May Day is coming soon, have you chosen your travel destination?
Tony, I have discovered that the closer to this kind of holiday, the more nervous the company's equipment becomes. Drones, action cameras, and stabilizers are not delivered very quickly. Some people even start booking two months in advance. . .
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Who doesn't go out to play without checking into the circle of friends? . . In the simpler times, you could just post some scenery photos and get a lot of likes, but now, it’s really hard to do without something.
And now, there is another type of equipment being robbed in the company – panoramic cameras. Even on holidays, there are always people in the company borrowing them.
Although the panoramic camera itself is not a new product, if you have seen videos shot with it, you can appreciate the immersion and visual impact.
For example, this kind of short video is common in skiing videos. Although there is no photographer next to it, it can still capture wonderful pictures as steady as an old dog. . .
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Or, you may have seen those motorcycle riding videos, the kind that have no blind spots in all directions, are cool but not fast, and no one likes wearing a helmet.
So why do we need to use a panoramic camera?
Come on, let's all imagine this picture together: You are speeding on the snow at a speed of 40 mph. You feel that the surrounding scenery is so beautiful and your posture is so handsome.
If I didn’t take a photo of this, I would be so sorry for my seven-day annual leave!
But at this time, it is already very laborious for you to maintain your body posture. It is impossible to hold the phone steadily, let alone glance at the viewfinder in the phone.
I hate that no one appreciates my grace.
Regret, it would be great if there was a ski master and a photography master to follow and take pictures. . .
At this time, the panoramic camera is here to save you – “Since you don't care about how to take pictures, why not take pictures of all the pictures first, and then re-edit and select the framing after you are done? ”
As long as I don’t miss any pictures, I don’t have to worry about not taking the right shot or not taking the right shot ~
Bingo! The panoramic camera is such a magical thing. It can capture all the pictures within the 360° range of the lens, and then you can select the picture from any angle you like. . .
I have seen people around me use panoramic cameras to record themselves playing badminton, some people take panoramic cameras to go diving, and some people are also willing to put a panoramic camera as a driving recorder when they cycle to and from get off work. . .
After all, everything is recorded, so if anything happens, it can help you stay safe. . .
There are even some UP owners who use panoramic cameras to shoot daily vlogs.
Here, in the words of Station B UP owner @陈宝一, you only need a mobile phone with a panoramic camera. What you need to worry about is not the lack of material, you will only feel that there are too many materials. . .
If after seeing this, you can’t wait to own such a panoramic camera that adds fun to your life, then you definitely can’t avoid a name. . .
Yes, it’s the one mentioned earlier, the perennial leader in various panoramic camera lists, AKA Tony’s old friend——Shadow Stone Insta360 ~
Tony is the first to get Insta360’s new products every year, and this year is no exception. . .
No, the latest Insta360 X4 has arrived as promised, and I have already booked it with the company in advance for May Day this year. No one is faster than me haha~
Just look at the X4’s iconic fisheye lens, and you’ll know that its shooting capabilities are definitely extraordinary.
Although it looks a bit dull, it is this unique design that allows the panoramic camera to capture all images in 360 degrees without blind spots, allowing you to shoot first and then compose the picture, and even help you hide the selfie stick.
Moreover, this year’s X4 has an improvement that I particularly value, that is, it has increased the maximum resolution to 8K this year!
Higher resolution means higher video quality and more space for post-editing.
To be honest, the highest resolution of 5.7K of the previous generation is quite impressive. However, this 5.7K is allocated to the entire panoramic screen, so after a part of the screen is captured, it is not so high-definition when viewed alone.
But now at 8K resolution, the picture is sufficient.
If you don't use such a high resolution, the frame rates in other modes are also improved compared to the previous generation, which is also quite useful.
I guess the lens and image processing chip of this new model have been upgraded, which is why the image is so much better.
By the way, it’s been quite a while since we got this device. If anyone is curious about the cool pictures we took with this product, you can check out this video on the hardware department of Bilibili.
Click on the picture to view the video
Then another problem that users have the most trouble with, the editing of panoramic images, has also been greatly improved in this generation.
In the past, everyone thought it was difficult to edit a panoramic picture, because it is not a simple plane, but requires you to choose the picture you want through post-production composition, which requires everyone to improve their spatial imagination for editing.
Shadow Stone Insta360 is also very aware of this matter, so they have made a quick-cut function in the new version of Insta360 App that is particularly easy to use.
This function is specially optimized for mobile phone operation. Just for framing, there are three methods: swiping the screen, gravity sensor, or virtual joystick.
I especially recommend everyone to try the virtual joystick. It feels like playing Genshin Impact and is very easy to get started with. . .
Insta360 is launched!
As for battery life anxiety. . . Shadowstone Insta360 is equipped with a larger battery (2280mAh) this time, and the new AI chip also reduces power consumption. Combined, it can record more than two hours of 5.7K video. . .
