Zlogspot - PocariSweet 77

The Insta360 Pro is an amazing camera, and the marketing materials can't even capture all of its remarkable features (partly because Insta360 keeps adding new features!).  Here are 17 undocumented features of the Insta360 Pro.  Since there are so many of them, I tried to group them into Photo, Video and live streaming, and both Photo and Video. PHOTO 1. 60 second shutter speed .  It has full manual exposure and you can specify a shutter speed as slow as 60 seconds -- slow enough to capture night sky photos. 2.   Unlimited intervalometer .  The Insta360 Pro has an intervalometer (i.e., it will take a photo after every time interval), and the time interval is anywhere from 2 seconds to a practically unlimited time interval (I put in a crazy number like 200,000 seconds and it accepted that value).  Note: The intervalometer is in the video mode as "time lapse". 3.   The intervalometer / time lapse can be for 3D not just 2D . 4.   Stitched 360 Photos i...

Dolly360 is a radio-controlled and stabilized dolly for 360 cameras. Dolly360 is a radio-controlled dolly designed for 360 cameras, with both horizontal and vertical stabilization.  It uses a gimbal for spherical stabilization and a telescopic oil shock absorber for vertical stabilization. Here is a video: Here is a sample 360 video from a GoPro rig mounted on the Dolly360: The Dolly360 can handle a camera up to 5 kg and will be carry it up to 1 km.  It costs 500,000 JPY (about USD 4491 at current exchange rates).  The price is for the dolly only and does not include a camera.

I just received my Insta360 Pro last night!  Here is an unboxing and my first impressions, or otherwise entitled, "How I spent my tax refund!" lol When Insta360 said they were going to create a professional camera to rival the $5,000 GoPro Omni rig, I honestly wasn't sure if it was just an exaggeration for marketing.  Sure, the Insta360 Nano and Insta360 Air were excellent cameras, but they were designed for consumers.  Could a young company such as Insta360 really build a camera that could approach the quality of the 8K GoPro Omni?  Those doubts were quashed when Insta360 Pro launched at CES, with specs that could make any 360 shooter drool: - 8K 360 video - 6K 3D 360 video - 4K live streaming in 2D (30fps) or 3D (24fps). - 4K in-camera stitching, also in 2D (30fps) or 3D (24fps) - High-speed 4K in 120 fps (for super slow motion) - 3D photos can be up to 8K (7680 x 7680), whether stitched on a desktop or in-camera It would be able to do all...

Personal View interviewed camera rental company Radiant Images about the Z Cam S1 Pro, a high quality professional 360 camera that uses four Micro Four Thirds sensors paired with iZugar lenses.  Here is the video: The original Z Cam S1 (not shown here) is $2,500 while Z Cam S1 Pro is $8,880.  Neither camera includes the cost of the WonderStitch stitching software ($1,500), or the WonderLive live streaming software which is a separate cost (note that the license is for one camera only and is not transferable ).  Alternatively, the S1 and S1 Pro can be stitched with third party software. Both cameras have 6K resolution but the S1 Pro's larger sensor means that it has higher image quality than the Z Cam S1.

Double 2, two-wheeled self-balancing 360 Camera Dolly is now available. An increasing number of 360 videos are using movement.  Among other things, slow forward movement can be used as a subtle way of directing the viewer's attention, as demonstrated for example in Felix and Paul's documentary, "The People's House." The challenge for 360 filmmakers is that a 360 camera sees everything around it, therefore it is not ideal to use traditional methods for moving a camera such as a camera operator carrying a camera or using a camera track dolly. There are dollies available for 360 cameras that perform very well but they tend to have substantial cost. See here (Vroomcam) and here (RigRover) . Double 2 is a two-wheeled self-balancing 360 camera dolly by Double Robotics.  It is a modified version of the Double 2 robot which was designed for telepresence. The modified version of the Double 2 is designed specifically for use as a 360 Camera Dolly.  Instead of an iPad and c...

Insta360 Pro, Insta360's 8K 360 camera, is being released soon.  Meanwhile, Insta360 has been posting more samples from Insta360 Pro, including some new low light samples that show the Insta360 Pro's incredible low light performance. Insta360 Pro is a professional 360 camera from Insta360 with 8K 360 video.  It also features 6K 3D 360 video, 4K in-camera stitched video (2D or 3D), and 4K live streaming. It is also one of the very few 360 cameras with gyro-based image stabilization that can maintain a level horizon regardless of how the camera is rotated.  It does all of this at an unheard-of price of $3,500 (the price already includes stitching software), far below professional 360 cameras such as the $5,000 GoPro Omni rig, which has up to 8K resolution but requires tedious stitching of six video files from six GoPro cameras, and has no 3D capture or live streaming capability.  As far as I know, this is the lowest cost 8K 360 camera. Meanwhile, Insta360 recently post...

