360 Action Camera Comparison: GoPro Max 2 vs Insta360 X5 vs DJI Osmo 360

DC Rainmaker

Overview and Initial Impressions [0:00]

The presenter introduces a comprehensive comparison of three leading 360 action cameras: the DJI Osmo 360, GoPro Max 2, and Insta360 X5. He highlights testing these cameras extensively over the past 6-8 months in various scenarios, including side-by-side comparisons. The video is not sponsored and aims to provide an honest review of each camera's strengths and weaknesses. The presenter showcases a custom comparison rig that holds multiple cameras for simultaneous shooting. [Image 0][Image 1][Image 18]

Pricing & USA Notables [0:56]

• All three cameras have similar price points.
  • DJI Osmo 360: $549 USD / €489 EUR
  • GoPro Max 2: $499 USD / €519 EUR
  • Insta360 X5: $549 USD / €589 EUR
• Important Note for US Users: The DJI Osmo 360 is not officially available or supported in the US. [Image 21]
  • Buying it through third-party companies means sourcing from outside the US.
  • If the camera breaks, DJI will not provide support in the US, which is a significant drawback. [Image 24]
  • GoPro and Insta360 products are supported in the US.

Sizing & Weight [1:32]

• All cameras are similar in weight, within a 15g spread, averaging around 190g.
  • DJI Osmo 360: 183g
  • GoPro Max 2: 195g
  • Insta360 X5: 200g [Image 26]
• The form factors differ:
  • DJI and GoPro have a squatter, more traditional action camera design, similar to the original GoPro Max. [Image 3][Image 28]
  • Insta360 maintains its elongated, taller design. [Image 4]
• Design implications:
  • Squatter designs (DJI, GoPro) might be preferred for helmet mounting due to a lower profile.
  • Taller designs (Insta360) might fit better on poles.
  • The presenter notes that the squatter design often fits better in action scenarios, but Insta360's taller design has remained popular.

Screen Sizes & Features [2:16]

• Screen sizes vary slightly:
  • DJI Osmo 360: 2 inches
  • GoPro Max 2: 1.8 inches
  • Insta360 X5: 2.5 inches [Image 30]
• The key difference is screen functionality:
  • Insta360 X5 and DJI Osmo 360 allow re-framing directly on the camera screen, which is convenient.
  • GoPro Max 2 does not allow re-framing on the screen; it can only be done in post-production using the app. [Image 32]

Replaceable Lens/Dome [2:58]

• Crucial Feature for 360 Cameras: User-replaceable lenses are highly important due to the exposed nature of the dual lenses.
• Insta360 X5 and GoPro Max 2 offer user-replaceable lens domes.
  • Insta360 requires a few tools (included in the kit) and some workspace considerations. [Image 37]
  • GoPro allows for quick and easy lens dome removal and swapping. [Image 39]
• DJI Osmo 360 does not have user-replaceable lenses.
  • The presenter has already lightly scratched his DJI lens, which is a major issue for 360 footage. [Image 40]
  • Repairing a scratched DJI lens requires sending the camera back to DJI, potentially taking over a month, and is not supported in the US.

ND Filter Support [4:06]

• Insta360 X5 supports ND filters. [Image 46]
• GoPro Max 2 and DJI Osmo 360 do not have ND filter options.

Water Resistance & Underwater Usage [4:13]

• Water resistance ratings:
  • GoPro Max 2: 5m (16ft)
  • DJI Osmo 360: 10m (33ft)
  • Insta360 X5: 15m (49ft) [Image 48]
• Actual Usability: These ratings are largely irrelevant for 360 cameras without a dedicated dive case.
  • Without a dive case, all three cameras produce fuzzy, unusable footage underwater due to optical distortion. [Image 50]
  • Only Insta360 offers an invisible diving case for the X5, allowing for crisp underwater 360 footage. [Image 53]
  • GoPro promises a future dive case, but no timeline is provided.
  • DJI has not announced any dive case.
• Conclusion: For underwater 360 footage, Insta360 X5 is currently the only viable option.

