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Whether it's flying round a wall ride or ripping up technicals, the hardest part for a mountain biker is capturing the action in all its glory. Famed for bumpy rides, contrasting lighting and smashed-up lenses, mountain bikers seem like an action cameras worst nightmare.
Luckily, Insta360's latest 8K 360º action camera saves the day for bikers. Introducing the best mountain bike camera: Insta360 X4. Read on to find out why!
SHOOT YOUR SHOT
Typically, action cameras are too scared of trails full of highlights, shadows and contrasting lighting to make mountain bike shots useable. It often ends up looking grainy, mushy or overexposed. Thanks to some seriously upgraded resolutions, frame rates and a 5nm AI Chip for quicker exposure, X4 is ready to make any trail look cinematic up to 8K30fps. For sharper-than-sharp 8K 360º mountain bike shots, try out these settings:
- Auto Mode
- Resolution: 8K30fps
- Color Profile: Standard
- Sharpness: Low or Medium
- Audio: Active Wind Reduction
Long-time friend of Insta360 and mountain bike content creator @TheLoamRanger likes to fiddle with his settings and sets X4 to: 8K24fps, 6000K, Flat color profile and -1 EV if it's mounted to his chest. Whatever the settings, the key thing is to use 8K in bright daylight conditions, so trails with fewer trees and days with clearer skies are the winners.
8K is, of course, an incredible feature to create top-quality content, and it means reframed 360º shots maintain around 4K resolution to easily blend into footage from other cameras without noticing a significant drop in quality. But for more everyday uses and beginners, you might find 5.7K60fps better.
The higher frame rate compared to X3's 30fps means smoother, sharper action shots in stunning quality. You can slow your tricks and jumps down by 2x without compromising quality and easily speed ramp your shots: less choppiness, more details!
- Auto Mode
- Resolution: 5.7K60fps
- Color Profile: Standard
- Sharpness: Low or Medium
- Audio: Active Wind Reduction
For super gloomy trails or if you're constantly riding between dark and light, try 5.7K30fps Active HDR Mode. Active HDR is an innovative HDR video mode that boosts colors in the highlights and shadows, brings out all the details and maintains superb stabilization, no matter what speed you're pumping.
TWO CAMERAS IN ONE
The best thing about X4? Not only does it record quality 360º footage for every angle to play with, it also doubles up as a 4K wide-angle action camera with Single-Lens Mode. This means X4 films with just one lens, so there's no need to reframe, no quality loss in the edit, and no need for any other wide-angle camera.
If you've got X4 mounted onto your chest, handlebars or helmet, use 4K60fps Single-Lens Mode for super smooth first-person POV shots. For an ultra-wide 170° FOV that shows off your speed, select MaxView in FreeFrame Video. It shoots ultra-wide POV footage up to 4K30fps!
BUILT TOUGHER
So that's the image quality issue sorted. Time to tackle ruggedness for when you go OTB. Luckily, X4 was made for this.
Removable Lens Guards
All hail the removable Lens Guards! Insta360 X4 comes with custom-molded plastic Standard Lens Guards in the box. However, for intense sports like mountain biking, we suggest picking up the high-strength Premium Lens Guards for even greater protection. They're made of durable, scratch-resistant, 10H hardness tempered glass and provide clearer, brighter image capture. Feel safe and secure tackling any trail head-on, knowing if anything, you'll only break a replaceable Lens Guard and not a lens.
Both types of Lens Guards are removable. Simply twist them on and off to easily remove and reinstall them in a flash! Don't forget to turn on Lens Guard Mode and select the type you're using—X4's algorithm will automatically adjust for optimal stitching.
Touchscreen
You might have to bail out from time to time, but X4 doesn't need to. It's fitted with a huge 2.5" touchscreen made of rugged Corning® Gorilla® glass. Ultra-bright, super strong, incredibly responsive for easier operation on the move and made to withstand any yard sale.
FlowState Stabilization + 360º Horizon Lock
Leading gimbal-like stabilization means your shots are still smooth as butter, no matter how chattery things get. If your mount happens to fall halfway through a corkscrew, 360º Horizon Lock means your shots still stay leveled out. No shaky footage here!
Waterproof
X4 is IPX8 to 33ft (10m) straight out of the box, so you won't have to worry about puddles, wet trails or muddy dives. Just remember to close the battery and USB port tightly to guarantee waterproofing!
Battery Life
Power through with a huge 2290mAh battery. It gives you 135 mins at 5.7K30fps and 75mins at 8K30fps.
Upgraded Audio
A brand-spanking new algorithm makes X4's audio crisp, clear and balanced with four mics to pick up sound in all directions. But we're going to take a guess and say you don't want to pick up all of that sound, especially that wind. No matter the action, X4's all-new Active Wind Reduction makes sure you capture the moment in all its glory—minus the howling wind. Try the Mic Wind Muff to reduce wind noise and produce a more transparent sound.
GRAB YOUR GEAR
Helmet Chin Mount
Mount X4 on the chin of your helmet for a wide-angle first-person POV that shows off your speed. The Helmet Chin Mount stays nicely out of your way and securely in place through any bumps or jumps!
Chest Strap
The Chest Strap is a must-have for bikers. It's comfortable, adjustable and provides an incredibly immersive first-person perspective. You can easily switch between vertical and horizontal mounting, and the touchscreen will change orientation, too, for even easier control. This angle is great for showing off the technical aspects of the trail and how you navigate them, and it looks really good in 4K60fps Single-Lens Mode.
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Helmet Mount Kit
Mount your X4 to the top, side or chin of your helmet with the Helmet Mount Kit for a real rider's perspective. It shows exactly what you see as you move your head, ideal for showing the scenery along your trail or reframing to switch between forward/backward perspectives. Plus, it stays invisible in your 360º shots for those cool drone-like perspectives!
Tip: If you're using a mount like the Chest Strap where one of the lenses is close to your body, you'll likely get better stitching from Balanced Exposure.
HIT THE TRAILS
That's it! The perfect mountain bike camera, Insta360 X4, is available now for $499.99. There's also a dedicated Bike Bundle that includes the camera, 1x Standard Lens Guards, 1x 114cm Invisible Selfie Stick, 1x Bike Kit and 1x Lens Cap.
Keen to keep up to date on Insta360 stories? Keep an eye on our blog and sign up for our mailing list.
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