Anybody of a certain age remembers the ViewMaster, a favorite childhood toy that read circular reels through a bright red stereoscopic viewfinder, rendering images from those reels in vivid, 3D detail. If nothing else, the color of Kandao’s new QooCam EGO viewfinder gives away that someone at that company has fond memories of the ViewMaster.
Shooting 360 video in low-light has never been easy, but larger sensors that are popping up in cameras like the Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition Camera are increasing possibilities for night shooting. Here are a few tips to make the most of whatever 360 camera you've got for low light.
Insta360’s cameras have been using the same 360 sensor setup for about three years, and now, it’s getting a serious update. Will the quality make up for the bulk?
It's really a shame that quite possibly the world's most advanced all-in-one 360 camera shares a name with the world's most popular social media platform. It makes the new Meta Three camera really hard to find online. But YouTuber and 360 content creator Hugh Hou was able to get a hands-on look at one in the flesh, and what a look it is.
The new accessory will allow users to shoot 360-degree footage in the air.
360 video has opened up tons of new creative opportunities for filmmakers even when they're not shooting in 360 mode. The apps included with new cameras such as Insta360's ONE X2 can reframe and cut video into compelling 2D footage, and new modes that incorporate AI are creating possibilities that were previously unheard of.
There's no doubt that images have the power to shape history. That's even more true for war photos such as photojournalist Nick Ut's "Napalm Girl" photo or Eddie Adams' "Saigon Execution" photo, two images that really helped shape American views of the Vietnam conflict. In 2022, it's modern-day 360 images that will have the power to truly show the devastation of Ukraine.
It figures that right after I write about how quiet 2022 is so far for 360 cameras that less than a week later, Ricoh decides to shatter that notion. The new Ricoh Theta X brings a few things to the table to shake things up in the consumer 360 camera market.
It's the start of 2022, and once again the world has retreated into pandemic bubbles. If ever there was a use-case for 360 images and videos, it's now, when it's safer to experience things virtually than in-person. That's where 360 cameras come in, and here's a pretty comprehensive list of the best horse for both photo and video courses.
Canon released a unique, incredibly niche lens aimed at VR content creators in the latter half of last year, the RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye 3D VR Lens. How does it stack up against the competition? Is there competition in this space?
Smartphone cameras and AI technology can produce beautiful results. Many of them can intelligently boost colors in an image, blur out a background to mimic larger optics, or even change how you look. The question is: how far is too far with smartphones and AI manipulation of images?
Canon's announcement of their newest RF lens has pricked up a lot of ears in curiosity. Is this new lens going to be brilliant, or is it too niche to succeed?
It looked like 2021 was going to be somewhat of a dry year for virtual reality content creators, and then out of nowhere, Canon drops the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye lens aimed squarely at creators of 180 VR content. It's now possible to more easily shoot this kind of content in 8K, but beyond that, what other new features does it bring to the table? Expert VR content creator Hugh Hou explains.
For any landscape photographer who prioritizes getting the money shot over serendipitously stumbling on a picturesque scene, using apps to predict the weather and to visualize an image is a foundational aspect of their workflow. While there are some incredibly useful apps out there, there isn't much that could beat being able to virtually travel to a location and time.
The year’s been pretty quiet for 360 cameras, which is why the launch of the Kandao Obsidian Pro, a 12K 360 camera made up of 8 APS-C sized sensors, is pretty much an extinction-level event this year as far as 360 cameras are concerned. The specs put it easily above other all-in-one 360 solutions, but how does it stack up in the real world?
Capturing the world in 360 has been a thing for years. While companies such as Ricoh and Insta360 have made the process far easier than the days of specialized tripod heads and sophisticated software, it’s still not an easily understood process or format. Vecnos aims to change that with its new IQUI 360 camera.
With a global pandemic precluding many from physically visiting places, you’d think that 360 cameras would move beyond niche status into the mainstream, as the immersive aspect can somewhat create an effect of being somewhere in-person. While that hasn’t really happened, maybe capturing those spaces in 12K 360 video will change that. At least that’s what Kandao is hoping for its new Obsidian Pro 360 camera.
Times have really changed for 360 shooters. When the cameras first came out, there was no ecosystem of products to make shooting easier. In 2021, that's definitely not the case, and YouTuber and 360 shooter Ben Claremont looks at some of the gear that will make life in 360 a little bit easier.
It’s ironic that despite a pandemic, where virtual presence is all the rage these days, 360 camera manufacturers haven’t stepped up their game to fill that need. 2020 was a quiet year for 360 cameras, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some interesting ones to choose from at the start of 2021.
Photojournalists usually pack a pretty standard kit in the field. A full frame camera is usually a must, along with the requisite 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses that can cover 90 percent of situations a photographer might encounter. For some of that other 10 percent, a really good idea might be to pack a 360 camera in the bag as well.
Insta360 brings its staple 360 camera into 2021, and it’s a joy to use.
There are a lot of cameras out there that are aimed at the burgeoning “vlogger” segment, from interchangeable lens cameras with flip-out screens, to converted action cameras. Kandao takes a different approach, repurposing some of its 360 technology to create the QooCam Fun.
Given that a photograph is already virtual, how do we get our minds around a virtual representation of an already virtual world? As this video explores, video games are changing our perception of reality, and photography is becoming more than just a means of creative expression.
The Insta360 Titan has to be the most aptly named 360 camera on the market in many senses of the word. Size, image quality, price tag — take your pick. The Titan delivers on its name in all of those ways, but is it worth it?
