360 rumors

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...

Z Cam is the latest company to join Google's recently announced VR180 program .  Z Cam also showed their VR180 camera called 3D180. Z Cam Founder and Chairman Jason Zhang had this to say: "Z CAM is very well positioned in the VR180 camera market. Our solution's precise synchronization coupled with excellent calibration of the footage delivers amazing immersive experience to viewers. I am very excited that the VR180 era has finally come and we are very committed to entering this market." Z Cam CEO Kinson Loo added, "We are glad to be part of the program and expand our cooperation with Google. VR180 will open up a lot of interesting content opportunities and Z CAM's excellent image quality and ease of use will accelerate market growth. Seeing is believing!" No other details were available such as price or specifications.

At Vidcon 2017, Google announced VR180 videos and cameras, which are 180-degree 3D videos and cameras that can capture the world from your point of view. VR180 videos are 180-degree 3D videos, similar to 3D 360 videos but only showing a forward-facing view.  While that may seem like significantly smaller view than 3D 360 videos, heatmaps show that most viewers view videos only looking at the forward view. Here is a playlist of sample VR180 videos (to see them in 3D, you'll need to view them with a Google Cardboard or similar viewer): WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE FROM STANDARD 360 VIDEOS? VR180 appears to be a separate format from the standard equirectangular 360 videos.  If you watch the video above without cardboard, you cannot look around the video the way you can with a hemispherical 360 video (such as from Entapano ).  Instead, the perspective is fixed until you click on the cardboard icon, which enables gyro viewing.  I am supposing it uses a special tag in its 360 met...

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...

Here's a 3D 360 video of the Happiest Place on Earth, shot on the Vuze Camera, the first affordable fully spherical 4K 3D 360 camera ( first impressions here ). If you've never tried 3D 360 video before, you ought to.  It's far more immersive that 2D 360 video. However, before the Vuze was released, 3D 360 video required large and expensive rigs that cost $15,000 or more.  Vuze made it possible for consumers to capture 4K 3D 360 video with a camera that costs $799, and can stitch videos in one step. Here's the video: I want to underscore the importance of viewing this video in 3D.  Many people have viewed videos from the Vuze and thought that the image quality was nothing to write home about -- but they only viewed the videos in 2D on a smartphone, which as I said to one reader is like test driving a Ferrari on 25mph residential roads and concluding that it's not good because it has poor gas mileage and can't carry as many groceries as your Toyota. And if you ha...

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 ...

Here are sample 360 videos from Sonicam, a professional 3D 360 camera that has 360 spatial surround audio. Sonicam is a professional 3D 360 camera with 64 microphones to provide 360 surround audio.  It can record in 4K 360 video, with realtime stitching and live streaming.   I saw their booth at NAB Show and got to see the Sonicam, which was about the size of a grapefruit. You can now see  sample videos from Sonicam , including samples that demonstrate 360 audio. Sonicam is launching its crowdfunding program on Kickstarter tomorrow, where it is expected to be available for $2,000, which is half of its $4,000 MSRP.

PhotoGearNews' Lok Cheung takes a look at the Yi 360 VR and the Yi Halo. Lok Cheung is well known to photographers as the former colleague of Kai Wong at DigitalRev (before they both left).  At DigitalRev, Lok was the one who was most interested in 360 cameras.  Anyway, he's now at PhotoGearNews. In this video from NAB Show 2017, Lok covers the Yi 360 VR with 5.7K and the Yi Halo 2nd-generation 8K 3D 360 Google Jump rig: In case you missed it, I also have a video from NAB about the Yi 360 VR. Too bad I didn't run into Lok when I was at NAB.  Kai posted a comment on my old blog one time. It would have been nice to say hello.  Perhaps next time!

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!

Here is an update on Vuze, the first affordable 4K 3D 360 camera: - Vuze was featured on a major TV network news show, - there's a video tutorial showing how to shoot with the Vuze; - there's e new video showing the workflow; and - there are some new Vuze samples. Vuze is the first affordable 4K 3D 360 camera, and I've been waiting for it since February of last year. So far, I'm pleased with it, although it needs more careful shooting than 2D 360 video. Humaneyes is still very busy trying to fulfill all the preorders.  Meanwhile, here are some news on Vuze.  First, Vuze was featured on a major network -- on Kathy Ireland's Worldwide Business show on Fox TV.  Check out the feature: I thought the video was cool and it's always nice to see 360 photos and videos being mentioned in media to raise public awareness. Humaneyes also posted new tutorials to help users: one for shooting, and another for processing.  Here's the video about shooting tips (shot on the Vuz...

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...

