360° monopod
When you're taking 360 photos or creating virtual tours with a 360 camera, you'll need a support for your camera. A traditional tripod designed for a DSLR is too big, too bulky and will cover an unnecessarily large part of the floor or the nadir of the 360° photo.
I recommend individually adjustable monopod feet. This is because you may find yourself shooting on a slope. If you use a lighting stand or tripod whose legs are not individually adjustable, the axis will be tilted. A tilted horizon isn't a problem, as it can be caught by the camera's sensors, but if the foot tilts, the stand and your camera can fall over.
One of the main advantages of a monopod in 360° photography and videophotography and video, is that it has a smaller footprint than a conventional tripod, making it easier to erase the NADIR(see video) from the final image.
The downside is less stability: the higher you try to position the camera, the more likely it is to tip over.
Some factors to consider
- wind stability (don't underestimate the ability of a light breeze to topple a 360º camera)
- small footprint to minimize post-production (remove/connect where you "see" the tripod)
- durability (materials / how many years will it work)
- ease of use (deployment, storage, etc.)
- camera weight
- camera manufacturer's recommendation
- price (obviously)
After a few mistakes and a broken GoPro MAX 360 lens, I think I've found the best combination for stabilizing my 360 camera! This video gives you some tips on how to get the best out of different elements (stand, pole, counterweight), depending on your budget.
The elements used in this video are :
Bushman monopod
https://bushman-panoramic.com/product/bushman-monopod-v2/
Smallrig counterweight
Insta360 pole
https://store.insta360.com/product/Extended_Edition_Selfie_Stick?X-Country=FR
Tarion monopod
https://tarion.eu/products/a222-monopod-with-m1-base
And others...
If you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve, don't hesitate to leave them as a comment on Youtube, below the video featured in this article. We'll be happy to pass on your tips to the community!
My first brand, subOceana, was born in a metaverse, in 2007... I often hear people refer to me as a specialist, a creative technologist, an alumnus, a gamer, a visionary, a geek, a CEO, a CTO...
I've never really liked labels! Every community has its own language, every profession its own jargon. Depending on the world in which you evolve or the people you meet, what makes sense in one case can be completely ridiculous in another.
What I really like: learning, sharing, spending hours on technological brakes, diverting tools from their primary functions, innovating* in use to ultimately make life easier for users. You know, a bit like when you spend time cooking a complicated dish, with the pleasure of simplicity and conviviality in mind. A customer (ours are professionals) who can easily appropriate technology, and in this case virtual reality in particular, will use it to enhance their ability to create, train, communicate, share and inspire their own audience.
And I can't wait to discover your worlds!
*Innovating: talking 6 months before others about things... that we've been doing for 10 years to general indifference, sometimes tinged with a little mockery 😉
