Getting into the 360 camera world can be an expensive experience. I wanted a simple solution to take 360 pictures using the GoPro Hero5. Previous Pano5+1 worked well with the GoPro Hero3 but didn’t fit the Hero5 correctly.
When I found an updated Indiegogo Campaign for a revamped Pano5+1 Mark2, I didn’t hesitate to purchase online. The final stitched image can be submitted to Google Photo Sphere as well as other websites to showcase your 360 photography.
GoPro Hero5 and Pano5+1 MarkII
I already own a GoPro Hero5 Black Edition. I wanted an easy way to take pictures using the existing camera since I carry this for all my hiking trips and this is the number one choice for all my photos and videos. You can buy lots of gadgets online to turn a GoPro into a full 360 photo experience. Although you will need around 5 GoPro’s and the 360 camera module build for GoPro’s. Gets expensive!
Side Note: 20/06/2017 GoPro recently introduced a new camera called Fusion. A 5.2K Spherical Camera.
Just by chance, I found this cool project to back on Indiegogo called the Pano5+1. This uses an existing GoPro to take 5 photos and you’re done. This is a lot simpler than using the Google Photo Sphere App on Street View which takes around 5 minutes to rotate yourself around to capture the 360 experience. The Google Photosphere App was a bit of a hit and miss for me with blurry images, missed sections/alignment and focusing issues. The best part of the app was it stitched the images instantly and it was ready to publish.
The Pano5+1 Mark2 is a 3D printed holder for the GoPro that you can easily attach to a tripod. It has evenly marked grooves to position the GoPro so all sections of the 360 photo are captured. Using the GoPro and GoPro App takes around 30 seconds to capture the full 360 image. The new version of Pano5+1 Mark2 also provides a “Nadir Shot Holder” which you can use to take a picture of the ground underneath the camera. (This provides a full 360 experience with 8 total photos.)
What’s Included in the Box?
- 1 x Box that holds everything
- 1 x Nadir Shot Holder
- 1 x Base Mount with Bubble Level
- 1 x 1/4 – 3/8 Transfer Screw for Tripods
- 1 x Pano5+1 MarkII Adaptor
- 1 x Adapter for older GoPro’s
Note: The box also has room for 2 additional batteries and the GoPro Hero5 camera. Everything is also labelled for easy reference.
Pano5+1 MarkII is Compatible With:
- HERO5 Black
- HERO4 Silver/Black
- HERO3+ Silver/Black
- HERO3 White/Silver/Black
After the capture, you will need to stitch the photos manually by using the software. The software can be expensive and time consuming to learn. I’ve listed some easy options below and rough cost. I use PanoramaStudio 3 Pro for the final image.
- PTGui around $121.00 AUD
- Hugin – Panorama photo stitcher – $Free
- PanoramaStudio 3 Pro – $110.00 AUD
Overall I love the new Pano5+1 version Mark2. A lot of thought has gone into designing this adaptor. The build quality is high and the overall package has been put togeather with simplicity in mind. Since the GoPro Hero5 can shoot in RAW, the final image can be up to 360°X180° / 65.5 Mega Pixels. That’s 11.5K! You can also use voice control to take the picture instead of using the GoPro App. I also use “Exposure Lock” and the GPS module to make my photo edits even simpler.
View some my 360 Photos on Google.
