Beyond the realm of professionals like virtual tour makers, some businesses are more demanding and need extreme 360° cameras. Those are much more immersive, but they are also more challenging to take and very expensive. If you are just starting in the 360° business, you don’t want to invest in an extreme 360° camera, but we got you covered with our in-depth analysis: The best 360° cameras on the market right now – (2022)
Insta360 Titan
Price: $15,278 | Weight: 5.5kg | Dimensions: Φ228mm | Waterproof: No | Still Image Resolution: 10560 x 5280 (11K 2D) & 10560 x 10560 (11K 3D) | Video resolution: 10560 x 5280 @30fps (11K 2D) & 9600 x 9600 @30fps (10K 3D) | Memory: 9 SD Cards| Mounting: Tripod Socket | Battery life: 10000mA
After an Insta360 Pro 2 capable of filming in 8K/3D over 360°, the Chinese firm continues its momentum with a new model called “Titan”. This jewel of technology embeds a total of 8 cameras, equipped with 4/3″ sensors associated with fixed focal length fisheye f/ 3.2 covering a field of 200°. This is a first: never such sensors have been integrated into a 360° camera.
Made of aluminum alloy, the Insta360 Titan is about 23 cm in diameter, weighs 5.5 kg, and includes 9 slots for SD cards. Sold for more than $15,000, it is currently the most expensive 360° camera on the market. With such specifications and considering its price, it is clear that the Titan is exclusively intended for high-end video productions.
In terms of resolution, it records up to 11K in 360° video mode and 10K in 3D video mode at 30 frames per second. It also records 8K, 2D, and 3D video with 10-bit high dynamic range, as well as 5.2K slow motion at 120 frames per second. For photos, it shoots 56-megapixel (11K) 10-bit high dynamic range HDR 360 RAW photos.
The size of the sensors and their number make the camera operate remarkably well in low-light situations. The result in low light is in fact undisputed on the market, and it is a camera of choice for companies that need to operate in variable light (concert halls or theaters for example).
The Titan is also a 3D or stereoscopic 360 camera. With its eight lenses, it is able to capture the depth and transcribe in 3D via a virtual reality headset (e.g. oculus quest 2). The effect is very impressive and a good premise of what will be possible in 3D/VR. Indeed, if the camera is currently out of the price for the general public, we can reasonably hope to have access to this kind of equipment at a lower cost relatively soon. The quality of the rendering is therefore very promising for the future of virtual reality.
In practice, also note that because the lenses are relatively far from each other, the subject of the shot must be at a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from the device. The far-sight functionality allows you to move away from the camera to operate via its long-range wi-fi connection. Don’t stray too far from it though 🙂
The video rendering is stunning, and right now it’s one of the best professional cameras you can buy. That said, to edit those spectacular output videos, you’ll also need a really high-end computer, but that’s another story.