With HypeVR's volumetric video capture, you can move inside a movie!  My friend Svend Even Hærra and I got to try it out at NAB Show 2017.  See the video! Hype VR consists of a 3D 360 camera rig comprised of RED cameras and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) unit for depth mapping.  It can record a scene in volumetric video, which means viewers can not only look around, but they can also move around (with 6 degrees of freedom). HypeVR was demonstrated to the press at CES (I missed the presentation, darn it).  I finally got to see it for myself together with my friend Svend Even Hærra from NRK (Norwegian Public Broadcasting Station) at NAB Show 2017. HypeVR showed two scenes: a countryside scene from Vietnam and a football practice session.  The countryside scene looked particularly immersive.  To me, both felt similar to a VR game.  In particular, I think the Hype VR videos felt similar to  the Lab 's Postcards demo and Destinations , both...

Sonicam is a 360 camera that can capture 4K video in 2D or 3D with realtime stitching, and it can also capture 3D spatial audio using 64 microphones (!).   I posted about it previously and I got to see it at NAB Show 2017. Here are Sonicam's specifications: - nine lenses - field of view: fully spherical - 64 microphones - video resolution: 4K @ 30fps, 2D or 3D - in-camera stitching - live streaming capability - audio output: AAC, ambisonic B format, quad binaural According to Sonicam staff, the retail price will be $4,000.  However, there will be a Kickstarter in May where it will be available for $2,000, with delivery scheduled in October.   You can sign up to be notified here .

TwoEyes VR is now live on Kickstarter .  The good news is that it's really $199 for the Super Early Bird ($219 to $239 for others).  The not-so-good news is that the shipping is $50.   Ouch.  Nonetheless, even with the $50 shipping, it is currently both the most affordable 3D 360 camera and for backers up to $219, the most affordable 4k 360 camera.  The next cheapest 4k 360 camera is the Samsung Gear 360 at $275 ( reviewed here ). The release date is planned for August 2017 .  The caveat is that it's a crowdfunding project which are usually delayed and moreover, it could fail completely and in the worst case scenario means that you might lose the money you paid. Some updates: - I asked TwoEyesTech about the flickering in their sample video and their Director of Business Operations said the flickering is from the artificial lights used in the room and not the optics or sensor of their camera. - TwoEyes uploaded some new photos, including photos that show ...

Mark your calendars: TwoEyesVR (hands-on here) will launch on Kickstarter on January 16 .  I'm still not sure about the exact price.  The reps said would be $399, but the Kickstarter draft preview still seems to show an early bird price of just $199 (???).  Even at $399, it would be the most affordable 3D 360 camera by a significant margin.  If it really is available at $199, it would not only be the cheapest 3D 360 camera but the lowest cost 4k-capable 360 camera.

IdealoEye presented three 360 cameras and two VR headsets at CES 2017. IDEALOEYE C2 The C2 is Idealoeye's entry-level 360 camera with two lenses, with a new design that looks strikingly different from any other 360 camera (in fact, I initially thought it was just a non-360 camera), and a mode dial on the side.  It can record fully spherical 360 video at 4096 x 2048 @ 30fps , slightly higher than most other consumer 360 cameras (which are usually 3840 x 1920).  The C2 can also livestream in 360 at 4k via RTMP, with 30mbps bitrate. One unusual feature is that it is equipped with a fan for dissipating heat .  I believe the unusual design actually functions as a radiator that further assists heat management.  Idealoeye claims that it can operate for 1.5 hours. The C2 also has two (?) 3.5mm stereo microphone input jacks.  Having even one mic input jack is a rare feature in consumer 360 cameras.  I don't know if it mixes the audio from two microphones or wh...

Detu, makers of the F4 camera and the  Sphere 800 hemispherical 360 camera , launched the Detu Twin at CES 2017.  They also hinted at two new 360 cameras. DETU TWIN Final versions of the Detu Twin were available to demo at CES.  The final version looks a little wider than the prototype version I posted about way back in May .   Here it is next to the Theta (any resemblance is coincidental, I'm sure). Here are the final specs: - two 200-degree lenses, fully spherical field of view. - two 4mp "low-illuminated" (BSI?) sensors - f/2 aperture - photo resolution: 8mp - video resolution: 3k @ 30fps (3040 x 1520) - live preview - 360 livestreaming up to 3k resolution - uses removable Micro SD card - 120mm x 46mm x 24mm, 82 grams. Photos are stitched "instantly."  I believe videos are as well, but I haven't confirmed this. Although I was able to use the camera to take photos and videos, I could not actually see the photos and videos themselves.  However, there ...