It’s possible that you’ve caught some of the buzzes about the Instagram 360 Sphere. It is a camera that can be mounted on both the DJI Air 2S and its predecessor, the Air2, which are both very popular drones. Therefore, what precisely is it?
Your drone will be virtually undetectable because of the concealment provided by these two cameras, each of which has a field of vision that spans 180 degrees. This is accomplished by the use of an automated blending of the two parts, and once you observe it, you will be mystified by the enchantment that enables it to function properly.
In the event that you purchase this item, you will need to make some changes to the way you think about and organize your flights. When you use an Insta360 Sphere, things work quite differently than they do when you fly a drone. Drone pilots are trained to aim their cameras and drones. You very much just go in a straight line. You download their editor (available for Mac, PC, Android, and iOS devices), and because the camera captures everything in a 360-degree view, you use the editor to move the camera view after the fact, pointing up, down, side to side, straight ahead, or behind you, as well as all the options in between. The camera can record video at a maximum resolution of 5.7K at frame rates of 30, 25, and 24. Additionally, it is able to take still photographs with a resolution of 6,080 by 3,040 pixels and export those photographs as DNG files to a personal computer or a Mac.
How do you attach these cameras to your drone and fly it?
It’s far simpler than I would have expected it to be. To begin, you must ensure that the gadget is fully charged before inserting a microSD card into the camera’s frame. It utilizes a connection for USB-C for charging. When the battery is completely charged, you will see little green LEDs.
Because the camera frame can sometimes get in the way of the GPS satellites, the guys at Insta360 recommend that before you start getting ready to fly, you switch on the drone and the controller first. After that, you attach the component to your drone, and because it has cutouts in the right places, none of your sensors will be obscured. On my Air 2S, there is even a hole cut out specifically for the landing light to peek through. You can see how well it aligns with the other things.
Because of the odd but necessary design, the lower 180-degree camera extends beyond the landing legs of the drone. Because of this, it is recommended that you land the drone on a mat so that the lenses do not become scratched. Lenses + sand = considerable sadness.
You can see that the Insta360 Sphere sits rather unevenly, but it is able to take off and land without any problems. The landing pad is well crafted and foldable; it is included in the package. In addition to that, it provides lens coverings, which may be placed over the lenses when they are not in use to protect them from harm.
The camera mount is a single component that fastens everything together using a clasp. As was previously indicated, the flight continues as normal once the Sphere has been mounted. The clasp appears to be ready for service. It is not going to come off by itself.
Within the Clouds Alongside the Sphere
Even though the rig had an uneven stance when it was on the ground, I felt it flew rather nicely. I had winds that were 11 miles per hour with gusts up to 15 miles per hour, and I had a couple of bumps. My DJI Fly software revealed that I had lost contact with a few satellites in the process of mounting the Sphere onto the drone; however, I was able to regain contact with those satellites after I was airborne. I followed the instructions, and my flight across the Arizona mountains was in a direct path. After that, I retraced my steps and went back.
Although I wasn’t awake for more than 15 minutes, you should anticipate the additional weight to have some influence on the battery life—perhaps 25-30 percent. After the flight was finished, I disconnected the Sphere, switched off the switch that controlled the recording, and then I turned off the power to the cameras. It seems that the Sphere batteries will last for around forty minutes in total.
Editing
I could hardly wait to check out what I had shot, so I quickly inserted the memory card into the computer and copied over the video file. Because the firm offers a free piece of editing software known as Insta360 Studio for computers, Apple computers, and mobile devices, I decided to test it out on my Mac Studio with Apple Silicon.
The on-screen buttons are all labeled as you move your mouse cursor over them, and the editing process was quite user-friendly. After choosing a keyframe, you position the camera view by dragging it with your mouse to the position you like. There are various effects that may be activated with only one click, such as Tiny Planet or an effect similar to a snow globe. You are free to swivel the view in any direction, even in a horizontal circle that is an entire 360 degrees, or do an action that seems to be a barrel roll even if the drone does not actually flip over.
After choosing a keyframe, select an effect to apply. You are able to move the start point and the finish point, but you are unable to make cuts or dissolve. In order to create my demonstration movie, I pulled the MP4 video into Final Cut Pro and edited it there. Although it is possible to shoot in resolutions as high as 5.7K and 4K, the video that I submitted was just 1080p.
A still image can also be extracted from your video if you so like. You also have the ability to make a 360 movie, which will allow viewers of Facebook and other websites that playback videos to really control your Sphere video and gaze in any direction they choose.
What I Believe About the Instagram 360 Sphere
I think the product is good. It’s a lot of fun to fly, and it’s like buying a brand-new drone. I didn’t do a lot of complex motions since I didn’t want to ruin the loaner that Insta360 gave me, and even though editing is simple, I didn’t go too creative with it either, with the exception of a few effects that were straightforward but eye-catching. My results are as follows:
There are a few things that are not ideal. Because the drone has a view in every direction, it is impossible to block off the sun, and it may cause glare artifacts 180 degrees away from where it is positioned. I did end up with some shaky video thanks to the fact that the camera on the Sphere is not mounted on a gimbal as it is on a regular drone’s camera. When the winds are calm, it’s best to fly. The stitching between the top-facing camera and the bottom camera can be a little wonky at times, but on the grand scale of things, it is a really strange experience to fly a drone equipped with a 360-degree camera while simultaneously not being able to see the drone itself. You don’t, though, and everything continues to function without a hitch. People are going to be curious about where your drone went.
There are ways to smooth out the video, apply cuts or dissolves, and other effects if you finish the film with another editor such as FCP or Premiere. Additionally, the Insta360 Editor includes plugins for both Premiere and Final Cut Pro, indicating that the developers anticipate that you will be using a finishing editor.
Who Will Want Instagram’s 360-Degree Sphere?
To say the least, it’s really addicting. When it comes to editing, being able to make judgments on the ground rather than in the air may provide a sense of liberation. Real estate agents and journalists covering athletic events may benefit greatly from it, in my opinion. In addition, the regular camera on the drone will continue to function normally, allowing you to record video or still images even while the Sphere is in operation.
Since most of my work involves still photography, I probably wouldn’t use it all the time if I had one, but I really enjoyed using it as a change of pace every once in a while. I believe it has potential as a form of leisure activity, as evidenced by the fact that other individuals will adore the video capacity. Some professionals will also discover applications for it. At a price of $408, it appears to be fairly cheap for what it can accomplish, and in particular, if you are into video, it’s like purchasing a new drone. I really want one.
