I got the GoPro MAX as my introduction into 360 cameras.

• ​https://amzn.to/2X8SRRa​

• ​https://gopro.com/en/us/shop/cameras/max/CHDHZ-201-master.html​

It does something my iPhone/handphone camera can't. Take 360 photos/videos, and so I felt that gave me something new that I previously never really had.

Pros:

• No need to worry about:

  • framing

  • stabilization

  • horizontal leveling

• Capturing the atmosphere, feel, and experience of a place

Cons:

• No remote, have to use voice commands

• Remember to rest camera on its side

• iOS issues:

  • iOS doesn't support saving 360 photos/videos to the native Photos app

  • iPadOS

    • doesn't do vertical/landscape orientation well

      • Sometimes it goes vertical, when I want landscape

  • Wish you can speed up or slow down a video

  • YouTube 90 second limit when exporting from the iOS/iPadOS app

    • Workaround: AirDrop the file to your macOS, this will export it into an mp4 file.

    • Upload the mp4 file

  • Cannot stitch videos on iOS/iPadOS

    • Sucks when TimeWarp splits videos at 6m40sec

• Facebook issues:

  • Cannot upload 360 from iOS

    • Works ok when uploading file from Desktop

  • PowerPano upload doesn't view in Pano

    • Doesn't work on iOS or Desktop

• Instagram:

  • No support for 360 photos or videos

• Google Photos:

  • Doesn't handle 360 photo files

    • ​https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPrwtqBJhRstiurEw4mJQA010mnjikMVdYL-P7R​

  • Doesn't properly Power Pano either

• YouTube

  • Doesn't natively support the .360 video files

  • Have to export to .mp4 and then upload

  • YouTube compression doesn't seem that good, will have to experiment

  • 90 second limit when exporting from the iOS/iPadOS app

• Memory Card

  • You need to take battery out to take the memory card out

  • May consider putting a tape on the memory card so I can yank it out

• GoPro Player (macOS Desktop App)

  • Cannot stitch videos together

  • 5.6k and 4k export is only available without reframing

    • 5.6k ProRes, 10min file took 22mins to render on a MacBook Pro 2017 16GB ram, 2.9 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7

      • FileSize: 49.38GB

  • Reframing

    • Limits exports to either: 1080p or 720p

  • Cannot speed up videos either

• Video Mode

  • 360 @ night, walking

    • Jitters around the lights

      • No stabilization?

    • A lot of visual noise, doesn't do well in low light

Manuals:

• ​https://gopro.com/help/productmanuals​

• ​https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/max/manuals/MAX_UM_ENG_REVA.pdf​

• ​https://gopro.com/content/dam/help/max/quick-start-guides/MAX_QSG_REVC.pdf​

Notes:

• Voice Commands, alternative for a remote

  • GoPro, capture

  • GoPro, stop capture

  • GoPro, start recording

  • GoPro, HiLight

  • GoPro, stop recording

  • GoPro, take a photo

  • GoPro, start time lapse

  • GoPro, stop time lapse

  • GoPro, turn off

  • GoPro, Video mode

  • GoPro, Photo mode

  • GoPro, Time lapse mode

• TimeWarp

  • 360

    • 360 does not have "auto" mode

    • 10x setting

      • Not good for casual walking

    • No sound

    • Might be better to record in video mode, and then speed it up manually in an editor (not GoPro's app) or YouTube (max Playback is 2x)

      • This will at least include sound

    • Splits video at 6mins 40seconds (400 seconds)

      • Raw .360 file size: 4.01GB

      • AirDropped mp4 file size: 3.33GB

• Video

  • 360

    • No stabilization

    • Splits video at 8mins 2 seconds (482 seconds)

      • Raw: 4GB

• GoPro Plus

  • If you are buying accessories, it may make sense to get GoPro Plus because you'd make back the same money

Apps:

• iOS/iPadOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gopro/id561350520​

• macOS https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gopro-player/id1460836908?ls=1&mt=12​

Resources:

• ​http://old.reddit.com/r/gopro​

360 viewers:

• macOS

  • ​https://apps.apple.com/us/app/gopro-player/id1460836908?ls=1&mt=12​

  • ​http://videolan.org/​

  • ​https://www.lizardq.com/en/viewer/​

  • ​http://www.fsoft.it/FSPViewer/​

Editors:

