Action & 360 cameras
MAX2, X5, Osmo 360: the 360 match
Since the summer of 2025, three manufacturers have been seriously competing for the 360 camera field: GoPro with the MAX2, Insta360 with the X5, DJI with the Osmo 360. On paper, all three look similar. In practice, they do not make the same compromises, and only one of the three is currently available for rental from us. Here is the honest comparison, supporting manufacturer figures.
The definition: three ways to write “8K”
All three announce 8K, but not at the same rate. GoPro presents the MAX2 as the only camera on the market to film in true spherical 8K, and publishes 5.6K at 60 fps as well as 4K at 100 fps for slow motion. DJI goes higher in frame rate on the Osmo 360: 7680 × 3840 pixels up to 50 fps. Insta360 remains at 8K and 30 fps on X5.
This detail matters more than it seems. In 360, you always reframe after the fact: a high cadence lets you slow down a passage without mush, which is exactly what you're looking for on a ski run or a jump. If your shots are contemplative, 30 fps is more than enough.
The sensor and the light
The Osmo 360 has two 1/1.1-inch sensors opening at f/1.9, the largest of the three. The X5 uses two 1/1.28-inch sensors at f/2.0. On the MAX2, GoPro does not highlight the sensor size and instead communicates on the reproduction: its 360 photos are announced at 29 megapixels, while DJI claims up to 120 megapixels in panorama on the Osmo 360.
Don't overinterpret this last number. A 120 megapixel panorama does not mean an image four times more detailed: it is an output definition, not a measurement of sharpness. The real tiebreaker comes at dusk, and there, the sensor surface of the Osmo 360 actually gives it an advantage.
The objective: the real subject, the one that no one talks about
On a 360 camera, both windows are curved, exposed, and impossible to completely protect. They get scratched. This is the primary cause of cosmetic failure, before any electronic failure.
GoPro and Insta360 took the problem head on. The MAX2 has optical glass lenses that can be unscrewed and replaced by hand, without tools or calibration. The X5 was the first to offer user-replaceable lenses, and that's a major reason why it ages well in a rental fleet. On its official technical sheet for the Osmo 360, DJI does not highlight this replacement.
Water, cold, autonomy
| Criteria | GoPro MAX2 | Insta360 X5 | DJI Osmo 360 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum 360 video | 8K; 5.6K at 60 fps | 8K at 30 fps | 8K at 50 fps |
| Waterproofing without box | 5m | 15m | 10m |
| Battery | Enduro 1960mAh | 2400mAh | 1950mAh |
| Autonomy announced | not published by GoPro | 93 mins in 8K/30 | 100 mins in 8K/30 |
| Replaceable lenses | yes, without tools | Yes | not announced |
| Praiseworthy at Fox Rider | No | Yes | No |
Three readings are required. First the waterproofing: 5 meters for the MAX2 compared to 15 for the X5, this is not a detail if you are going snorkeling or if you are filming canyoning. Then the storage: the Osmo 360 has 128 GB of internal memory, of which around 105 are usable, which avoids panic when the card remains on the desk. Finally the autonomy: DJI announces up to 190 minutes in 6K/24, Insta360 up to 208 minutes in 5.7K/24. These records are always paid for in definition.
The calendar, in August 2026
It must be said clearly: this comparison is taken in a moving window. Insta360 launched the X6 on August 12, 2026. It is sold for €699 in a standard pack on the brand's official store. The three brands are renewing their ranges at a sustained pace.
This does not make the X5 obsolete overnight, and it remains in the Insta360 catalog at €589.99. But between a camera that has just been released and a camera that a rental company has tested, revised and can give you tomorrow, several months pass. If you were considering a purchase, read independent reviews before signing. If you have a weekend to film, on the other hand, the question does not arise.
So, which one to rent?
Of the three, only one is in our park in Lyon: l’Insta360 X5 . We're not going to pretend it wins on all counts — the Osmo 360 revs up higher and sees better in the dark, the MAX2 has the best interchangeable lens system and six microphones. But on the criteria that really decide a successful weekend, the X5 holds up: the best waterproofing of the three, objectives that can be replaced, documented autonomy, and above all immediate availability.
If your project is more modest, or if it is a first experience in 360 video, l'Insta360 X4 stays in the park and does the same work of invisible boom and reframing after the fact, a generation below.
And if, after reading, you realize that you will never reframe your shots and that you simply want a robust camera pointed in front of you, take a GoPro HERO 12 Black instead: it will be simpler, lighter to edit, and you will produce finished videos faster.