Hi everyone I’ve been contributing as ‘daalso’ on Mapillary mainly from my bike but also occasionally as a car passenger or a pedestrian. I think for now the bicycle will be my primary way to capture imagery. I currently use my Google Pixel (first one) and the android version of the app to record imagery.
Has anyone here crafted a setup that allows capture from three different directions: one looking straight ahead and two looking to the sides (one at 0 degrees, 90 degrees and 270 degrees). I understand 360 cameras are also an option but I personally feel my images are more stable if they are mounted on my handlebars. The only 360 options I know of are hoisted from a pole which I can’t hold easily and might shake too much if contained within a backpack. Check out Brian Housel’s Broadway trip to get an idea what I mean. Broadway, New York NY.
Thanks for sharing that OSM diary. I was considering the 360 option but it sounds like there is more technical work involved to get started. Those prices for the cameras you shared seem reasonable though. Have you considered the GoPro route? I like those because they seem to handle road conditions well.
You can use a 360 camera mounted on a helmet. Make sure the camera has good tilt correction. De LG360 does a pretty good job but my Xiaomi Misphere does not.
I mount a 360 camera on a pole in my backpack. This does not shake too much at all. I have used a LG360 and now an Insta360 one. Considering the price the LG360 photos are not bad at all. Horizon is almost always level, which cannot be said for the Insta360 one. Stitching and resolution of the latter is a bit better though. But since you can find a brand new LG360 for €30-50 I would not hesitate to try it out. Post processing of the LG is easier too since the photos are stitched in real time in the camera.
ive only gone for 1 walk so far with the mi sphere in my backpack but i was surprised that none of them were blurry (as far as i can tell). although it might be a different story on a bike if its a bumpy road and youre moving faster
Instead of mounting my 360 camera on a backpack, I also mount the monopod (or in this case, an ultralong carbon Telesin selfie stick) in the middle of the frame:
The camera is 2m above the ground. Higher is possible but the pole would be sweeping to much and the camera could be damaged by tree branches, bridges etc. The stick is not visible in the footage because the Insta360 stitching software is making it invisible.
Another bike mount project. I found an old tripod and used one leg to mount my 360 camera on. Cut out a hole in the top section as well as the bottom section to thread a USB cable through. I’ve used one with a magnetic connector because the diameter is small enough to fit through the narrow tubes. Another advantage is that I can use several cameras: my Insta360 one has a micro USB slot and my GoPro Hero 8 a USB-C slot (the USB magnetic adapter comes in 3 variants: USB C, micro and IOS).
Wow - yeah I like the USB C magnetic tip idea !! I’m going to get one of those !
I just have the insta360 pole strapped on my rucksack permanently , then then I’m ready for hikes or bike treks, it then sits just above my right shoulder. I still get strange looks of course.
How ever I do raise the pole a bit more on treks for a better effect:
Cool photos on those cliffs!
I recently bought another cable with a rotatable connection so the usb cable is even more invisible, https://a.aliexpress.com/_msLXpAh
Thanks for the cliff comment
Yeah I made sure I got a right angled connection, I thought the moveable heads might weaken after too much shock vibration, but price wise I can see the attraction.
I really like your adaption of the tripod leg, The insta360 pole I’m using is starting to give me grief, occasionally on treks I’ve found it drop a segment or two - so I’m trying to find a decent pole with secure segments that become 360 nvisible, I purchased a sirui monopod with secure segments thinking I might be able to invert the smaller spike end but sadly it was not to be, and the 1/4 camera end and handle was just too large and so ended up with the unsightly ‘black boat’ in the 360 shots.
One year later, I’ve changed my old Insta360 One for the One X2. And got rid of the DIY pole because it was rattling around and not so easy to collapse while riding. This is a must, because I don’t want to ride the whole time around with the stick high above my head, draws too much attention.
Recently, Insta360 came out with an improved version of a selfie stick with integrated battery pack and USB cord: the power selfie stick. And also included a remote control, something I really missed. I have a bluetooth one, but it is very unreliable.
The pole itself looks well build, feels solid but despite the battery not heavy at all. I can extend it while riding. The Insta360 One X2 is attached with a USB-C cable, but unfortunately it is not flat nor has 90 degrees connectors which is rather ugly and could potentially make the stitching worse (so far, not noticable in the footage though). This setup is also not waterproof anymore.
The integrated remote control connects the camera via the USB-C cable. It is kind of working but that is all about it. It should toggle the camera modes too, but this does not function very well. It only toggles between video-photo-video time lapse mode, but no other settings. I’d rather see it also selecting the photo interval mode but this is not possible, which is a big bummer. And a bigger downside it is still buggy, the mode selection often does not even work at all. I hope this could be fixed in firmware updates sooner or later.
How long the battery will last I still have to find out, but my overall impression is positive, apart from the remote controller and the rather steep price.
Cool photos on those cliffs!