When it comes to Insta360, you can let your creativity run pretty wild. But what's a knight without a sword? A musician without an instrument? An influencer without followers?
Adding a selfie stick to your setup can help take your shots to new heights (literally). And if that selfie stick happens to be invisible, you're onto a real winner. While selfie sticks are useful, no one wants a lovely shot ruined by a big stick. We decided to help you guys out and delete them from your 360 shots with some clever technology.
From the 2-in-1 to the 3-meter long, here's our guide to answer the question: which selfie stick should you buy?
What Makes Them Invisible, Anyway?
Before we dive in, we'll quickly run over what actually makes our invisible selfie sticks, well, invisible. This is one of the coolest effects with a 360 camera (like X5 or X4) and also one of the simplest: you can make your selfie stick instantly disappear! This unlocks a whole host of creative angles, fake-drone shots, and third-person views, and all you have to do is hold the selfie stick.
The reason they're invisible comes down to our clever stitching algorithm. With 360 cameras, the two fisheye lenses cover around 400 degrees between them. When stitched together that gives you one 360-degree image with around 40 degrees of overlap. We rejigged said stitching algorithm so that the selfie stick falls directly between that overlap, meaning when it's all stitched together... ta-da! The selfie stick is automatically erased.
Now you know how they work, let's get into which one is right for you.
The Classics
Casual creators, vloggers, travelers, and anyone starting out with a 360 camera, these are for you.
70cm Invisible Selfie Stick
Starting us off strong is the classic Invisible Selfie Stick. Standing at a modest 70cm, this selfie stick is perfect for the more casual user who wants easy third-person shots or to have a bit of fun while vlogging. It's nice and lightweight (only 107g) and folds down to 18cm to take with you on the go.
85cm Invisible Selfie Stick
For wider, more natural selfies and high-angle shots, this selfie stick extends to 85cm. It folds down to the size of your hand for easy storage and provides a more comfortable hold with a removable non-slip sleeve. It's also a bit more stable as it's designed for heavier cameras, such as X5.
114cm Invisible Selfie Stick
Rounding off the classics is our 114cm selfie stick. Double the length (but not weight) compared to its 70cm counterpart, this is an essential tool for third-person views and creative possibilities. Extending that bit higher means awesome top-down views, perfect for #NoDroneNoProblem or #RealLifeGTA shots.
It's a bit more durable, super lightweight, and also has a removable Selfie Stick Sleeve for a more comfortable grip. And for those with the Midas touch, there's even an exclusive gold edition. It is a bit longer when retracted (23.3cm), however, so if portability is your thing, you might consider a shorter one.
Something With a Bit More Zhuzh
We're getting into more serious content creation here, with selfie sticks for extreme sports, pro videography, and all-day shoots.
Extended Edition Selfie Stick
Maybe our proudest—or at least longest—invention to date. The people asked for a longer selfie stick, so we made this one 3 meters.
We're talking seriously aerial angles here. In a no-fly zone? You don't even need a drone. No fancy rig to get that complex shot? No bother. This tool makes any shoot cinematic, creative, and most of all fun. You can push the limits and film shots you wouldn't be able to reach otherwise, just ask Karen X:
Quite honestly, this should be an essential part of any videographer's toolkit. There are two options to choose from, but we recommend the enhanced edition—it has an ultra-light carbon fiber shaft and a more comfortable grip.
Action Invisible Selfie Stick
We've done vlogs and casual shoots, but now it's time we gave something to you daredevils. Made from robust carbon fiber with an exclusive patented structure, the Action Invisible Selfie Stick is 50% stronger than our other invisible selfie sticks.
It's CNC molded to withstand even the most intense action and reduce the impact of vibrations, with built-in anti-sand filters to block sand and dirt particles from damaging the selfie stick. Basically, it's really solid.
This should be your go-to for any sort of extreme sports and high-intensity action—motorcycling, mountain biking, water sports, winter sports, skydiving—you get the gist. Extending to around 100cm, it's rough, rugged, and ready for anything.
Power Selfie Stick
For those all-day shoots, you might find yourself in need of a boost. How about an invisible selfie stick with a built-in 4500mAh battery? With this genius invention, you can double your camera's battery life and still film awesome third-person perspectives.
It extends to 100cm and has easy-to-press buttons to remotely control your camera. That means you can extend it and then hit record. Clever, right?
2 Birds, 1 Stone
For those who expect a bit more out of their selfie sticks, we've got options with something extra built-in. (Spoiler alert: it's a foldable tripod.)
2-in-1 Invisible Selfie Stick + Tripod
Clue's in the name, but just in case, you can use this one as a 105cm invisible selfie stick, or press the button to fold out the built-in tripod to set up and shoot. It features a universal 1/4" mounting point that's compatible with most cameras and accessories. This one is great for still shots (think timelapses where you need it in one place for a long time).
Mini 2-in-1 Tripod
Imagine a tripod and selfie stick all in one... but make it small. With a miniature design, this selfie stick is perfect for snapping a selfie with our GO series, or setting up one of our AI webcams.
Heads up: since they're not 360 cameras, the selfie stick won't be invisible.
Top Tips
So now you know what selfie sticks are available, it's time you learned how to use them. We've got a full guide on how to use the Invisible Selfie Stick here, but some key things to remember:
- 360 only: In case we weren't clear, the selfie stick's ability to disappear is only possible with 360-degree footage. If you're using this with one of our Ace series cameras, you can use the AI Selfie Stick Eraser in the app for a similar effect, but it won't be anywhere like the real thing.
- Get the mounting right: Try to keep the two camera lenses parallel with the stick—right down the middle.
- Choose the right length: For vlogs where you're the main subject, we recommend a distance of about 50–70 centimeters. If you're doing video-game-style third-person shots, extend the stick to its maximum length. And if you want to go aerial, go for our 3-meter-long option.
- Positioning: Due to the way fisheye lenses can exaggerate distance, it's best to put the camera a bit closer to your subject than you might with a standard camera. Don't worry, you can get rid of the fisheye look in the edit and revert to a natural, undistorted perspective.
- Get creative: You'll find a variety of unique effects that take full advantage of the Invisible Selfie Stick in the Shot Lab section of the Insta360 app. Shot Lab uses a smart AI-powered editing algorithm to analyze your shots and automatically turn them into an awesome final edit, and you don't even need to plan ahead.
Congrats, you've officially graduated from Invisible Selfie Stick High. Now all you have to do is choose one! From vlogging hidden gems in your city to being pounded by waves as you wake-surf, just know Insta360 has your selfie stick needs covered. And it will look like your camera is floating in mid-air, which is cool.
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