The GoPro Fusion 360-degree spherical camera is one of the better 360 cameras available. When it was released nearly a year and a half ago, it cost $699 and had a max resolution of 5.2k spherical video. Since then a lot of new 360 degree cameras have come out, most notably the Insta360 ONE X.
To GoPro’s credit, they have been very good at pushing software updates to the Fusion that actually expand its capabilities with v2.0 firmware upgrading the max resolution to 5.6k. Still, with most other consumer 360-degree cameras well under $500, the GoPro Fusion was a hard sell for $499 even on sale. Now GoPro has slashed the price of the Fusion to $399 (same as the Insta360 ONE X), making it a far more enticing for someone looking for a rugged 360 camera.
Currently this price is available through Amazon, Best Buy, B&H as well as GoPro’s own site. No word on whether this change is just a short term deal or permanent, so act fast if you don’t want to risk missing it.
Is the GoPro Fusion finally a better deal than the Insta360 ONE X?
With both the GoPro Fusion and the Insta360 ONE X now sitting at $399, comparisons between the two are more relevant than ever. The ONE X has the advantage of being a newer product, but GoPro’s legendary support and range of accessories help even out the fight. On top of this, the GoPro Fusion is waterproof to 16′ out of the box and has a built in GPS whereas the ONE X requires an $89 dive case to allow it to get wet and a $49 GPS smart remote if you want location data.
Spec-wise the two cameras are very similar. Both cameras have two lenses, take 18MP photos feature very good stabilization. The ONE X barely grabs the edge on video resolution with 5.7k — vs the Fusion’s 5.6k — but it’s hardly noticeable when comparing footage. However, the ONE X does stitch stitch the video from the two lenses internally and is smaller/lighter, giving it a potential leg up when it comes to ease of use and portability.
Overall they both are high quality cameras for the price. In general, go with the GoPro Fusion if you live a more adventurous lifestyle. You’ll appreciate its rugged and waterproof design and the GPS data is cool to overlay speed, elevation or more over the video. If you just want to get into 360 video, the Insta360 ONE X is probably more for you, though you can’t go wrong either way.
