Three months ago, I finally bought my first Insta360 X4 — and honestly, it’s changed the way I film my skate life reels [and now I have some special offers to share with you].
Before this latest upgrade to my camera kit, every reel you’ve seen from me to date; my skating classes, outdoor skating adventures or jam sessions was filmed on my Android phone. If you’ve ever tried capturing fast movement on a phone, you already know the struggle. Action shots? Meh. Multiple angles? Forget it. Shaky footage, missed jam and street skating moments, and limited zoom options or capacity to capture yourself in full flow.
But skating with my new skate homies Michael, Nikki and Andrew, who were using the Insta360 X3 and Insta369 X4. [there's also a newer Insta360 X5 model which offers a higher quality camera spec] I kept seeing how effortlessly they captured everything — endless footage, great angles, and moments you’d never catch with a phone. And so, curiosity begun to set in.
🎥 Why I Actually Bought An Insta360 Camera
Michael was the first to school me on the benefits on the Insta360 when taking action dynamic action footage. He outlined the benefits of taking footage as a skater on the move. He described how the selfie stick he uses is super light, extendable, and collapses small enough to fit in
a backpack or bum bag, and automatically becomes invisible in the final footage. It even converts into a tripod, so you can switch from skating action shots to static clips without carrying any extra gear [skaters, we already know that carrying less equals more freedom, right?].
That alone commanded my attention.
Then the big one:
You can choose the angle after filming.
Front, back, side — whatever. You just skate, record, go home, and use your finger on the touch screen to rotate the camera angle to the view that you want. One clip can become multiple clips because you can export different angles to create a multitude of clips.
For street skaters, this is camera gold. I can capture what’s happening ahead and behind me from the same recording — this feature right here is the one.
🛼 How Skaters Use It
Andrew explained how he and Nikki use it to capture their ballroom skating videos when theirs nobody else around to record them on the move. He just mounts the camera on a stand, presses record, and forgets about it. It picks up everything in the space — they never need to reposition it. Afterwards, he is able to easily zoom in, zoom out, crop clips, or do whatever else he needs to. Its pretty simple to get excatky what you want -- after the fact!
By this point, I was pretty much sold.
🎬 What It Can Do
This camera offers more modes than I've had the chance to explore so far, each tailored to enhance your shooting experience:
- HD Mode: Capture crisp, high-definition footage with incredible clarity. Perfect for those moments when detail matters.
- Action Mode: Designed for high-energy shots, this mode excels when you're covering ground quickly—whether you're street or jam skating, cycling, skiing, or on a holiday adventure.
- Stabilisation: Say goodbye to shaky footage. This mode smooths out your movements, so even the most dynamic, chop'n'shuffle selfie moments stay steady and cinematic.
- Timelapse: Slow down time and capture the world in motion—ideal for stunning creative transitions, sunsets, or cityscapes that unfold in front of you as you explore new terratories.
- Underwater Mode: Dive deep and take your camera into tropical waters, where it’s ready to shoot crisp footage even beneath the surface.
- Plus, an array of creative effects that I haven’t even explored yet—there's a whole world of possibilities for making your footage uniquely yours!
The mobile app is honestly easy to use:
Open the app → pick your mode → see the live camera view → tap record.
You can also start or stop filming straight from your phone.
And I use this camera a LOT — usually several times a week.
⚠️ The Downsides [Real Talk]
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. The front/back lenses aren’t replaceable.
If you scratch them, that’s it.
BUT lens protectors are cheap and easy to find on Amazon/Temu/eBay.
I bought the cheap ones, and yes — they add a bit of glare in certain lights, but honestly… I’m just posting skating clips. I’m not losing the slightest bit of sleep over the glare.
2. Silicone case shadows
If you use the silicone protective case while skating, the edges show up as dark shadows in the video. Not ideal at all!
So I proceeded without it… and naturally, not long after, the camera bounced. Yep, the zip on my bag opened and the camera fell out of my bag after a lively JB sesh — straight onto the hard tarmac on the grounds of Emirates Stadium. Thankfully the lens protectors saved both lenses — but the screen cracked. It's still fully functional, just no longer aesthetically perfect.
Check out Nikki & Andrews @ldn_ballroom_skating Instagram page to see how they capture their ballroom skating on their Insta360 X3. They choose not to use the lense protectors [so there's far less glare captured on their images on Sunny days]. The video used at the top of this page was taken by Andrew in sunny Valencia. You can see me holding my Insta360 X4, however, I have chosen to use the lense protectors, so more glare showing on my sunny Valencian video.
➡️ Watch Video: Big Street Skate [Insta360 X4 with lense protectors]
➡️ Watch Video: Science Park Skate [Insta360 X4 with lense protectors]
As you can probably see, the difference in image quality isn't huge, [so don't break the bank if you really don't need to!].
👥 Final Thoughts [Skater to Skater]
The Insta360 X4 is genuinely one of the best bits of kit I’ve bought for skating — lightweight, small, versatile, and perfect for capturing movement while still letting you skate freely. If you want to film your skating journey from multiple angles or grab moments you didn’t even know happened, this camera just does the job.
And yes — if you use my affiliate link, you’ll get some free bonus gifts, and I’ll get a small commission.
But let me be clear:
If this camera was rubbish, I wouldn’t waste my time writing a post about it — commission or not.
This thing has become part of my regular skating kit, right next to my speaker. If you're anything like me and want a small, versatile, high quatily camera, that can handle your dynamic pursuits -- consider getting yourself an Insta360.
🎥 SMO Drone Bundle
Keep a close eye out for the range of special offers made available to you when you click through the Insta360 links on this page. Go right ahead and bag yourself a great camera deal or set of free assessories when you purchase a camera using my links.
Kelly
Cranial Osteopath | Wellbeing Coach | Roller Skate Instructor
Have you tried the Insta360?
Which accessories do you love most?
Let me know — I’m always curious what other skaters are using.
