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Posted on 11/05/26 4:56:21 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4154 Reply  |
Yerevan city central square
Just returned from my adventures around the southern Caucasus. I shot this on my 360 degree camera. Sorry that the sound quality is not up to cinematic standard. It is a rough cut of the video that I shot on the Insta 360. http://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1190926010 _________________ Have you ever noticed that all the instruments designed to detect intelligent life are pointing away from the Earth? |
Posted on 12/05/26 12:16:16 PM |
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Frank
Eager Beaver Posts: 1870 Reply  |
Re: Yerevan city central square
Very nice Gordon, certainly different. Never heard of a 360 camera. Reminds me of what I see after a few tots of Captain Morgan. Nice work. |
Posted on 12/05/26 2:13:32 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 6193 Reply  |
Re: Yerevan city central square
I don't think I would put this very high on my 'useful' list but it is quite extraordinary! I've never seen anything quite like it before. Is it drone mounted? Please tell us more ..... a photo of it would be really interesting. _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 13/05/26 10:17:55 AM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4154 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
David There are a few 360 degree cameras available and they are all variations on the same theme. A few examples are the Insta 360 (my camera), GoPro Max 2 and DJI’s Osmo 360. 
The design consists of two hemispherical lenses set on opposite sides of the camera each covering an angle of view of fractionally more than 180 degrees to give an overlap of coverage. Each lens has its own imaging chip giving approximately a 36Mp image for a total of 72mp image. A single shot image can be selected giving a 180 degree field of view if you wish. The lenses are fixed and set at its hyperfocal focus distance. I don’t know what the working aperture is for the Insta 360 but you get what effectively amounts to an almost infinite depth of field so there is no need to focus. Image stabilisation is built in to the camera which is normally used with a selfie stick or tripod. Images can be shot as stills or video with up to 8k resolution. Stitching software is built in to the camera which combines the two images. The result is a single image covering 360 degrees both horizontally and vertically. The stitching software automatically erases the selfie stick from the final image because of the slight overlap in coverage and is amazingly accurate.You then end up with an image that looks like this which you can edit in Photoshop and, using the polar coordinates filter, you can tuen into a 'tiny planet" image. 
The camera comes with its own software for editing images so you can produce a video like the Yerevan city square fountain or a still image. There is no need to frame an image as fully 360 degrees is covered so any framing is done in post using the software. Videos such as the Yerevan use keyframes to move around the image. It all might sound complex but it is actually quite simple. If you don’t like the video image you created then you just delete a key frame or move it along the sequence. One thing that you can do with a full 360 degree still image is to save it as a .EXR file which you can then use for HDR lighting in a 3D programme such as Cinema 4D. This will give you accurate lighting for your 3D scene. As you said, this kind of camera is not usually for general day-to-day use but does give some amazing cinematographic effects. Its main use is as an Action Cam for skiers, hang gliders, motor sports etc. I have seen video where the camera was pushed out of the window of a light aircraft which gave some incredible footage. Just let your imagination run riot. BTW it's not drone mounted but. thinking about it, it might produce some interesting images ....? _________________ Whatever you do in life do it with the enthusiasm of a 4-year old in a Batman suit. |
Posted on 13/05/26 12:15:31 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 6193 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
Thanks Gordon. Extraordinary. The lens domes are amazingly shallow for a + 180° view. So all the movement is you moving the camera on the end of the stick which has been stabilised by the software. My mind is busy boggling .......... It's an extraordinary gadget but I don't think it will find its way onto my shopping list. Now I understand the clasped hands Gordon at the pivot point where the stick has been removed. Now this where I should probably go wash my mouth out with soap, but cannot resist pointing out that it leaves you in an embarrassingly suggestive pose!   _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 13/05/26 1:19:31 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4154 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
No, I wasn’t moving the camera to get the movement, I was holding the camera as steady as possible in the same position throughout the recording. A human tripod, no less. The stabilisation just reduces any wobbles from me. All the movement comes from distorting the video in the software. _________________ Why is it that all the contestants in the ‘Miss Universe’ contest are all from Earth? |
Posted on 13/05/26 1:24:48 PM |
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DavidMac
Director of Photoshop Posts: 6193 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
Even more remarkable! _________________ The subtlety and conviction of any Photoshop effect is invariably inversely proportional to the number of knobs on it ....... |
Posted on 13/05/26 9:37:41 PM |
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Frank
Eager Beaver Posts: 1870 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
Had another look and noticed that is you in the center - holding the camera stable- amazing. Wouldn't want to try it after a night of having a few. |
Posted on 14/05/26 01:12:09 AM |
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tooquilos
Wizard of Oz Posts: 2978 Reply  |
Re: Yerevan city central square
That's absolutely mind blowing, Gordon. _________________ Wicked Witch of the West: I'm melting! I'm melting! |
Posted on 14/05/26 12:36:37 PM |
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GKB
Magical Montagist Posts: 4154 Reply |
Re: Yerevan city central square
Thanks Frank and Anna _________________ Why is it that all the contestants in the ‘Miss Universe’ contest are all from Earth? |