Insta360 X4

The Insta360 X4 plays a different game than GoPro and DJI. It isn't a 'better action cam' but a genuinely different tool: you capture everything around you and only choose the frame in post. For some cyclists that's a revelation, for others it's friction — and that honest split determines whether this is the right camera for you. Positioning: this is the creative camera for cyclists making content, not the commuter's dashcam and not the raw MTB cam for singletrack footage. The 8K/30 360° sensor is impressive: if after a Veluwe ride you want to highlight a specific moment — another MTB rider coming from the other side, a roe deer crossing the trail — you can find it afterwards and track it with AI reframing. On a Vechtdal road ride the camera automatically frames the group, the horizon, or your face depending on the algorithm. The 'invisible selfie stick' is magic the first time you see it: a 50 cm pole on your bars or pack yields drone-like shots in which the stick disappears entirely. FlowState is very good, on par with RockSteady 3.0 and for most content indistinguishable from HyperSmooth. After reframing to 1080p or 4K from the 8K source you get an image sharp enough for YouTube and Instagram, though a direct comparison with HERO13 Black 5.3K shows per-pixel detail is slightly lower — unavoidable when you crop 360° to 16:9.

Versus the GoPro HERO13 Black and DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro, the X4 loses on pure image sharpness for a known frame, on fast workflow and on cold-weather battery. It absolutely and uniquely wins on creative freedom, vlog self-shots and 'I didn't know that moment was going to happen' content. Against older 360° cams like the GoPro Max, the X4 is miles ahead on resolution, AI features and app ecosystem. The AKASO V50 X and Sony FDR-X3000 play a completely different game. For anyone running a YouTube channel about Dutch gravel routes or documenting LF tours through Belgium and Germany, reframing is literally content money — one ride, multiple perspectives, multiple videos.

Honest limits: the workflow is seriously heavier. 360° files are large (budget 1 GB per 3 minutes at 8K), editing happens in Insta360 Studio or the app, and exports take three to five times longer than regular 4K clips. For a commuter who just wants dashcam evidence for the insurer this is too complex — buy a HERO13 or Akaso. Battery life at 0 °C disappoints and drops to ~60 minutes; in the Dutch winter pack spares. Waterproofing to 10 m easily covers IPX rain, but the protruding lenses demand a lens-cap kit and care. For content creators, vloggers, gravel riders and anyone who wants 'one ride, multiple videos', no alternative does this. For anyone else, a HERO13 or Osmo 5 Pro is more practical.