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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

For the highest 360 video quality, professionals still use rigs, and for component cameras, full frame cameras offer unparalleled quality.  The Sumo360 is a 3D-printed rig designed to be used with four full frame Sony A7S II mirrorless cameras renowned for their low-light capabilities. Here is what the rig's base looks like: It is designed to be used with four Sony A7S II mirrorless cameras that are each paired with a Samyang 8mm fisheye lens.  The Samyang lenses must have their built-in lens hoods shaved off.  The video must be stitched in software such as Autopano Video (not included). The resulting video is up to 6k resolution. One of the limits is that there is no genlock to synchronize the video from the cameras.  Instead, Sumo's creators have relied on a clapper and audio syncing. Sumo is licensing the 3D printing file for the rig for $359.  You will need to use the file to print it at your own cost.  The total price, including the cameras and lenses,...