Insta360, known for creating innovative action cameras, released the Insta360 Sphere this morning. Compatible with DJI’s Mavic Air 2 and Air 2S drones, it allows users to instantly create 360º aerial footage without having to fly an FPV (first-person-view) quadcopter or spend hours in post-production creating special effects and editing out parts of the drone while it was filming.
Insta360’s suite of cameras, along with their software, allow the user to set up the camera, place it where it needs to be, and compose the footage after its recorded. Now these capabilities are available for drones. Insta360 created a proprietary stitching algorithm to ensure that common obstacles, including the drone’s propellers, aren’t visible. While a drone’s traditional camera is limited to one direction, Insta360 allows users to create a varied array of effects, from a multitude of angles, using the AI-powered Insta360 app or Studio desktop.
Effects such as barrel rolls and turns were traditionally only possible with advanced FPV flight skills. The Insta360 Sphere automates the process of creating these effects on an Air 2S or Mavic Air 2. Users can take the same footage sequences recorded on the drone and apply different effects, such as Dolly Zoom, to it as well. Insta360’s FlowState Stabilization technology gives users smooth, cinematic footage.
The Insta360 Sphere attaches to the side of the drone, giving you cameras on both the top and bottom, for seamless 360º aerial footage.
The camera has a fixed F2.0 aperture, and a lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length. Up to 5K/30p video can be captured at 100 Mbps. Standard, Vivid, and LOG profiles are supported. It attaches on the side of either compatible drone with a secure locking mechanism. It is 110x125x63 mm in size, weighs 192g including the battery, and operates up to 48 minutes on a single charge. It does not disrupt the drone’s GPS signal or interfere with the connection to the remote control.
The Insta360 Sphere is available, starting today, in the United States and Mainland China. It retails for $429.99 USD. We will update the link when it is available in the retailer’s store.