Sumo
Sony a7S II cameras on Sumo360 rig
The Sumo360 mount stationing four Sony a7S II cameras.
Sony’s a7S II full frame mirrorless camera can now deliver high quality images at 360 degrees, thanks to a 3D-printed mount designed by Sumo that stations four of the cameras together.
When the 360 media consulting company were unable to find a suitable 360 camera for low-light conditions within an affordable price range, they decided to modify one they already owned. While the a7S II is said to deliver images of the highest quality even in extreme conditions, a standard version is not able to capture 360-degree panoramic images.
Patent pending, the Sumo360 mount allows keen photographers to capture 6K video footage in 360 degrees, using four a7S IIs all with wide-angle lenses. The mount hold four cameras together, each one in the portrait orientations, allowing a 360 view to be shot. Unlike all-in-one 360 camera solutions currently on the market, the Sumo 360 rig still requires video stitching software to piece together the images from the individual cameras. Sumo uses AutoPano Video Pro 2.5.0 software.
Sumo
Sumo four part image rig
A setting captured by the four individual cameras on the Sumo360 mount. The shots were then stitched together, resulting in the image below
Sumo is sharing their solution online with a 3D printing template. This means customers will need access to their own 3D printer, and compatible materials, to produce the mount from the design template. Sumo suggest using ABS filaments to ensure durability, but PLA, carbon fibre and even wood can be used to build the rig. Additionally, Sumo has also shared the recommended printer settings for the rig’s print.
The template can be purchased for $359, but the cameras retail at around $3,000 each and a single lens costs $300. All in, the cameras, multiple lenses and Sumo’s mount template will cost around the $15,000 mark. But the potential to capture stunning 6,000-pixel resolution 360-degree images rarely comes cheap. Sumo insist 360 rigs are generally hard to find, and others with similar high-resolution and low-light capabilities are even more expensive, for example the $45,000 Ozo.
The California-based company are also renting out their rigs, camera, lenses and tripod included, in Western Los Angeles and Mexico City, where their second office is located.
Sumo
Sumo image shot with rig
An image originally captured in four single shots, stitched together with APV Pro 2.5.0 software.