How do you use an ND filter for your 360 camera?  One way is to use a rig.... Paulo Teixera shared this video by Personal View , where SLR Magic shows their filter system which attaches to rear lenses of Micro Four Thirds lenses:

The AXA rig is a unique 360 camera rig that comes in three sizes to accommodate various high-end cameras such the Black Magic Micro Studio 4K, Arri Alexa Mini, and Sony UMC-S3C.  Radiant Images posted a sample video from a version of the rig that uses the Arri Alexa Mini, but the sample seems to show that stitching will be a problem. Here is the video: As expected, the video shows excellent detail.  However, with the understandably large distance between the cameras, stitching is going to be a challenge, as these crops show from the video:

DroneVolt's Janus VR Bot is a 360 camera rig on a remote control dolly.  I don't know much about it except that it seems to use a Freedom 360 rig which uses six GoPro cameras for up to 8K resolution. B&H Photo has the Janus VR Bot listed at $14,350 without any specifications yet.  I'm not sure if the VR Bot includes the Freedom 360 rig and/or the GoPros for it. In the meantime, B&H also has the Janus 360 drone for two Freedom 360 rigs, for about the same price  (the price excludes the cost of the Freedom 360 rigs)  You can check out a sample video from the Janus 360  in this previous post .

Matterport announced the Pro2 camera, an updated and higher resolution version of its original 3D camera. Matterport is a true depth-sensing VR camera that produces volumetric 3D 360 models in which viewers can move around in VR, making it very useful for real estate agents. Now Matterport has announced the launch of the new Matterport Pro2 3D camera, which offers much higher resolution compared to its original model.   In fact, the resolution is high enough that it can produce print-ready photos. Here are the key specifications of the Pro2. - Photo resolution: 8092 x 4552 (36mp), compared to 1280 x 720 for the original Pro. - 360 panorama resolution: 134mp, compared to 33mp for the original Pro. - GPS (the original Pro had no GPS). - Price: $3,995 versus $3,395 for the original.   As with the original, there is a monthly subscription for its cloud service. For those who bought the original within the past 6 months, there's a trade in program.  If you bought a Matterport ...

360dVR is a crowdfunded 5K 360 camera with 7 lenses arranged in a "dimensional" as opposed to planar configuration.  It is being crowdfunded for as low as $799. 360dVR is a 360 camera designed for professional use with 7 lenses arranged in a three-dimensional arrangement with five lenses arranged radially, one lens on top and another below.  According to its creators, this dimensional arrangement provides superior image quality to a planar arrangement. Here are the key specifications: - 7 lenses - video resolution: up to 5K (5168 x 2584) @ 30fps - up to 90 minutes continuous recording time - built-in memory of 112GB or 224GB - diameter: 140mm (5.5 inches). The videos from the 360dVR are not stitched.  Instead, users can stitch the video using third party software such as Autopano Video. The 360dVR will have an MSRP of $1399 but is available for preorder on their Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for $799 . Here are sample videos .   Here is their official webpage ...

Kandao Obsidian is a professional 360 camera that can capture 6K 3D 360 video.  A Kandao representative posted a sample from the Obsidian. Here is the Facebook post, including the link to the files: They also made a down-rezzed 4K version available for viewing on a Samsung Gear VR. What do you think of the sample?  Let me know in the comments!  Thank you very much to Agnius Narkevičius for bringing this to my attention!

Z Cam's Kinson Loo showed comparison videos between the Z Cam S1 and the Z Cam S1 Pro! The Z Cam S1 is a professional 360 camera with 6K resolution with amazing image quality.   I've posted several impressive examples . Z Cam followed up with the new S1 Pro, which has a similar body but instead uses larger Micro Four Thirds lenses paired with iZugar lenses.  It hasn't been launched officially yet, but I recently posted an S1 Pro sample here . To show the difference in image quality between the two cameras, Z Cam's Kinson Loo posted 360 videos from the two cameras at the same location, in similar lighting conditions. Here is the sample from the S1: Here is the sample from the S1 Pro: What do you think?  Let me know in the comments below!   The Z Cam S1 is $2,499 and the optional WonderStich software is $1,499 .  I don't know yet the S1 Pro's price or availability.

At NAB Show, Yi Technology launched the Halo, a 360 camera capable of shooting at 3D 360 video at 8K.  Check out the sample 360 video! Yi made several announcements at NAB Show 2017, but the two most significant were the announcement of the Yi 360 VR, a 5.7K 360 camera, and the Yi Halo, a Google Jump rig.  We've talked about the Yi 360 VR  and showed samples here .  In this post, we'll talk about the Yi Halo. Last year, at the 2016 Google IO conference, Google announced that Yi Technology was creating a version of the Google Jump rig.  Everyone in the industry assumed that Yi's Google Jump rig would be a lower-cost version of the first commercial Google Jump rig, the GoPro Odyssey.  Instead, the Yi Halo offers additional features for the same price as the Odyssey. Here are the key specifications, highlighting differences from the GoPro Odyssey: - video resolution: 8192 x 8192 @ 30fps or 5760 x 5760 @ 60 fps. - sixteen Yi 4K cameras plus one up-cam...

