Step Into the Cavernous C-17 With the RAF’s Latest 360 Video

RAF Police

It’s been a while since VRFocus featured any 360-degree videos so here’s a new one that looked interesting. Created by the RAF Media Reserves for the RAF Police, it’s a chance to get up close to the RAF’s aircraft and assets for those who love aircraft or want to learn a bit more about the UK’s Royal Air Force.

RAF Police
Image credit: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2021

Recorded using Insta360’s Pro 2 and One R 360 cameras, the immersive experience takes viewers through several scenes starting with the cargo hold of a C-17. From there they can step into other areas only RAF personnel are allowed, like a hanger housing an A400M – with a dramatic viewpoint under the propellers.

As the video was created for the RAF Police, Flight Sergeant Neil ‘Josie’ Wales presents the entire experience, giving viewers a little bit of history alongside the various aspects of the job. These can range from routine criminal inquiries and large investigations to counterintelligence.

“We were acutely aware of the need for an initial ‘wow!’ factor, so we set our first scene in the cavernous empty hold of an RAF C-17 transport aircraft. As RAF reservists, we’d both experienced a sense of awe the first time we walked up the ramp into the belly of one of these beasts,” explains director Squadron Leader Tony Newton in a statement.

RAF Police
Image credit: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2021

“Our vision was to create an experience where the viewer is fully immersed in scenes that they wouldn’t normally have access to – standing directly underneath a landing C-130 Hercules or at the centre of a road traffic incident at night,” says Flight Lieutenant Paul Gale, the team’s director of photography and 360 expert.

In the two videos below you can watch the full 360-degree RAF Police experience and the behind-the-scenes footage. Or grab your Oculus Quest, Rift or Go headset to watch it in VR. For all the latest VR news, keep reading VRFocus.

How to Edit Insta360 Video in Adobe Premiere Pro

Here at VRFocus, our work takes us to gaming events all over the world and we are always keen to find new and simple ways to capture our surroundings wherever we go. We recently decided to experiment with capturing 3D footage and turned to Insta360, one of the most well-known companies manufacturing 360-degree cameras.

Insta360 Pro 2As the video editor here at VRFocus, I had no previous experience with any form of 360-degree editing and found the Insta360 process surprisingly easy, discovering that a basic 360 panorama can be created entirely through Adobe application Premiere Pro thanks to Insta360’s custom plugin. This article will outline how I achieved this using sample footage shot on Insta360 Pro 2 to experiment editing with.

What you will need:

  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Insta360 Stitcher App
  • Insta360 footage
  • YouTube access

Here are the steps.

  1. Head to insta360.com/download to download the latest version of Premiere Pro plugin. Enter the serial number provided to do so.
  1. Once downloaded, start the installation process and on the Installation Type section, make sure to keep the Premier Pro Plugin option box ticked and finish the installation.
  1. Now open Premiere Pro and create a new timeline. Head to Window and then Extensions below that, where you will find the newly imported stitching plugin, named Insta360Pro Importer. Click on this and the stitcher will open as a new window within Premiere Pro.
  1. Select Import and head to the location of the folder containing the unstitched files. Clicking on the folder itself will stitch together the individual videos into a completed 360 clip while they are being imported. You will then see the stitched clip in the project.
  1. Now you can edit the length of the stitched file like any other Premiere Pro clip. Then it’s time to render, by using the usual Premier Pro exporter. When doing so, go to Export Settings, then Video and then Basic Video Settings make sure to tick the one box stating the video is VR.
  1. Now upload the video to YouTube as usual, where you will be able to navigate around the 360-degree footage on both on desktop and within a VR headset.

 

CES 2020 Interview: Covering all Angles With the new Insta360 ONE R

During CES 2020, camera company Insta360 announced its new flagship action camera called the Insta360 ONE R. Modular in design with three lens variations as well as other additions, the camera aims to cover all aspects of prosumer requirements. Showcasing the camera at the expo, VRFocus sat down with Director of Communications Eli Mackinnon to find out more about this diminutive device. 