In the automotive world, there’s a saying that there’s no replacement for displacement — a bigger engine is a bigger engine, and that’s all there is to it. One can say that this is the approach that Kandao is taking with its new QooCam 8K: more resolution and larger sensor sizes that make for quite an appealing 360 camera on paper and, as it turns out, in real life too.
Have your travel plans to the Faroe Islands have been recently thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic? Don't worry, because Visit Faroe Islands has made it possible for you to take a virtual trip around their pristine islands.
If the new announcement from Vecnos, a new 360-imaging unit spun out from from Ricoh’s Theta division, is any indication, things could get very interesting for the portable 360 camera market.
While some 360 cameras such as the Insta360 One X and GoPro Max 360 have become household names in the budding immersive photo/video market, there are plenty out there to choose from, most though from brands you’ve never heard of. YouTuber Ben Claremont cuts through the noise and takes a look at what some of the best options are in early 2020.
VR180 is a relatively new format used for the interactive and immersive content. Unlike the traditional 360-degree capturing, it only allows you to capture a limited 180-degree field of view, and according to the Google, it will be the new trend for content creators.
There are a plethora of 360 cameras that can do a fine job creating immersive content for under $500. But when you need to move from “do a fine job” to “do a really awesome job,” there you’ll find the Insta360 Pro 2, waiting for you.
In the course of being a visual journalism educator, I’ve come to realize that while here at Fstoppers my colleagues and readers might be attuned to 360 cameras and imaging, by and large most of the viewing public is not, but perhaps it's time they should be.
Check out the Glenn Research Center’s new VR experience, and find out how they did it.
From today, you can pick up the latest and greatest all-in-one 360 camera on the market.
Do you need to put together a mood board or share some ideas with regards to the location you're looking for? Soon, it'll be possible to draw some lines and have it generated by AI. This video shows what's to come.
As consumer 360 cameras enter a second generation for many manufacturers, a lesser known name is joining the fray with a unique offering. Kandao’s QooCam bills itself as the “World’s First interchangeable 4K 360° & 3D Camera,” bringing some interesting tricks to the party. How does it measure up?
In what may become the next big thing in real estate and architectural photography, being able to zoom around a house has just gotten a little easier to do.
Their professional lineup comes with all sorts of new specs.
It’s one thing to read it in the news, but to take a somber drive through the devastation is surreal.
Insta360 seems to be determined to bring 360 video into the mainstream, with a range of easy-to-use cameras that span from low-res models meant to piggyback off your phone, to high-end professional models with six lenses. The new Insta360 One X takes many of the best bits from all of these devices and puts them into a standalone 360 camera that sits at the top end of their consumer lineup, just below the Pro models.
Insta360 have announced their latest and greatest. We got some hands-on time to see if it's worth the wait.
Most consumer and even some professional VR rigs use a WiFi connection to transmit video. However, that only gets you so far.
Have you ever thought about Facebook as a 3D experience? Engadget reports that at the mostly-annual F8 conference, which showcases what the social media giant has in store for the future, announcers introduced a new way users will be able to capture their images in 3D and also experience past images in a virtual reality setting.
Less than a month after Insta360 announced their last partnership, an extremely important deal will allow for virtual reality video in an easy and time-conscious workflow.
The difference between professional and casual VR video is usually in the details. If your stitching is cutting a person in half, then you’ll want custom controls.
Nikon released a trio of new cameras at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show, all under a new umbrella called “KeyMission.” While two of them were mostly GoPro clones, the third was arguably the most interesting, and not just for its strange name and looks: The KeyMission360. This camera was the most forward-looking product that Nikon has put out, more so than any potential mirrorless camera or DSLR that’s come out in the past few years. And then it let its 360 ambitions wither and die.
Insta360 aims to immerse consumers deeper into the world of virtual reality with two new cameras introduced this week at CES in Las Vegas. The company known for lightweight, portable 360-degree cameras introduced its eight-lens VR camera and the 6DOF Light Field Camera, a 128-camera array.
Intel revealed more details about its new 8th generation CPUs with AMD’s RX Vega M graphics, and if you’re a VR video producer, avid gamer, or just a lover of fast laptops (like all photographers), you’re going to want to wait for this tech to hit your favorite laptop.
Adobe has called the new additional Effects menu category "Immersive Video." They've made it easier to apply transitions and to add text or logos that look natural to the viewer. I'm a regular screen viewing type of person, and I can't imagine buying some head gear so I can walk around in a virtual space, but in an industry that moves as fast as the video and photography industry, I think we should know what the latest developments are and how the software we use enable us to edit great videos. Clients are going to start asking for 360-degree videos, and you will either be able to do it or not. This video shows what you'll be able to do in Premiere Pro when editing "Immersive Videos."
Garmin, the same manufacturer who probably made your first GPS unit that’s now collecting dust in the glove box of your car, also makes cameras. I didn't know this until I cruised the 360-degree video section of B&H Photo looking for something to replace my 2017 Samsung Gear 360 that I was not so happy with (note to Samsung: a stitch line that moves is a dealbreaker). There it was, sitting under a glass case, the Garmin VIRB 360.
360-degree video is a great way to tell immersive stories. Until recently though, the experience hasn’t been all that accessible. Just to view 360-degree content the way it was meant to look, you’d need an expensive headset like an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive and a fairly beefy computer to run it on like a high-end Alienware or something with a powerful graphics card. This meant that while VR content was being produced in droves, few people were experiencing it the way it was meant to be. That’s about to change. Oculus just announced a standalone VR headset called the Oculus Go.
