After making a number of vacation videos using
- my phone (Google Pixel 8)
- my action camera (Insta360 Ace Pro)
- my two 360 cameras (Insta360 X3)
I’ve found the following works best for depending on the scenario.
Driving
- If HDR is necessary and you only want to film in one direction, mount the Ace Pro on the windshield facing the front of the vehicle (FPV)
- If you want to film both the vehicle occupants and the road, mount the Insta360 X3 on the windshield
- Shoot either a regular video or a Timeshift video
Walking (Daytime)
- Mount one Insta360 X3 on your chest (FPV). The Ace Pro isn’t a 360 camera, so it will not allow you to reframe later on to get subjects that are not directly in front of the camera.
- Hold a second Insta360 X3 or X4 on an extended selfie stick such that the camera is at eye level to film yourself
Walking (Nighttime)
- For good image quality, mount the Ace Pro either on your chest or on a selfie stick and use “Pure Video” mode to get good night shots.
- If you use the Insta360 X3/X4, the image quality will be much worse.
Hotel Room Tour
- Mount the Ace Pro on a selfie stick and film as FPV or film with the screen flipped up so you can film yourself (selfie)
- Use “Pure Video” mode because you will be indoors and with unnatural (low) light.
- I tried using my phone with a gimbal, but I preferred the simplicity and the results of using the Ace Pro.
Eating
- Use X3
Airplane Take-off and Landing
When filming a take-off/landing from a window seat of an airplane, the difficult is keeping the horizon level. Also, with HDR technology, the sky can look overexposed, white, and washed out. If you use a 360 camera, you can adjust the horizon in post, but that’s a hassle. Ideally, use a gimbal, like the one integrated with the DJI Osmo Pocket.