360 rumors

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 .

Check out this aerial 360 video by Jean-Marie Cannie that uses two 2017 Samsung Gear 360 cameras to make the drone invisible! Last week I posted about Jean-Marie Cannie's dual 360 camera mount for the DJI Mavic Pro , which puts the Mavic in between the two cameras, allowing it to be masked out. Here is a new video based on two 2017 Samsung Gear 360 cameras : I've ordered Jean-Marie's dual mount and will be testing it on my Mavic using two Xiaomi Mi Sphere cameras with image stabilization .  I'm hoping the stabilization will remain synchronized.... we'll see!  If it doesn't work, my backup plan is to get another 2016 Gear 360, which is now very affordable (available  from Amazon  or  B&H Photo ).

Here are a couple of stabilized aerial 360 videos from the Garmin Virb 360! The Garmin Virb 360 is the latest 360 camera to feature image stabilization that keeps the horizon level, just as if it was on a stabilized 3-axis gimbal. Here's one video: Here's another: The videos look impressive, and I'm very much looking forward to the Virb 360.  In the meantime, if you're interested in getting one, don't forget to check my post on 12 things you should know before ordering the Virb 360 . The Garmin Virb 360 is  available for preorder on Amazon  or  B&H Photo . Besides the Virb, there are a few other options for stabilization, as discussed in this post . OPTION 1 . Use a stabilized gimbal. The two most affordable gimbals for 360 cameras are: Guru 360 ($299):  https://goo.gl/vMCD8l Feiyu G360 ($349 or $359 with extension handle):  http://amzn.to/2rWF6Ia OPTION 2 : stabilized 360 camera. Insta360 Air ($129)  Type C   or  Micro USB  is a 360...

Drone vlogger AndyRC took the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 on his race drone and got some insane aerial videos! You have to see this! I'll just let the videos speak for themselves.  Don't forget to pick up your jaw from the floor. Here's the first video: Here's the second video \ Here's a third video: The first video uses the Xiaomi's stabilization while the second is unstabilized (I sent Andy an older version of the Xiaomi app).  I thought they're both amazing, although I thought the stabilized one was more eye popping. Here is a video by Andy RC on his thoughts on the Xiaomi and how he used it for his aerial videos: It's funny how Andy RC noted that Xiaomi's drone started out similar to the Xiaomi Mi Sphere - great hardware but buggy software that wasn't fully translated to English.  Over time however, Xiaomi put out firmware and app updates and by the end, it was a "near perfect drone." This innovative aerial video by Andy RC just sh...

As reported in Cinema5D , videographer Jean-Marie Cannie created 3D printed mounts to attach 360 cameras and other equipment to a DJI Mavic Pro, including a configuration with two Samsung Gear 360 cameras, one above and one below, that enable the Mavic to be stitched out of the shot. If you want to take aerial 360 videos without the drone in the shot, you can use the Kodak SP360 4K Aerial Kit for the 3DR Solo drone or a Gimbal Guard SP360 dual mount for the Mavic or Inspire .  Jean-Marie used the same concept to design mounts for the Samsung Gear 360 (or other cameras), which is more affordable than ever thanks to the low cost of the 2017 Samsung Gear 360, and the even lower cost of the 2016 Gear 360.   Here is a sample 360 video from two Samsung Gear 360 2017 cameras . You can buy the 3D printed parts from Monsieur Cannie's shapeways shop .  Notably, the bottom mount will not block the downward sensors of the Mavic, which are used to keep the Mavic stable. Coincidentally...

photo by Mark Marano You don't always need to use a drone to capture aerial 360 photos and videos.  Mark Marano uses the Spiderbeam, a pole that extends to 12 meters (40 feet) for aerial shots without a drone. Using a drone is not always possible or practical.  One alternative for aerial photos or videos is pole photography.   Spiderbeam is a durable fiberglass pole designed for professionals , available at lengths of 12 meters to 26 meters, and in the case of the 12 meter pole, it collapses to as short as 4 feet. Mark used a 12-meter Spiderbeam for aerial 360 photos like the one above, and for aerial time lapse videos like this one: To use the Spiderbeam with his 360 camera, Mark had to create his own attachment from parts available at hardware stores. photo by Mark Marano You can read more about how Mark used the Spiderbeam on his website here !  Please use caution when using a pole to avoid injury or damage.

Viooa has created two hemispherical 360 cameras for drones to make gimbals unnecessary. Drones with cameras typically use gimbals for stabilization.  Gimbals work well but controlling a gimbal while maneuvering the drone can be difficult and may require having to program a flight path, or assistance from a second operator. Viooa has two hemispherical 360 cameras for drones that make gimbals unnecessary by using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to stabilize the video.  The cameras feature a low-profile aerodynamic design. The Viooa (shown above) has one hemispherical 360 lens.  The Viooa Sense is similar to the Viooa and has a hemispherical camera as well but adds four cameras and a processor to identify obstacles, similar to Intel's Realsense camera. Here is a video of the Viooa cameras in action. The camera takes video at 4k resolution and takes 32mp still photos.  There's not a lot of info about the mounting options, but it appears that they are usable with many ...

The Aerial Pack with the Kodak SP360 4k for the 3DR Solo Drone is now available.  The Aerial Pack ( previously announced here ) allows you to capture fully spherical aerial 360-degree videos without the drone in the shot, eliminating the need to clone out the drone, which can be a tedious task for 360 videos. Here is a sample 360 video with the aerial pack. The Aerial Pack includes the  Kodak SP360 4k Dual Pro  pack, which has emerged as having  the best video quality for 360 cameras , short of a multicamera rig costing thousands of dollars (to say nothing about the need for expensive stitching software). The Aerial Pack includes not only the special dual-camera drone mount but also includes all the accessories that are included in the Dual Pro Pack, including a pair of SP360 4k cameras, the remote for syncing both SP360 4k cameras, and the special back-to-back mount. The Aerial Pack is made only for the 3DR Solo quadcopter drone, which was one of the first dro...

Attaching your own camera to a drone can be harder than it looks, but with Yuneec drones' modular design, it is fairly easy compared to other drones.  Here's how to do it! UPDATE: Added info re UCEC ballhead BACKGROUND My first two drones were DJI Phantoms (a Phantom 2 and a Phantom 3 Standard).  However, when it came time to upgrade, I decided to get the Yuneec Typhoon H, which I learned about from panoramic photographer Mark Banas of DPReview. The Typhoon H has several very useful features: - hexacopter is more quiet and can carry heavier load ; is more stable in wind - even if one propeller fails (e.g. bird strike), it can still fly/land - retractable landing gear - removable gimbal and camera - gimbal has unlimited 360 rotation (can keep rotating any number of times) - team mode capable (1 person flies, the other person controls the camera) - controller has integrated Android tablet - follow me (from behind) AND watch me (from front) - Point of interest AND orbit me (it w...