Hands On With the Insta360 X3 Dual-Lens Action Cam

pcmag.com:

Insta360 broke out on the camera scene during the short-lived 360-degree camera fad, a couple years in the mid-teens when there was a seemingly endless supply of dual-lens smartphone add-on cameras. The brand has stuck around, though, while others have disappeared, thanks to a diversified product line (it also makes single-lens action cams, like the One RS), and quality dual-lens standalones like its One X series.

Dual-lens cameras may not have taken off in the mass market, but they have endured as a niche for creators who often leverage spherical video in interesting and creative ways. Along with software the footage can be reframed to 16:9 for viewing on a flat screen. These types of action cameras are well-suited for capturing sports (snowboarders and skiers love using them along with a selfie stick), and are also utilized by the vlogging and YouTube crowd.

The X3 is the newest member of the latter, though the company has dropped the One from the brand this time around. The X3 follows the One X2, and includes a few notable upgrades—a larger color screen with touch support is the big one, and the imaging engine is updated with larger Type 1/2 sensors and support for HDR video.

Other features carry over, including 5.7K30 dual-lens video, and special effects modes like time lapse, hyperlapse, and Matrix-style bullet time take advantage of the spherical view, now in 4K. You can use the included software to pull out 16:9 footage, or swap to a single-lens view for 4K30 recording. All video is digitally stabilized, and 360-degree footage supports a locked horizon for POV action shots. For photos it does shots up to 72MP resolution and HDR images at 18MP, in your choice of JPG or Raw DNG.

And for durability, the X3 has