360 rumors

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.

Here is another low cost selfie stick that is slim enough to be invisible to 360 cameras, straight out of the box with no modification required. I've been recommending the Benro MK10 as a selfie stick because if you remove the ballhead, then it becomes invisible to 360 cameras.  The problem is that removing the ballhead takes a lot of effort because the ballhead is glued with loctite or something. Like the Benro MK10, I found  this cheap selfie stick called Monopod  that is slim enough to be invisible to a 360 camera, but you don't need to modify it. I tested it with the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere ( reviewed here ), which is itself a very slim 360 camera, so anything but the slimmest selfie stick will show up in the shot.  Here is how the nadir looks with the Monopod selfie stick: Note that there are selfie sticks that look similar but which are slightly thicker and will not be invisible to slim cameras such as the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere.  In the shot below, the ...

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...

I got an inexpensive third person view mount / harness from eBay  for GoPro, action cameras, and 360 cameras.  Here's a sample 360 video from this mount.  UPDATE: found on Amazon a nearly identical mount . Here's how the backpack mount looks: The harness has clamps that you can use to configure the two included pipes and elbow to choose an angle for the camera.  It uses a GoPro style adapter, so you may need a GoPro to 1/4-20 adapter. For this sample video I used the Xiaomi Mi Sphere yet again because it's lightweight and stabilized.  Here's the video: I would say the harness did its job and I like that you can position the camera in many ways.  The issue is that when walking, the camera will move side to side.  Fortunately, the Xiaomi Mi Sphere's stabilization keeps the horizon level.  Without stabilization, I imagine it would be difficult to watch.  The mount is much smoother for videos while riding a bike, or other wheeled vehicle as you ...

(image by Monoshot) This is a review of the Monoshot, a monopod with removable tripod legs.  This review is focused on its usage with a 360-degree camera. BACKGROUND Selfie sticks have been derided as an accessory for amateurs and narcissists.  However, for 360-degree cameras, they are an important tool.  Among other things, using a selfie stick or monopod allows you to avoid looking like you have giant thumbs or giant hands.  They also help you take the shot from a higher vantage point.  Selfie sticks that have tripod legs are even more useful, because they can take the shot while the 360 photographer moves out of the way. One issue with conventional selfie stick tripods is that they are not very stable.  This can result your camera swaying and getting the shot blurred, or worse, the camera falling. INTRODUCING THE MONOSHOT ​The Monoshot is a selfie stick / monopod with removable tripod legs.  It has several key fea...