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Drone the eighth - I mount a 360° camera

30.9.2020

Translation: machine translated

It's been a while since the last update to my racing drone. Now it's time for the next round. It's getting interactive with a 360° camera.

GoPro, Xiaomi, Ricoh - they all produce 360° cameras. insta 360 is also involved in the 360° camera market. Most recently with a modular 360° camera in GoPro format. The Insta 360 One R can easily be converted from a camera with two lenses into an action camera with a large 1-inch sensor. Interesting concept in my opinion. Will I be able to take 360° aerial shots with it? I'll find out.

Drone the seventh - The drone flies, but crashes are part of it
Drone the sixth - Finally
Drone the fifth - I'm finally flying, just not with my drone
Drone the fourth - time to fly
Drone the third - Nothing to take off yet
Drone the second - An excursion into prototyping with a crash landing
Drone the First - Oh you burnt thing

More load - usual flying fun

I can now let the drone glide through the air quite elegantly. Will it still work with 205 grams of extra weight in the form of a camera? The 385 gram drone weighs about 50 per cent more

Action cameras

Insta360 One R Twin Edition

30p, 5.7K, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

Mounting the camera is easy. So simple, in fact, that the drone is ready to fly after just a few minutes. If only it had always been this easy. Shortly before take-off, I prepare myself for the flight behaviour to change completely. It doesn't. The drone can still be controlled as usual. Backwards and sideways rolls still work just as well. However, my feeling is that the drone loses height a little faster after a loop. However, if I start the manoeuvre high enough above the ground, this is not a problem. The only difference I notice is that the batteries run out noticeably faster. Logical with the additional weight that the motors have to carry.

Almost 600 grams and still as agile as ever

360° shots

The camera footage can be trimmed either directly on the smartphone or on the computer. As with practically every technical device, there is also an app for the Insta360 One R. This allows the viewing angle for 360° shots to be selected afterwards. Any conceivable position in the image can be selected and exported accordingly. Good for showing your loyal following on social media.

Editing on the computer is easier, better and more professional. There are plugins for Premiere and Final Cut to play the files with the file extension .insv. With the additional plugin "GoPro FX Reframe", you can decide on a specific section or set keyframes if you want to change the section during the video. Of course, you can also export a 360° video that will later be recognised as such on YouTube. By tilting the phone or dragging the mouse, the user can determine the section themselves.

For detailed instructions on editing 360° videos, I recommend the following article. It's a bit older, but still has its place.

Guide
How to make 360-degree videos with the GoPro Fusion
by Manuel Wenk

I am particularly impressed by the stabilisation. The camera always knows where the horizon is. Even if I make loops with the drone or there are other jerks during the flight - thanks to sensors, the camera always knows where it is in space and adjusts the image accordingly. This is where the effect in the video comes from, where the drone virtually moves around the camera. The camera appears to remain still in the air.

What is this good for?

Do we really need a 360° camera on the drone? Actually, no. The camera on the DJI Air-Unit already makes pretty good videos. However, it can be useful if you want to film or track a specific object. For example, the drone can fly along with an object - such as a car. The pilot does not have to worry about whether the car is in the picture and can concentrate on controlling the drone. Because the car is always in the picture. The correct section is then simply defined in post-production. All in all, a nice gimmick with potential.

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Manuel Wenk

Communications Manager

Manuel.Wenk@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be.

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