In the past, many people said that the protruding lens is easy to wear, so this time they also made a removable lens protector, which is mainly used as a warning. . .
In other words, Shadow Stone Insta360 has improved several of the pain points that Tony thinks need improvement this time.
So if the experience of the previous Insta360 X3 panoramic action camera can be called “understanding panoramic video play”, then the Insta360 X4 released this time takes panoramic video play to the extreme.
Some laypeople have always been worried about whether panoramic cameras, which are such a niche product, will disappear as soon as they are developed, and what will happen to the after-sales service. . .
Then I think everyone is overthinking it. The previous generation Insta360 X3 sold 1 million units within one year of its launch. It is simply making a fortune in silence. . .
Not only that, I’ve seen people skating on skateboards, recording programs, and taking pictures of vehicles on the Internet. Anyway, as long as the pictures are so clear that even the photographer can’t find them from various angles, it’s basically because the panoramic camera is gone.
If you want a camera that is compact and can capture all images without blind spots, you really can’t find a better, fun and simple alternative than Insta360. . .
Because of this unique recording method, many people have replaced their devices for recording life with panoramic cameras. From cycling to camping, from Citywalk to traveling, shooting panoramic videos has become a way of life.
In fact, by now, some friends may have discovered that what many people really want is not just a camera, but a device that can capture the most trendy content and share it on social media as quickly as possible.
This kind of social fission actually brings new users to Insta360 continuously, and these new users bring it to more people like seeds. . .
Speaking of which, Insta360 is an interesting company.
I estimate that there are many people who know Insta360, but Tony bets that there are not many people who know that this company did not start with panoramic action cameras, but started with professional VR shooting equipment.
Pursuing cutting-edge and daring to innovate are actually the epitome of Insta360 as a company.
If you look at Insta360's past products, you will find that not only panoramic cameras, they always like to make unexpected products, such as the thumb camera Go 3.
Its biggest highlight is that the lens can be taken out and used separately. It is quite small and lightweight, and it also supports magnetic attraction.
There is also a modular action camera One R. Judging from its appearance, you can tell how attractive it is to straight men like me. It was once my dream machine. . .
This action camera is like building blocks to use, and the lens and other accessories can be replaced, such as a panoramic lens or a Leica one-inch lens, etc.
There is also the action camera Ace Pro launched some time ago. Although it looks similar to a traditional action camera, it has a flip screen. . .
And its image quality can be said to be the ceiling among action cameras, especially in extreme scenes such as nighttime image quality. Even the big brother GoPro is sweating after watching it. . .
These are also the Insta360's message to the outside world: my camera can not only be used in sports scenes, it can also be used for daily shooting and recording life.
Because panoramic cameras have developed so far, the most popular ones are of course exciting and beautiful sports videos, but the scenes that require panoramic cameras the most are actually everyone's ordinary lives.
Many people like to look through their childhood photo albums and feel the past rush into their hearts instantly.
Without these films as a carrier of memory, people may forget these things soon. . .
Of course, in order to preserve memories, these carriers are also constantly changing, from film to DV machines to digital cameras, and now to the familiar mobile phone photography.
The next most suitable carrier for recording and preserving memories may be a panoramic camera that records everything around you.
In the world of panoramic video, if you accidentally press the record button, you can record far more than a 4:3 ratio picture, but a complete space.
The recording of the panoramic camera is not limited by the viewfinder. You can capture the most exciting parts and show them to social media, or you can choose to keep this borderless panoramic memoir for yourself.
For example, when you are riding a bicycle, the sun above your head penetrates the leaves. You focus on the road, but the camera records it for you.
Or the embarrassing moment when you’re walking your dog and it won’t go away no matter how hard you pull it.
Even when you turn the steering wheel, you never notice the crazy jumping G value. . .
These were all taken casually, and we didn’t have to worry about anything after pressing the record button. However, this panoramic memoir may be the most unique video we have ever taken.
And VR is also constantly developing. Apple's Vision Pro can now watch panoramic videos, and people will not miss any corner of their memories. .
As mentioned in the video of Bilibili UP host @ Orange Red Iris, people’s eyes are focused on the center of the wedding scene, but when you rotate the panoramic video, you can see the mother wiping tears behind the camera.
Then maybe, loading already recorded panoramic images into VR will become the mainstream way for people to relive their memories in the future (I hope Yingshi will work hard after seeing this!). . .
By then, you will definitely be glad that you used a panoramic camera to hold the most exciting pictures in your hands.
source:
Google, Pintrest
Bilibili – @陈宝一, @ Orange红Iris
YouTube – @Insta360 , @Jordi Koalitic , @Hugh Hou
Sullivan – Global Intelligent Handheld Imaging Device Market Development White Paper