Insta360 brings magic of 360 video to drones with the Insta360 Sphere

Insta360 Sphere
(Image credit: Insta360)

Insta360 – best know for its magical 360-degree camera – has now proved that the sky really isn't the limit as it announces a brand-new 360 camera dedicated to drone use, the Insta360 Sphere.

This invisible drone 360° cam is the ultimate solution to turn your DJI Mavic Air 2/ 2S drone into an all-powerful content production tool. With the camera attached, your drone becomes totally invisible in 360-degree footage, while the lightweight structure and intuitive operation make 360 aerial filming easier than ever before.

Read more: Insta360 GO 2 review

The new Insta360 Sphere looks to offer immersive, brain-tripping footage, without the need to buy a new drone or have professional flying or editing skills. Powered by Insta360’s software, the Sphere unlocks more ways for content creators to get killer content from drone footage.

To learn more about the Insta360 Sphere and its capabilities check out the video below: 

From awe-inspiring landscapes to urban vistas, drone pilots have been capturing stunning aerial footage for years now. But, the key limitation of wide-angle cameras is that they can only capture in one direction. That’s no longer the case with Insta360 Sphere. 

By filming in glorious 5.7K 360, users can adjust the angle and camera direction in their video after the fact. Using the easy reframing tools in the Insta360 app and Studio desktop application, anyone can add thrilling rolls and turns to their aerial footage in post, achieving FPV-like footage on an easy-to-handle drone. Shooting with a 360 camera also opens up the option of getting multiple edits from the same flight, in addition to the wide angle footage from the drone itself.

Read more: The best 360 cameras

Many drone users are accustomed to mounting a 360 camera above or below their drone to get 360-degree footage. But since 360 cameras film in all directions, this means that half of the video is often obstructed by the drone itself, requiring tedious post-processing in video editing software to remove it. 

With Insta360 Sphere, the camera’s lenses are precisely mounted on either side of the drone to ensure the drone is magically invisible in the resulting footage. This is thanks to Insta360’s proprietary dynamic stitching algorithm that makes the whole drone (including its propellers!) disappear automatically, leaving the user with awe-inspiring, uninterrupted footage.

Insta360 camera

(Image credit: Insta360)

Great image stabilization is crucial to getting immersive aerial footage, and Insta360’s FlowState Stabilization technology has been fine-tuned for Insta360 Sphere to ensure super steady aerial footage, no matter the conditions. The camera is compatible with the DJI Mavic Air 2 / Air 2S (yet no confirmation has been for compatibility with other DJI models) and attaches to the drone with an ultra-secure locking mechanism. There is zero impact on the drone’s structural integrity, and it doesn’t impede any GPS signal or remote control system. 

Sphere represents a continuation of Insta360’s mission to help people capture and share their lives better, making Insta360’s industry-leading 360 reframing and editing software accessible to a wider range of creators. Sphere users can edit their videos using the same AI-powered features as the Insta360 ONE Series in the Insta360 app. 

Insta360 Sphere is available from 24 May, 2022 in the US and China at insta360.com and retails for $429.99. 

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Sebastian Oakley
Ecommerce Editor

For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.

He is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and is a Master of Arts in Publishing.  He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since the film days using a Nikon F5 and saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still to this day the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, The British Equestrian Writers' Association. 

He is familiar with and shows great interest in street, medium, and large format photography with products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from the likes of Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2 shooting Street photography or general life as he sees it, usually in Black and White.