sprinting boxesPicking the next camera configuration
A bunch of cameras and hardware did some of what I want, but every option had at least one dealbreaker.
My first setup: Insta360 X5
At the time of purchase, it was the best 360° camera at Costco. It recorded 8k30fps and there was already a bunch of great precedent that it would work.
Chasing bigger numbers, however, starts to hit a ceiling of diminishing returns. Youtube has limited 360° support, transcoding most uploads to 4k 3840 × 2160 resolution. This meant that the bigger file sizes and additional upload time didn’t always translate into better picture quality. Recording at higher quality also meant increased battery drain and higher temps.
| Capture Modes | File size | Battery life | Youtube Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8k 30fps | >100gb! | 75-80mins | Downsampled to “4k” |
| 5.7k 30fps | 70gb | 90-100mins | Very similar to the 8k 30fps |
| Too grainy for my clips |
I was stuck at a crossroads: I knew that lowering my resolution would make it even easier to manage recording logistics, but I really wanted the footage to look nicer.
How about an Action Camera?
The GoPro Hero 13 has an ultra-wide lens mod that boast >189° field of view. On the surface this sounds great! Some real world tests uncovered that this number is measured diagonally. The horizontal field of view that we care about is measured at the equator and the bottom of the frame. Recommended distance from the sideline and down-pitch is also determined by the vertical field of view.
How far do you need to be to get the whole field in frame?
Even if we moved that far back, how big would people be?
Sideline at midfield (57.8 ft back from the near sideline, 13° down)
| Spot | Distance from camera | 6 ft player |
|---|---|---|
| Far sideline, midfield | 178 ft | 30 px |
| Far sideline, goal-line cone | 207 ft | 28 px |
| Far sideline, back corner cone | 243 ft | 26 px |
| Near sideline, goal-line cone | 120 ft | 63 px |
| Near sideline, midfield | 58 ft | 89 px |
For comparison, today’s two-camera SuperView rig, 10 ft back, gets about 94 px for a far-sideline player at midfield, about 3x of this single-camera level of detail
What about from behind the endzone, looking down the field?
You only need 16.8 ft behind the back line, 38.5° down to keep the whole field in frame.
| Spot | Distance from camera | 6 ft player |
|---|---|---|
| Near goal-line cones | 97 ft | 67 px |
| Midfield, sideline | 191 ft | 31 px |
| Far endzone, goal line center | 287 ft | 20 px |
| Far endzone, near (goal-line) cones | 293 ft | 20 px |
| Far endzone, back corner cones | 352 ft | 17 px |
So we need 2 cameras, why GoPro?
Insta360 has the Ace Pro 2 Action Camera, it records in 8k, and I already use the X5, why switch to GoPros?
| Feature | Insta360 Ace Pro 2 | GoPro HERO13 |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution / fps | 8k30fps, 4k60fps | 5.3k60fps, 4k60fps |
| App software | Can preview framing, start/stop. Only for one camera. App can’t be disconnected / extra battery drain. | Can preview framing, start/stop recording for multiple cameras from phone. Can close the app. |
| Metadata | Supports timecodes, accelerometer, no gps | Timecodes, gravity, accelerometer, gps, temperature |
I still had a bunch of unknowns when I purchased, so I went for some simplifiers:
- I felt 5.3k60fps > 8k30fps for flexibility.
- App control was a big deal. I didn’t like that you couldn’t control multiple cameras without a $150 accessory, and the SDK didn’t exist so I couldn’t build my own app to do the control.
- GoPro Labs was huge for open contribution and control also.
- The GPMF metadata is much more robust. I could likely calculate some things from the AcePro2, but things like gravity were just explicit vectors.
- Cost: I was able to find 2 used GoPro HERO13s bundled with a bunch of extra accessories like the ultra wide lens mod and a remote camera for much much cheaper.