Insta360 One R

The Insta360 ONE R is all about flexibility, so users can swap and change its functionality depending upon requirements. There’s a core processing unit which houses the touch screen display as well as SD card slot. You can then attach the Dual-Lens 360 Mod to capture 360 pictures and video, the single-lens 4K Wide Angle Mod for general recording, or the 1-inch Wide Angle Mod which was co-engineered with Leica for the best quality footage.

Whichever mod you choose to attach to the core these all sit on the standard battery base for an hours worth of footage, or upgrade to the Boosted Battery Base to double that time.

Just like the company’s other models, the Insta360 ONE R comes with the latest FlowState stabilization algorithm providing super smooth, judder-free recording for all those fans of extreme sports. Other nifty features include Bullet Time, AI-powered subject tracking, cinematic slow-mo, stabilized hyperlapse and much more. It also has IPX8 waterproofing to depths of 5 meters (16.4 feet) – plus a Dive Case is available achieving up to 60 meters (197 feet).

Insta360 One R

During the interview, Mackinnon details the idea behind the new camera and how the collaboration with Leica came about. He demonstrates how the modular functionality works and the ease at which users can attach and detach the various components.

The Insta360 ONE R is available in a range of combinations from the company’s website:

  • Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition – Dual-Lens 360 Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod – $479.99 USD
  • Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition – 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica – $549.99
  • Insta360 ONE R 4K Edition – 4K Wide Angle Mod – $299.99

Check out the full interview with Mackinnon below and for further updates from Insta360 keep reading VRFocus. Or for more CES 2020 coverage why not take a look at VRFocus‘ interview with HaptX, our chat with Teslasuit about its new glove or with Spatial regarding its AR collaboration tool.

Leica and Insta360 Reveal Modular Action Camera Insta360 ONE R

Camera companies the world over have often partnered with renown manufacturer Leica when creating a premium product, as that little red circular logo is seen as a badge of quality. Now it’s the turn of Insta360, with both companies announcing a collaborative effort on a new action camera, the Insta360 ONE R.

Insta360 One R

Designed around a modular body, the Insta360 ONE R offers three interchangeable lens mods; a Dual-Lens 360 Mod, a 4K Wide-Angle Mod and the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica. Sat on the standard Battery Base – which can be upgraded to the Boosted Battery Base for extended shooting – is the core processor unit which also comprises the touchscreen. You can then attach one of the mods depending upon requirements.

The Dual-Lens 360 Mod supports 5.7K capture and features Color Plus, HDR video and Night Shot for colour accuracy and low-light performance. Achieving 4K@60fps, the 4K Wide-Angle Mod supports up to 8x slow-mo and you can flip the touchscreen from back to front to easily film yourself. Taking top place in the Leica 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod which offers creators a 5.3K 1-inch sensor to capture 5.3K video and 19MP photos.

“With Insta360, we have found the right partner to bring the decades of Leica optical and digital imaging expertise into a new product segment. We think that Insta360 has an extremely high level of know-how in the software sector – especially in the field of 360-degree acquisition technologies. The aim of our cooperation is to develop innovative technologies under the highest image and quality standards, trying to push the limits of what is technically possible”, says Matthias Harsch, CEO of Leica Camera AG in a statement.

Insta360 One R

“For more than a century, Leica has never stopped pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with a camera, and it’s never lost sight of a guiding ethos of craftsmanship and quality that inspires photographers to push their own work further. They are the ideal partners to join us in perfecting a new generation of cameras that serve users at every step of the creative process — from capture to editing to sharing,” adds JK Liu, Insta360 founder.

Other features of the system include an upgraded version of Insta360’s FlowState stabilization algorithm, two onboard mics, voice control and IPX8 waterproofing to depths of 5 meters (16.4 feet) – a Dive Case will also be available achieving up to 60 meters (197 feet).

The Insta360 ONE R will be available in a range of combinations:

  • Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition – Dual-Lens 360 Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod – $479.99 USD
  • Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition – 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica – $549.99
  • Insta360 ONE R 4K Edition – 4K Wide Angle Mod – $299.99

For further updates from Insta360, keep reading VRFocus.

Filmmaker Phillip Bloom Puts Insta360 Pro 2 to the Test in London

Chinese camera manufacturer Insta360 has devices to cover almost every eventuality and budget, from compact handheld consumer cameras like the diminutive Insta360 One all the way up to the colossal £15k GBP Insta360 Titan which can shoot at 11k resolution. For those filmmakers who don’t want the excess of the latter and need more than the former, there’s the Insta360 Pro 2, which professional videographer Phillip Bloom took around London, UK, offering some hand tips for budding 360-degree users.

