The Insta360 Pro 2 is the latest 360 camera to come from Insta360 and it could potentially be a game-changer for the 360 camera industry.
8K 3D 360 Video
Insta360’s Pro 2’s shooting capabilities look to surpass those of most, if not all, consumer 360 cameras. The Pro 2 uses six lenses to shoot 8K 360-degree 3D video and 12K photos. It does cost $5,000, but you can probably understand why.
Additionally, the Pro 2’s 3D mode captures video at up to 30 fps in 8K — or 120 fps in 4K. The camera can also shoot in a ‘monoscopic’ mode — a non-3D mode — to capture 8K video at up to 60 fps. The Pro 2 can also impressively live stream in 4K 3D and at the same time record in 8K. And its removable 5,100mAH battery can last for up to 50 minutes of recording.
FlowState Stabilization
FlowState stabilization was first introduced with the Insta360 One and it works fairly well. It could take a very bumpy video and turn it into something that looks like it was shot on a gimbal. The One, though, is a 360 camera that leans more on the consumer side. The Pro 2 is the first professional 360 camera to have the technology.
“Until now, VR creators have faced a grim choice: Make their audience sick with poorly stabilized footage, or use bulky stabilizing gear that would show up in scene and create a post-production headache.”
No stabilization gear is needed. The Pro 2 uses an “ultra-precise” gyroscope that tracks motion on nine axes. Insta360’s software then uses that data to stabilize the shot.
You can control the Pro 2 at a distance
A common problem with shooting 360 video is how to shoot a scene without capturing the cameraman in the shot. To fix this problem, the Pro 2 features a tech called ‘Farsight’. What that is is a 360-degree live monitoring system that offers a “high-definition, low-latency” video stream for long-distance previewing. This means that you can control the Pro 2 at a distance, meaning you won’t have to be in the shot to get the shot.
The camera has a transmitter and a receiver and can be controlled at a max distance of about 300 meters ground-to-ground (1 kilometer ground-to-air.) It transmits at 5.18Ghz and the Farsight uses “smart channel switching” to cut through the noise.
Design
The Pro 2 weighs a total of 3.42 pounds — that includes the battery and antennae. It’s so light that you can attach it to a drone and get some truly awesome aerial shots.
It also features four built-in mics to capture 360 audio and has a pair of USB and 3.5 mm audio inputs. There are six MicroSD card slots for each camera, allowing the Pro 2 to record at the maximum possible bitrate. There’s also room for a full-size SD card that captures stabilization data and low-res proxy files.
“No-Stitch” Editing
Every time you hit record on the Pro 2, it records an additional low-res proxy version of the scene alongside the full-quality version. So when you get into Adobe Premiere Pro, the proxy files will be automatically recognized and stitched instantly.
Pricing and Availability
The Insta360 Pro 2 is available for pre-order now for $4,999. It will be released this September.
You can learn more about the Insta360 Pro 2 at insta360.com.
