Chaos Corona Forum
General Category => Off-Topic => Topic started by: Daskydesign on 2019-01-06, 13:44:27
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I'm going to buy a 360 camera.
I am undecided between an Insta360 One X and a Theta V.
Would someone know give me advice on what to buy?
Thanks
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I have the Theta V and use a 3rd party app (360 HDR Bracket Tool) with iPhone. I also use a monopod equipped with a very small tripod foot / base to minimize the overall footprint in the images. I've also purchased a weather proof cover so that rain isn't an issue.
Overall, I'm satisfied, but there are some things that you should know.
The Theta V can connect to a smartphone either by a wi-fi connection that the camera broadcasts, or by bluetooth. I've had greater success with the bluetooth connection.
The camera takes two fisheye images and stitches them together. The stitching is done right after the two images are captured. Stitching takes a few seconds. Depending on how still the scene is and how many exposures you take, the stitching time between exposures can lead to blurry results due to environmental changes. There is a plugin for the camera itself that will prevent it from stitching the two halves together, but then you will have to stitch with 3rd party software later.
Also, with the time between exposures to stitch the images, it can be difficult to get shots in potentially dangerous areas; for example, the middle of a road. While it might be clear of traffic when you set up, you never know when a car will drive by.
The camera can struggle in low light conditiions, introducing noise into the image. Sometimes I don't mind a bit of noise, while other times I've gone and re-shot the images.
If you get the Theta V, update the firmware. By default, there was in issue with banding around the stitching.
The smartphone app is quite limited in terms of camera settings and automation, which is why I went to a third party app that is more VFX oriented.
Last point; you need to merge the exposurse to HDR with 3rd party software. Photoshop works well enough for me.
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Thank you so much for the help.
You convinced me :)
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I suggest you go for an Insta360 One X.
It's one of the best overall 360 cameras in the market at the moment. Highest video resolutions among similar price products, stunning image quality with smooth flow state stabilization. 5 GHz high-speed Wi-Fi transfer, iOS & Android compatibility. High-end features: TimeShift, Invisible Selfie Stick, Driftshots (airborne slow motion).
The only thing you should consider: this product is not waterproofing. But additional cases are easy to find.
More info: https://relievedbuying.com/360-degree-camera/
I hope this helps.
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We use the Insta 360 Pro for HDRIs. Its quick, okay resolution and allow you to quickly set different exposures(no automatic bracketing im afraid :( ) and stitches the result in camera. So all you have to do is merge the HDRI when you get back.