Insta360 Pro 2

Insta360 Pro 2 arrived in 2018 offering 8k resolution from its six F2.4 fisheye lenses, capable of shooting 8K 3D at 30fps, 8K monoscopic at 60fps, 6K at 60fps or 4K 3D at 120fps. Other features include a live monitoring system allowing for low-latency remote monitoring, ideal for when you need to record a scene without actually being in it – rather tricky when shooting 360 videos.

It’s these techniques and problems Bloom addresses in his video, noting how 360 content needs to be recorded in high resolutions like 8k so that it looks good in virtual reality (VR) headsets after processing. It’s not just about 360 either, he records a 180-degree sequence whilst walking across Millenium Bridge.

On the topic of not appearing in your own video Bloom has several suggestions. There is Insta360’s Farsight remote viewing system which works up to 300m away but as he notes, in the middle of a city leaving such expensive hardware on its own may not be safe. On a bridge this can be tricky, so as long as there’s a crowd simply blend in.

Insta360 Pro 2

VRFocus’ video producer Oliver Townsend had a chance to play with the Insta360 Pro 2 recently, finding that: “The Insta360 was very simple to set up and featured helpful guides to assist the whole process. The stitching software was easy to locate and download. As someone with no previous experience in filming in 360 or stitching video or images together, it was overall very easy to work with.”

Check out the full London Showcase video below – or some of Insta360’s other YouTube videos – and for further updates from Insta360 on its latest camera developments keep reading VRFocus.

Amazon Prime Day to Offer big Savings on Insta360 Cameras

The last couple of years have seen Amazon rollout some decent savings when it comes to virtual reality (VR) technology. While VRFocus hasn’t heard of any this year (at the moment), but for those interested in buying a 360-degree camera Insta360 has confirmed several of its devices will be on sale.

Insta360 EVO header

Insta360 has built a portfolio of consumer and professional 360 cameras covering most users needs, and five will be on sale for the Amazon Prime Day event.

It’s most recent consumer camera, the Insta360 EVO will receive a rather decent 20 percent discount, dropping the cost from £419.99 GBP down to £335.99 (a saving of £84). The EVO is a dual function camera offering 360-degree video/picture recording and 180-degree stereoscopic video and pictures. Thanks to the new Insta360 VR app, you can directly view content on Oculus Go, HTC Vive Focus and Samsung Gear VR headsets.

Or for those outdoor types that want to record plenty of action sequences, there are the Insta360 One and Insta360 One X cameras. Both have the company’s FlowState Stabilization solution built-in, achieving smooth results whatever the activity may be. The Insta360 One which retails for £249.89 will be reduced to £201.00 (roughly 20 percent discount), while the  Insta360 One X will be sold for £349.00 instead of £409.95 (15 percent off), while the Insta360 One X with 32GB Micro SD card will retail for £359.00 (saving 15 percent off the normal £421.95 price.

Insta360 One X

Then at the pro-end of the spectrum is the Insta360 Pro 2. Designed with high-quality capture in mind, the camera boasts six F2.8 fisheye lenses which can record at 8K resolution. The model on offer via Amazon is the Insta360 Pro 2 Memory Card bundle which includes a 64GB MicroSD card and a 64GB SD card for £5,223.00. On prime day there’s a 10 percent saving, dropping the price to £4709.

If that price is a little bit too high, then the iPhone compatible Insta360 Nano S will be in the sale, priced at £164 rather than £169.

Insta360 Amazon Prime Day Deals:

  • Insta360 One X – £349.00 – Link
  • Insta360 One X (with 32GB Micro SD card) – £359.00 – Link
  • Insta360 EVO – £335.99 – Link
  • Insta360 Pro 2 – £4709 – Link
  • Insta360 One – £201 – Link
  • Insta360 Nano S – £164 – Link

Amazon Prime Day is, in fact, two days, running from Monday, 15th through to Tuesday 16th July 2019. If there are any other VR related mentioned, VRFocus will let you know.