Mount Compatibility [4:53]

• All three cameras feature:
  • Quick-release mounts for easy attachment and detachment.
  • Tripod mounts (1/4"-20 threaded hole) on the underside. [Image 56]
  • Magnetic mounting options (with an error correction noting Insta360 X5 is not magnetic, implying GoPro and DJI are).
• GoPro Max 2 also includes built-in dual-finger mounts, allowing compatibility with any GoPro mount (which is a vast ecosystem). [Image 58]
  • Adapters are available for Insta360 and DJI to use GoPro-style mounts, but it's an extra step.
• Conclusion: GoPro offers the best direct mounting versatility.

Batteries Tested [5:45]

• DJI Osmo 360 uses the same batteries and charging case as DJI's other action cameras, allowing for battery swapping between devices (a major convenience). [Image 59]
• Insta360 X5 has a unique battery that slides out from the side.
• GoPro Max 2 uses a new battery design, which is not interchangeable with older GoPro models.
• Claimed vs. Tested Battery Life (360 60FPS with fan to prevent overheating):
  • DJI Osmo 360: Claimed 1h 40mins / Tested 1h 32mins (fell short of claim)
  • GoPro Max 2: Claimed 1h 6mins / Tested 1h 10mins (exceeded claim)
  • Insta360 X5: Claimed 1h 33mins / Tested 1h 39mins (exceeded claim) [Image 63]
• Battery Sizes (mAh):
  • DJI Osmo 360: 1950mAh
  • GoPro Max 2: 1960mAh
  • Insta360 X5: 2400mAh [Image 70]

Overheating Issues [6:32]

• When actively moving with airflow, none of the cameras tend to overheat. [Image 62]
• During static tests (e.g., inside a car dashboard, or direct sun with no airflow): [Image 65]
  • GoPro Max 2: Overheated in 14m 18s (at ~24°C / 75°F in direct sun).
  • Insta360 X5: Overheated in 21m 16s.
  • DJI Osmo 360: Overheated in 25m 50s. [Image 67]
• Conclusion: Overheating is primarily an issue in static, high-temperature, no-airflow environments.

Battery Charging Slowness [6:58]

• DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 charge to 80% in approximately 20 minutes.
• GoPro Max 2 charges to 80% in a significantly longer time (estimated 1-1.5 hours, described as "painfully slow"). [Image 69]
  • The presenter expresses disappointment with GoPro's slow charging despite their good cold-weather performance.

Real 8K or Not? [7:45]

• All three cameras claim 8K resolution.
• Actual Usable Resolution:
  • Only GoPro Max 2 offers true 8K resolution for the active pixels (excluding stitching areas). [Image 75]
  • DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5's 8K claims include unusable black pixels (around 7K effective resolution). [Image 82]
    • This means GoPro effectively has about 20% more usable resolution.
• Practicality: For most users, this difference in 8K resolution may not be noticeable unless heavily cropping footage.
• Frame Rates at 8K:
  • GoPro Max 2: 8K at 24/25/30FPS
  • Insta360 X5: 8K at 24/25/30FPS
  • DJI Osmo 360: 8K at 25/30/48/50FPS (offers higher frame rates)
• Frame Rates at 5.7K:
  • All three cameras (DJI, GoPro, Insta360) can shoot 360 footage at 5.7K/60FPS.

Video Comparisons [8:45]

• Comparison of footage across cameras for image quality.
• Daytime cycling footage shows visual differences between the cameras. [Image 6]
• Boat footage comparison also demonstrates differences in image quality under bright conditions. [Image 13]
• Examples of 8K 360 footage reframed to 4K are shown for GoPro [Image 85] and Insta360 [Image 86].