Here are unconfirmed details about the Z Cam V1 Pro, Z Cam's flagship 360 video camera with nine Micro Four Thirds sensors. This information reportedly comes indirectly from the company director, although I can't confirm it. Here are the the reported key specifications of the Z CAM V1 Pro - Cinematic VR Camera Number of Cameras  :   8+1 (coordinated AE & AWB) Lens Specs   :   Premium 190 degree MFT fish eye, f/2.8~11 Image Sensor & ISP   :   4/3” Sony CMOS image sensor Video Format   :   MOV Stitched Output Resolution  :   8K x 4K mono, 7K x 7K stereo ISO : 100~3200, extended to 6400/12800 Frame Rate Supported :  Mono 8K 30fps or 4K 60fps, Stereo 7K 30fps or 4K 60fps Output compression  :   H.264 and H.265 up to 100 Mbps Camera IO  :   Ethernet port (video streaming & control), USB (external audio) Audio/Microphone Specs : 4 X Built in microphone MEMS Storage  :  9 x SD card slots, up to 128...

NCTech's iSTAR is a 50-megapixel 360 camera designed for rapid 360 HDRs. Remember Google's announcement of 20 StreetView-compatible cameras?  This is one of them. NCTech's iSTAR is designed for rapid capture of 360-degree HDR photos.  Here are the key specifications: - four 10-megapixel lenses - effective resolution: 50 megapixels - field of view: 360 x 300 degrees - integrated compass, tilt sensor, and GPS - up to 27EV dynamic range - raw format (.nctri) - IP64 weather resistance - wireless live view and capture over Wi-Fi Here is a sample comparison between a normal exposure and the iSTAR's HDR exposure: top: HDR; bottom: normal exposure You can see more sample shots here . Shooting takes 5 seconds for one exposure, 10 seconds for a 5-shot HDR exposure, or 20 seconds for a 9-shot HDR exposure. The iSTAR costs £4,000 for the Fusion Lite which can take a 5-shot HDR exposure, and £5,500 for the Fusion which can take a 9-shot HDR exposure.   Here is the official page for ...

Insta360 Pro is almost here.  In addition to 8K 360 video and 6K 3D 360 video, Insta360 Pro can also live stream in 4K.  Insta360 posted a tutorial and demo of Insta360 Pro's live streaming feature. Here is the tutorial: You can see a sample 4K live stream from Insta360 Pro here: Insta360 Pro is available with free shipping from B&H Photo , or can be ordered directly from Insta360.com . It is currently scheduled to ship at the end of May.  Shipping dates are tentative, so if your project is time-sensitive, please check with B&H Photo or Insta360 before ordering.

The Guru Air 360, the first affordable gimbal for professional 360 cameras, and the Moza Wearable Kit, which is the first wearable kit for a 360 gimbal, are now available for preorder from GimbalGuru.com! GURU AIR 360 The Guru Air 360 is the big brother of the popular Guru 360, the first affordable gimbal for 360 cameras (reviewed here).  I saw the Guru Air 360 at NAB Show where GimbalGuru and Gudsen Moza representatives confirmed that it is capable of being used with cameras up to 1.5 kilos (3.3 lbs.), more than enough for professional 360 cameras such as the Z Cam S1 (1.43 lbs.) and small rigs such as the GoPro Omni (2.32 lbs.).  It can also carry the Insta360 Pro (although the Pro has built-in realtime image stabilization). In case you missed it, here's the Guru Air 360 from NAB Show 2017 (please hit the like button): The Guru Air 360 is available for preorder for $699 for delivery in June . WEARABLE KIT The wearable kit is a unique accessory that can be used with any of t...

Insta360 demonstrated a 4K live stream from the Insta360 Pro, one of the hottest new cameras for 360 video professionals.  Check out the live stream video! Insta360 Pro is a professional 360 camera that can capture up to 8K 360 video in 2D, 6K 360 video in 3D, or 4K video live streaming (in 2D or 3D).  It is also the only professional 360 camera with realtime image stabilization (see demo here) .  Whereas professional 360 cameras are generally priced in the 5-digit range, the Insta360 Pro is only $3,499, within the range of independent filmmakers and even prosumers. Now here is the live stream video from the Insta360 Pro in 4K 360, posted on YouTube. Insta360 had to reduce the bitrate to 6mbps due to the slow internet connection at their office.  However, the sample still looks impressively detailed.  The stitching also looks quite smooth, which is impressive considering that the stitching is template-based. Based on these samples, and previous samples I've view...

Panasonic AW-360 at NAB 2017. Photo credit: Svend Even Haerra At NAB Show 2017, Panasonic again showcased their 4k 360 live streaming camera, only this time, they confirmed that it would be entering production.  Panasonic is now the third major camera manufacturer (after Ricoh Pentax and Nikon) to enter the growing 360 camera industry. About five months ago at the International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition, Panasonic showed a prototype 360 camera with 4k live streaming .  At NAB Show 2017, Panasonic confirmed that they would be producing the 360 camera, called the 360 Live Camera (AW-360).  They also revealed more specifications. The AW-360 consists of a camera head (AW-360C10) and a base unit (AW-360B10).  Here are the key specifications: - four 1/2.3-inch sensors - four fisheye lenses with f/2.4 aperture - video resolution: 3840 x 1920 - frame rates: 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94 The AW-360 streaming has very low latency and is uncompressed for high image quality. Another...