mainly what you want is 360 footage, go into your settings and change that button to be simply another 360-video recording button so you don’t miss half your action. (Ask me how I learned how important this is.)

In summary, these are great little cameras, just pay for the insurance, and if you can’t afford the insurance, don’t buy the camera because you SURE can’t afford to replace it when you break it (and you WILL break it.) And keep in mind the other limitations I mentioned.

 

Keep in mind that this is different than the regular action cameras. A lot of new features. A lot of new options. You have to spend some time for learning how to use it and how to create good shots. Maybe the night shots are not the best one comparing to GoPro.