Single-Lens Mode [9:15]

• Single-lens mode is useful when one lens is obscured (e.g., mounted close to the body).
• In single-lens mode, all cameras capture 4K at 60FPS.
• DJI Osmo 360 additionally claims 5K at 60FPS, though the "black pixel" marketing myth applies here as well.
• DJI supports up to 120FPS at 4K in single-lens mode, doubling the frame rate of its competitors. [Image 89]

Concurrent 360 & Single-Lens [9:42]

• Insta360 X5 has a "party trick" feature: concurrent 360 (5.7K+) and flat-lens (1080p) recording from one of the lenses. [Image 90]
  • This is handy if 360 footage is primary, but a quick flat file is also desired without caring about high resolution.
• GoPro Max 2 and DJI Osmo 360 do not offer this concurrent recording feature.

Slow-Mo Cannonball Tests [10:15]

• For 360 slow-motion footage, all three cameras have limitations.
• They top out at 100-120FPS, but only at 4K resolution for the entire sphere. [Image 93]
• When re-framed from 4K 360, the resulting slow-motion footage is often sub-1080p equivalent, leading to a noticeable drop in quality compared to traditional action cameras.
• Conclusion: None of these 360 cameras are ideal for high-quality slow-motion shots; a dedicated action camera like the GoPro Hero 13 Black (shown for comparison at 5.3K/120FPS) provides significantly better results.

Night/Low-Light Performance [11:00]

• GoPro Max 2: Performs poorly in low-light conditions. GoPro chose not to upgrade the sensor, prioritizing daytime performance (where it excels). [Image 96]
• DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5: Both offer significantly better low-light performance than GoPro. [Image 9]
  • The presenter slightly prefers DJI's night footage, but notes it's a personal preference and both are much better than GoPro.

Special Night Effects/Star Trails [11:31]

• GoPro Max 2: Excels in night effects like star trails and light painting (vehicle light trails). It's easy to use, creating these effects directly in-camera. [Image 100][Image 105]
• Insta360 X5: Has a star trails mode, but it's cumbersome. It captures many individual photos that need manual stitching in the app. [Image 102]
• DJI Osmo 360: Does not offer any specific night effects modes.

LOG & 10-Bit Support [12:13]

• This section focuses on features for video professionals and color graders.
• All three cameras support some form of LOG profile.
• All three support 10-bit color, except Insta360 which only offers 10-bit in 5.7K (not 8K).
• Max Bitrate:
  • DJI Osmo 360: 170Mbps
  • GoPro Max 2: 300Mbps (significantly higher)
  • Insta360 X5: 180Mbps [Image 12]
• Conclusion: GoPro Max 2 offers the highest bitrate, which is beneficial for professional color grading.

TimeCode Support [12:31]

• Insta360 X5 and GoPro Max 2 support external timecode sync devices.
• DJI Osmo 360 does not support external timecode sync.

Photo Modes [12:45]

• All cameras have photo modes.
• Photo Resolution:
  • DJI Osmo 360: 120MP (JPG/RAW)
  • GoPro Max 2: 29MP (JPG/RAW)
  • Insta360 X5: 72MP (DNG (RAW)/INSP, JPG via app)
• Conclusion: DJI and Insta360 offer much higher resolution photos than GoPro. However, the presenter personally prefers to shoot video and extract still frames due to the challenges of capturing perfect stills in action scenarios. [Image 109]

Audio - Internal Mic Tests [13:08]

• All three cameras have multiple internal microphones:
  • DJI Osmo 360: 4 internal mics
  • GoPro Max 2: 6 internal mics
  • Insta360 X5: 4 internal mics
• These mics are used for spatial audio and wind noise reduction.
• In a simple audio test (biking into the wind at 40 km/h), all three cameras performed relatively similarly, with minimal discernible differences in internal mic quality.

Audio - Bluetooth Mics [14:00]

• All three cameras support Bluetooth microphones (e.g., AirPods). [Image 111]
• Bluetooth audio quality is generally not ideal for professional use; it serves as a good fallback for wireless headsets.