E3 2019 Interview: Insta360 Covers Every Eventuality

It may seem like the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2019 was all about videogames and for the most part, you’d be right, but occasionally some hardware does sneak in. VRFocus isn’t talking about Microsoft’s Project Scarlett, that receives masses or coverage thanks to the press conference – VRFocus won’t go into the fact no VR was mentioned – it’s the small stuff on the show floor. One company showcasing its wares was Insta360, a manufacturer of 360-degree cameras. So with (normal) camera in hand VRFocus learnt some more about Insta360’s 2019 lineup.

Insta360 TITAN

Insta360 has quite the catalogue of 360-degree cameras in its portfolio, from entry-level consumer products all the way up to high-end pro devices. Originally founded in China in 2014, it’s first pro-level camera was the Insta360 4K in 2016, while for the general public the Insta360 Nano clipped onto iPhones.

Since then Insta360 has come a long way, showcasing at E3 2019 cameras like the Insta360 EVO, Insta360 Pro 2 and the Insta360 Titan. The EVO is a higher end consumer device which is ideal for those who’ve tried a cheap 360-camera and want something more. It’s part of a new breed of dual-purpose cameras which can either shoot in 360 or in stereoscopic 180. It’s also able to send footage directly to Oculus Go.

The Insta360 Pro 2 and Titan are very different beasts in comparison to the EVO. The Pro 2 is the first step into crystal clear 360 video recording, offering six F2.8 fisheye lenses which can record at 8K resolution. Yours for the low price of £4,999 GBP. Or for those with deep enough pockets and a desire to record in eye-watering 11K resolution then the Insta360 Titan is your next choice. Featuring eight 200° F3.2 fisheye lenses using Micro Four Thirds sensors, the camera has all sorts of technical wizardry inside its shell. And it should to for £14,999.

Insta360 EVO header

Those aren’t all the devices Insta360 has on offer which Insta360’s Caroline Zhang goes into great detail, including a rather unusual dog camera? Check out the full interview for further details on Insta360 cameras.

Or take a look at VRFocus’ other interviews from E3 2019 with Oculus’ Jason Rubin, Vertigo Games, Gearbox Software, Ready at Dawn and Digital Lode. For further Insta360 updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Insta360 Begins Shipping its 11K, $15,000 Titan 360 Camera

The annual CES event in Las Vegas is a perfect time for technology manufacturers to showcase their latest products. For 2019’s show Insta360 opened up pre-orders for its professional 360-degree camera, the Insta360 Titan. Today, the company has officially launched the device, shipping to customers worldwide. 

Insta360 TITAN

With a premium feature set and a sizable $15,000 USD price tag, the Insta360 Titan is well and truly aimed at the high-end market. The unibody camera with eight 200° F3.2 fisheye lenses has Micro Four Thirds sensors under the hood, capable of recording in 11K claims the company. Shooting modes include 11K at 30 FPS, 10K 3D at 30 FPS, as well as 11K 360 photos in 3D and monoscopic formats.

Some of the other clever tech inside the Insta360 Titan includes FlowState Stabilization, which enables gimbal-like stabilization without any additional gear or post-production headaches for creators. Another issue for directors is not being seen – a little tricky when the camera is recording in 360. So Insta360 has created its Farsight live monitoring system to help with just that problem, giving creators a long-range, low-latency preview to direct scenes, unseen. 

“We’ve worked together with VR creators to build the hardware platforms they need — from the cinematic quality of Titan to the versatility of the Insta360 Pro series,” said JK Liu, Insta360 Co-Founder and CEO in a statement. “Our roadmap this year doesn’t include any new professional cameras. Our full focus is on bringing users of Titan and Pro series cameras an even greater edge, through continued updates and integrations with key ecosystem partners.”

Insta360 TITAN

There’s also the slight issue of viewing 11K resolution content as sites like YouTube tend to only go up to 8K currently. To get around this, Insta360 built its proprietary CrystalView player which lets you play back your Titan footage at full 11K quality on iOS and Android devices. To do this on mobile devices the company has taken a leaf out of the foveated rendering handbook, rendering only the part of a scene that a viewer is watching – ignoring what’s behind their head.

