Skip to main content

Turn your ride into a Google Street View with the Insta360 Pro

insta360 pro now google street view ready 3
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ever want to drive one of those camera-clad Google Street View cars? Well, now you can make your own ride a Street View car. This week, the Insta360 Pro camera became the first available Street View Ready camera that’s compatible with a top-of-the-car mount.

Google’s Street View Ready designation is designed to help consumers find a camera compatible with the Street View platform. While other cameras have earned the designations, the Insta360 Pro is the first that earns the recommendation for the auto category, or the kind designed for shooting as Google does with a camera mounted on top of a car. Cameras from Sphericam, Z Cam and NCTech Ltd. are also in the process of earning the designation for the auto category, but have not yet launched.

For shooting Street View via car, Google says, the camera needs to be able to capture images at high speeds, which means shooting at least five frames per second. That feature is being added to the camera through a firmware update. Additional qualifications include an accelerometer and GPS to help Google map out the location where the images were shot — Insta360 is adding GPS to the Pro with an accessory to meet the qualifications.

The Insta360 Pro fits the bill for those still photo requirements along with boasting 8K video at 30 fps or 4K at 100 fps. A built-in stabilization system should also help the camera perform while car-mounted.

Design-wise, the Insta360 might make your ride look almost as odd as the Street View Cars. The spherical, basketball-sized camera uses six lenses.

Besides earning Google’s stamp of approval, the Street View Ready classification also means that the Street View app can control the camera. As with other Street View cameras, Google also has a few to loan out for organizations and even individuals that can’t cough up the $3,500 list price for the camera.

While the Insta360 Pro is the first to earn the classification for a car-mounted camera, a number of other 360 cameras have already earned the certification for different applications, including mobile, virtual reality, and a category for software and multi-camera systems. When Google announced the Street View Ready program earlier this year, Insta360 was one of four manufacturers on the list for the auto category with cameras under development.

Editors' Recommendations

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
We can all explore Zimbabwe on Google Maps Street View, thanks to one person
tawande kanhema google street view zimbabwe man mapping

Google Maps' Street View is an incredible undertaking. It has taken the company, with the help of thousands of contributors, years and years of work to put together. But if you ever want to check out a Street View image of a location in Zimbabwe, you have just one person to thank: Tawande Kanhema.

After Kanhema found that he was unable to pull up the house he grew up in, he found that his hometown of Harare was no where to be found on Street View. His response? To take on the task of putting Zimbabwe, and 14 other countries in southern Africa, in Street View himself.

Read more
5 missing features that would make the Insta360 Go 2 more awesome
5 missing insta360 go 2 features review 6 of 10

The reviews are unanimous -- everyone has fallen in love in the Insta360 Go 2. There are plenty of reasons why the action camera is appealing to users, like its ultra-compact design, grab-and-go usability, versatile accessories, and superb stabilization.

I’ve spent a short time with it, and while I’m astounded by the kind of unique storytelling I’m able to capture with it, there are several things that prevent it from being the ultimate life camera. Here are five missing features that would make the Insta360 Go 2 even more awesome than it is right now.
Native 24 fps capture

Read more
Insta360 GO 2 is a miniscule action camera that weighs less than an ounce
insta360 go 2 weighs less than ounce news g0 lifestyle 3 of 4

When you're on the move and trying to keep up with the action, the last thing you want is a hefty camera weighing you down. The Insta360 GO 2 is the perfect solution to this problem. At only 27 grams, the camera weighs less than an ounce but still provides high-resolution, hands-free recording with an action camera.

The Insta360 GO 2 includes a 1/2.3-inch image sensor that yields 1440p videos, ensuring high-quality results no matter what you're recording. Whether you post your videos on your social media feed or to a dedicated YouTube channel, they'll stand out. The signature FlowState stabilization and horizon leveling algorithms mean your video will be steady no matter how many bumps you hit or hills you crest.

Read more