I am currently taking 360 degree photos on German motorways. The battery built into my Insta 360 X3 is not sufficient for long journeys on motorways, so I power the camera via USB-C. Due to the high wind pressure, there is a risk that moisture will penetrate the camera via the plug. Therefore, I mount the camera so that the USB port is facing against the direction of travel.
The sideways orientation of the camera also has the advantage that it does not stand in the wind like a fly swatter. After an upload, the journeys in Mapillary initially look really good, but unfortunately after a few days the images in Mapillary jump around wildly. What am I doing wrong?
@osmplus_org - could you clarify what exactly you mean by “jump around wildly”? Are you referring to the fact that in one frame you’re seeing the road ahead, and in the next its the sky, and in the next its the view behind the vehicle? That seems to be what I’m seeing in the link you shared. Are you share the camera didn’t move here? Do you have the original images/video for this segment?
First of all, thank you for taking my question. I took all the pictures myself, they run in any 360 degree software, after choosing the desired viewing direction they are nice and straight, even shortly after uploading them to Mapillary everything is fine. The problems probably start when Mapillary converts the transition between two image positions into an almost fluid movement. After this conversion, in my case the playback loses its fixed orientation and the viewing direction jumps from front to back and also to the side. Is it possible that my lateral lens orientation, in which the stitching takes place in the direction of travel, is throwing the Mapillary renderer off track.
@manuelknott - do you think this an SFM issue? Any ideas what could be happening here?
Update: I’ve reconsidered and changed my way of working with the Insta 360x. I no longer charge the camera while driving using a USB-C cable, but instead alternately charge it with three batteries. Two batteries are located in a charging cradle in the vehicle. The camera is now waterproof again thanks to the sealed charging port, so I point the lens forward again, as recommended.
Reason:
Shots taken under sunny skies create harsh shadows, which isn’t so good. An overcast sky produces much better road lighting, and occasional raindrops dry off the lens relatively quickly. However, all camera apertures must remain closed. This makes shooting possible, or even preferable, even in less favorable weather.
The camera is aerodynamic enough without a charging cable connected, even when driving at high speed, to be positioned with its broad side facing the wind.
The forward-facing lens orientation (side stitching) causes fewer problems in later use; the entire workflow is clearly optimized for this lens orientation.
Do you not have problems with flying insects ?
It’s still winter here in Austria, and therefore there are few insects in the air. But this could actually be a serious argument for a sideways lens orientation in summer. Another argument in favor of the sideways orientation is that water droplets drain away more easily.
It’s spring in Austria now, and what can I say? I’m now having serious problems with insects on my lens. The forward-facing lens orientation minimized the problem of images bouncing around when shooting at high speeds, but now insects regularly stick to the lens. I’ll probably switch back to the side-facing lens orientation. Mapillary
@osmplus_org - this is a good point. I’ve updated our 360 camera mount guide to read: “The LCD screen of the camera should be facing the left or right side of the car (to minimize wind resistance, make it less likely for insects to obscure the lens, and improve image clarity for signage on the left and right sides of the street)”
Thank you!