If you want to start recording super high-resolution 360-degree content then either head to Insta360.com or B&H Photo to start spending some serious money. Or for something a little more consumer friendly, how about the Insta360 Evo which launched in March for $419.99. For further Insta360 updates, keep reading VRFocus.

Insta360 EVO is a Foldable 360 & 180 Camera Compatible With Oculus Go

It seems that folding tech is making a comeback in a big way thanks to smartphones like the Samsung Fold. But folding phones are nothing new when you look at the old clamshell designs of the 90s and early 00s. A folding camera, on the other hand, is something a little more unique, especially when it allows you to shoot 360-degree and 180-degree photos and videos. Enter the Insta360 EVO.

Insta360 EVO groupshot

Insta360 is already well known for 360 consumer cameras like the Air, Nano and ONE X. The Insta360 EVO is a little different thanks to its two shooting modes, either giving you complete 360 coverage or switching to stereoscopic 180 for improved depth and realism.

The camera can either capture 5.7K 180 3D video and 18 MP 180 3D photos or 5.7K 360 video and 18 MP 360 photos, with a shutter and mode button found directly on the camera. There’s also an Android and iOS compatible app which gives you full control of the devices features as well as previewing the image. Additionally, there will also be Insta360 VR, a new app for Oculus Go, HTC Vive Focus and Samsung Gear VR which allows you to connect Insta360 EVO to a headset for wireless playback.

Whether recording 360 or 180 videos, for the best footage you need a steady hand which is why Insta360 EVO features  FlowState Stabilization to ensure smooth recordings no matter the situation. Another handy little feature is the TimeShift mode, allowing users to add time-lapse to their footage for extra impact.

Insta360 EVO family

And just to add to all the weird and wonderful features Insta360 has crammed in, the company has also created the Insta360 HoloFrame. Essentially a phone case, this gadget allows naked-eye playback of 3D content straight from a smartphone – so no glasses are needed.

Insta360 EVO is available now from select retailers such as B&H Photo Video, as well as Insta360.com for $419.99 USD. While the HoloFrame is priced at $29.99 USD and available today for iPhone models X, XS, XS Max and XR, with additional versions for Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, S9, S9+ and Note 8 models coming soon. VRFocus will continue its coverage of Insta360 and its latest cameras, reporting back with any further updates.

Matterport Enters Virtual Tour Production Partnership With Insta360

Virtual reality (VR) isn’t just about transporting you to fantastical, otherworldly locations dreamed up by creators, it just as easily has the power to take you wherever you want in the world. It was this ability that Matterport seized upon to create its VR tours for applications such as property. Today, Matterport has announced a new partnership with camera company Insta360 to make virtual tour creation even easier.

Insta360 One X

Using the new Insta360 ONE X camera – which was announced later last year – tour creators can capture property and then use Matterport’s AI-powered software to create an interactive 3D floor plan and walkthrough, complete with depth and square footage data.

“Today marks a huge step forward for 360 capture in real estate,” said Michael Shabun, Insta360’s Director of Marketing, North America in a statement. “Virtual tours used to be expensive, time-consuming and complex. Using the ONE X, anyone can create one with a few taps.”

A lot of Insta360’s cameras have been focused on the consumer market, apart from its very high-end professional device, the Insta360 Titan. The company is now trying to expand its focus to include more enterprise use cases such as Matterport’s. Additionally, Insta360 also announced upcoming integrations with a range of other popular virtual tour platforms, including iStaging, immoviewer, Cupix, VPiX and Kuula.

Insta360 ONE X Frontview

Insta360’s integration with Matterport is currently going through a beta phase, with a public release planned for March. If you already own an Insta360 ONE X you can request access to the beta today at matterport.com/register. In addition to the public launch, in March Matterport will introduce a new $9.99 USD-per-month subscription tier for their virtual tour software, designed to introduce ONE X users new to the platform.

The Insta360 ONE X is available for purchase priced at $399.95. The 5.7K resolution camera records in 30 FPS along with 50 FPS in 4K and 100 FPS for 3K video, has built-in stabilisation features and a slow-mo mode for those dramatic action sequences. The device also features an 18MP photo mode to capture images.

As Insta360 and Matterport continue their collaboration to make virtual tours easier and quicker to make, VRFocus will keep you updated on their progress.