Adostrophe was the first Insta360 authorised distributor in India.
Indian Customers
The Nano pretty much revolutionised panoramic photography for non-professionals, but was limited to iPhone users with the lighting port.
Then the ONE was the most sought after consumer camera that could capture 360° images (and videos). The device came with a monopod-like stand and theoretically Android friendly, but still had a lightning connector.
The manufacturer had their sights on U.S. consumers while designing their devices. In India, there weren’t many customers who went skiing or skateboarding – while the promo videos were showing the action cameras suited for that category.
The ONE X launch was not quite a GoPro alternative but a pocket-friendly camera, ironing out all the Android bugs. By the time the stock even reached Bangalore, all the cameras were sold out. We even had to cancel many orders.
The X was popular among VR and Google Street View enthusiasts. Bikers did try out the camera but eventually went back to GoPros.
We were almost always out of stock, and we loved answering the questions of our customers. Amazon gave us special badges, gifts and even reduced the seller fees to 2% against the standard 20% for sellers. Profits aside, we were overwhelmed by the 5 star customer reviews and the lifelong friendships made.
Panoramic photography and VR media is here to stay. We wanted to focus more on professional equipment (like the Pro 2 and Titan) for stereoscopic VR, broadcasting and Google Street View mapping.
We no longer sell Insta360 hardware. Indian customers could visit the Insta360 store on Amazon.in to buy the cameras and accessories they need.
For product support, please email the manufacturer at service@insta360.com.
U.S. and non-Indian Customers
Shop directly from the Insta360 store and get free accessories with certain products:
ONE RS 1-Inch 360 Edition Construction Kit
Insta360 Flow – Smartphone Gimbal
Insta360 X3 – Motorbike Bundle
Insta360 ONE RS 1-Inch 360 – Co-engineered with Leica
*Adostrophe is no longer associated with Insta360 and customers are advised to contact the manufacturer at ecommerce@insta360.com for any questions. The Shenzhen manufacturer does NOT have an official store or service centre in India.
*For Matterport virtual tours, the minimum quality expected is that from a Ricoh Theta, if not a Pro 2. Ricoh is a Japanese company.
*Adostrophe may earn commissions from the affiliate links listed above.
*All trademarks and brand names are acknowledged as belonging to their respective owners.
Matterport Virtual Tours
Looking to create Matterport virtual tours with your Insta360 camera? Follow the steps below:
- You’ll need a tripod, so that the X3 or the RS can sit on it and not capture you.
If you had a Matterport Pro2 or other scanners, you can stand behind the lens and spin around so that you’re not in the final output. With these dual-lens cameras, you’ll need to get out of the direct line of sight. This means that you’ll need to hide behind a wall or go to another room.
Contrary to all those fancy Insta360 ads, here, you won’t be walking around with the invisible selfie stick.
Your smartphone will be the remote to operate the camera (using WiFi) so, you can shoot the entire 360 image when you’re in another room.
2) You’ll need a Matterport subscription plan: Go ahead and choose the free one, which allows you to use one active space.
Note that you will NOT be using the Insta360 app to create the virtual tour. Make sure that your firmware is up to date though.
With the free or paid subscription plans, you can share the tour as a URL. The advantage of Matterport is that you’re just sending one link instead of heavy files (like photos or videos over Whatsapp).
3) Prepare the space:
So you’re trying to create a virtual tour of your own house to see how this works? Spend some time in setting up the space.
– Remove or hide all personal items. Close laptops so your boss doesn’t see you’re playing a game instead of working on the Excel file.
– Switch on all the lights, including bed lamps. Open all doors and windows so that the place looks inviting apart from letting natural light in.
– Hide garbage bins and other unsightly items. A pet sitting around is fine – just make sure it doesn’t lunge at the camera thinking it’s a new toy.
– Straighten furniture and turn off fans. If the TV has to be on, make it static like a Netflix screen.
4) Start with one room:
As a best practice, start from the main entrance and create multiple scan points in the room.
When the camera is on the tripod, hide yourself and press the capture button in the Matterport app. Then, move the tripod to another area within the same room.
For a clean dollhouse, take multiple scans from the corners of the room and the centre. You can always hide extra scans in the virtual tour later.
5) Complete the entire property:
Similarly, move to adjoining rooms for your scans. Keep an eye on the mini map in the Matterport application, which gives you an idea of what is covered.
After completing a scan, preview it to see if everything is fine. If necessary, delete the scan point and rescan. Certain scenarios where you might have to do this:
– A mirror or a reflective surface shows the camera.
– The preview shows different colours for each of the lenses. You might have to rotate the camera slightly so that both lenses have uniform lighting.
– Mark windows and mirrors while scanning. This helps the AI with alignment. Use the “trim” mark to remove areas beyond your actual floor plan.
From the beginning to the end, try and keep all scan points in a straight line. Linear and equidistant, like a grid.
When you’re done indoors, capture the balconies, patio and terrace as a 360 degree image. They won’t be connected 3D scan points, but can be shown separately and in the highlight reels.
6) Edit:
So you have uploaded the scans and received an email saying the processing is complete. Now, use a desktop to start editing.
– Make the start location the best part of the tour. It could be the vast expanse of your living room, as soon as you enter the door.
The user experience should be easy for those who are new to virtual tours. This is where the straight line navigation helps.
– Trim the dollhouse, first with the top view, then the side. As a beginner, you don’t have to worry about rotational edits.
– Hide extra scans to avoid too many clicks. Usually you’ll be able to tell which ones to hide when you navigate the tour yourself.
– Add the best parts of the tour to the Highlight Reels. This is where, the viewer can simply click “Play” (at the bottom left corner of the window) so that they don’t have to click around.
When you’re satisfied with how the highlights or storyboard plays, you can screen grab to create a traditional video. Add one or two Mattertags but not too to keep it clutter free.
7) Share:
Make the tour “unlisted” instead of “public”, copy the link and share with your friends and family. Ask for their opinion so you can refine your edits (or probably rescan altogether).
8) Need help?
Contact us if you have any questions or need help. We are not the official support representatives for Insta360 or Matterport – we are doing this informally to support the community overall.
As Matterport becomes popular in India, whether it’s with a 360 degree camera or a smartphone, we stand to benefit indirectly as a service provider.
These steps listed above are for complete beginners and not for advanced users. Have fun and keep testing different environments. As with an action camera, the wow factor is in the final result, so all the effort you put in will be worthwhile.