• Final Cut Pro X

  • $299

  • ​https://apps.apple.com/us/app/final-cut-pro/id424389933?mt=12​

  • ​https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208212​

  • ​https://www.apple.com/final-cut-pro/specs/​

  • ​https://9to5mac.com/2018/04/02/final-cut-pro-x-360-degree-video/​

  • ​https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=final+cut+pro+360​

  • Motion

    • ​https://apps.apple.com/us/app/motion/id434290957?mt=12​

    • ​https://support.apple.com/en-sg/guide/motion/welcome/mac​

    • ​https://help.apple.com/motion/mac/5.4/#/motnfccf9e10​

• Adobe Premier Pro

  • $239.88/year ( @ $20.99/month) or $31.49/mo

  • VR Mode

  • ​https://www.adobe.com/products/premiere.html​

  • ​https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/using/VRSupport.html​

  • ​https://studio.knightlab.com/results/storytelling-layers-on-360-video/how-to-edit-360-video-in-premiere/​

Accessories:

• ​GoPro Max Grip + Tripod​

  • Great for simply setting up and capturing 360

  • Tightener can be on the opposite side of battery access

  • ​https://gopro.com/en/my/shop/mounts-accessories/max-grip-plus-tripod/ASBHM-002.html​

• ​GoPro 3-Way Grip​

  • Tightener blocks access to the battery

    • Requires you taking the GoPro off

  • ​https://gopro.com/en/my/shop/mounts/3-way/AFAEM-001.html​

• ​GoPro Fusion Case​

  • Harder case to protect your GoPro Max

Technical Notes

AirDrop from iPadOS to macOS:

ExifTool Version Number         : 11.70
File Name                       : output_11-13-2019_14_08_21.MP4
Directory                       : /Users/aizat/Downloads
File Size                       : 3.1 GB
File Modification Date/Time     : 2019:11:13 14:15:06+08:00
File Access Date/Time           : 2019:11:13 14:15:06+08:00
File Inode Change Date/Time     : 2019:11:13 14:16:50+08:00
File Permissions                : rw-r--r--
File Type                       : MP4
File Type Extension             : mp4
MIME Type                       : video/quicktime
Major Brand                     : Apple QuickTime (.MOV/QT)
Minor Version                   : 0.0.0
Compatible Brands               : qt
Movie Data Size                 : 3330208954
Movie Data Offset               : 36
Movie Header Version            : 0
Create Date                     : 2019:11:13 06:08:27
Modify Date                     : 2019:11:13 06:15:06
Time Scale                      : 600
Duration                        : 0:06:39
Preferred Rate                  : 1
Preferred Volume                : 100.00%
Preview Time                    : 0 s
Preview Duration                : 0 s
Poster Time                     : 0 s
Selection Time                  : 0 s
Selection Duration              : 0 s
Current Time                    : 0 s
Next Track ID                   : 3
Track Header Version            : 0
Track Create Date               : 2019:11:13 06:08:27
Track Modify Date               : 2019:11:13 06:15:06
Track ID                        : 1
Track Duration                  : 0:06:39
Track Layer                     : 0
Track Volume                    : 0.00%
Matrix Structure                : 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1
Image Width                     : 4096
Image Height                    : 2048
Clean Aperture Dimensions       : 4096x2048
Production Aperture Dimensions  : 4096x2048
Encoded Pixels Dimensions       : 4096x2048
Media Header Version            : 0
Media Create Date               : 2019:11:13 06:08:27
Media Modify Date               : 2019:11:13 06:15:06
Media Time Scale                : 600
Media Duration                  : 0:06:39
Media Language Code             : und
Graphics Mode                   : ditherCopy
Op Color                        : 32768 32768 32768
Handler Class                   : Data Handler
Handler Type                    : Alias Data
Handler Vendor ID               : Apple
Handler Description             : Core Media Data Handler
Compressor ID                   : avc1
Source Image Width              : 4096
Source Image Height             : 2048
X Resolution                    : 72
Y Resolution                    : 72
Compressor Name                 : H.264
Bit Depth                       : 24
Video Frame Rate                : 29.97
Spherical                       : true
Stitched                        : true
Stitching Software              : Spherical Metadata Tool
Projection Type                 : equirectangular
Image Size                      : 4096x2048
Megapixels                      : 8.4
Avg Bitrate                     : 66.7 Mbps
Rotation                        : 0

Filming

When filming, you have to consider where the content is going to be consumed.

Two perspectives

• VR mode

  • Facebook

  • YouTube

  • GoPro Player

• Spherical

  • GoPro Player

VR Mode

Hold the camera mostly at eye level, you'll get a more comfortable view of yourself when rewatching the videos.