Audio - Dedicated Mics [14:11]

• DJI and Insta360 offer proprietary wireless microphone systems (e.g., DJI Mic, Insta360 Mic).
  • These systems use a proprietary wireless connection, which provides better quality than Bluetooth and direct integration with the camera's audio.
• GoPro does not offer a proprietary wireless microphone system, meaning users need to record audio separately and sync in post-production.

Apps - Smartphone & Desktop [14:38]

• Smartphone Apps (DJI, GoPro, Insta360): All three are relatively similar in functionality, offering basic features and some unique elements.
• Desktop Apps: This is where significant differences emerge.
  • Insta360 Studio App: Clearly the leader, offering robust editing features, including AI tracking (e.g., for subjects in a 360 sphere). It allows for automatic framing and tracking. [Image 114]
  • DJI App: Attempts to copy Insta360's app but often falls short in execution and stability. It can be laggy and cumbersome for editing. [Image 116]
  • GoPro Player App: Not a comprehensive editing suite. Primarily used for re-framing, re-coding, and batch processing footage from the Max 2. It lacks advanced AI tracking and editing features found in competitors' desktop apps. [Image 118]
    • Although GoPro acquired Dashware (a company dedicated to data overlays), they haven't integrated its full potential into their current software.
• Conclusion: Insta360 offers the most user-friendly and feature-rich desktop editing experience, especially with its AI tracking.

GPS [16:40]

• GoPro Max 2 has built-in GPS, allowing for speed overlays and other data directly without external accessories. [Image 128]
• DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 require external accessories (e.g., GPS remotes) to capture GPS data.

Data Overlays (Sports) [16:55]

• This relates to integrating external sensor data (e.g., cycling power, heart rate).
• DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5 support third-party platforms (e.g., Garmin Connect, Strava, Apple Health). [Image 130]
  • This allows pulling in data from fitness trackers and smartwatches for automatic overlay onto videos.
• GoPro Max 2 does not support third-party data integration for overlays.

Cloud Upload [17:27]

• GoPro Max 2 offers cloud backup to the GoPro Cloud.
• Insta360 X5 has a new cloud platform (Insta360 Cloud) for backing up 360 footage. [Image 134]
  • Currently, it only supports 360 cameras, with promises for other cameras in the future.
• DJI Osmo 360 does not have a dedicated cloud backup service mentioned.

Final Recommendations [17:50]

• General Rule of Thumb: If you already own existing action cameras from a particular brand, it's generally best to stick within that ecosystem due to mount compatibility and software familiarity.
• For Existing Users:
  • If you have GoPro cameras, buy the GoPro Max 2.
  • If you have Insta360 cameras, buy the Insta360 X5.
  • If you have DJI cameras, the presenter advises caution due to the lack of US support.
• For Free Agents (new users with no existing ecosystem): [Image 136]
  • GoPro Max 2: Recommended for pure daytime usage, mounting on chest/helmet, and prioritizing image quality in bright conditions. It also offers true 8K resolution and higher bitrates for professionals.
  • Insta360 X5: Recommended if you frequently shoot at night, require advanced desktop editing (especially AI tracking), or need usable underwater footage (with the dive case). The concurrent 360/flat recording is also a unique advantage.
  • DJI Osmo 360: Not recommended for US users due to severely limited support and non-replaceable lenses. The risk of lens damage and inability to repair is a major deterrent.
• Key Decision Factors:
  • Lens Durability/Replaceability: Insta360 or GoPro over DJI.
  • Overheating (static use): Insta360 or DJI over GoPro.
  • Image Quality (daytime): GoPro.
  • Night Performance & Effects: Insta360 or DJI (especially Insta360 for desktop editing).
  • Desktop App & AI Features: Insta360.
  • GPS & Data Overlays: GoPro (built-in GPS) or Insta360/DJI (with accessories & third-party app integration).