Tutorial: How to change between recording modes underwater
Written by Axel Busch on 24 February 2022
Mantis Sub controller version 2.5.3
Many professional underwater 360/VR cameras don’t offer the option to change recording modes underwater, or even to turn it on and off to conserve battery power.
With the Insta360 Pro2 in Mantis Sub housing you can not only turn the camera on and off as you like, you can also conveniently and quickly switch between recording modes.
Every Mantis Sub housing ships with a custom electronics and software package, called the The Mantis Sub controller. The Mantis Sub controller processes operator input via the two buttons on the outside of the housing and controls the camera.
The Mantis Sub controller also includes a local WebApp (no internet required) that allows the operator to conveniently and quickly setup recording parameters such as mode, exposure, or white balance.
This article explains how the camera operator can configure and switch between different sets of recording parameters.
Step 1: Enable recording profiles
As most Mantis Sub operators use the standard 8K-3D recording video mode for maximum flexibility in post, we have disabled recording profiles by default so that less experienced operators don’t accidentally record in an unwanted mode.
To enable recording profiles, navigate to the Configuration page and activate “Enable recording profiles” setting.
Here’s a quick recap how to launch the WebApp:
Turn on controller and camera,
Connect your device to the Insta360 Pro/Pro2’s WiFi network
Navigate to http://192.168.43.2/ to access the Mantis Sub web interface
Please notice this is not a “https” connection but simply http. Your browser may default to https:// and you may have to correct that in the address bar.
Once you’re in the Mantis Sub web app, click on the Configuration entry in the main menu.
Enable recording profiles on the Configuration page of the Mantis Sub web app.
Enabling profiles allows you to save up to four different recording settings on the Settings page.
When you enable profiles the buttons are remapped to allow you to change profiles underwater:
Button 1 becomes a toggle for start/stop recording.
Button 2 becomes a toggle for switching the active profile slot.
These settings are stored on the controller and remain active until changed again in the App. A Firmware update does not reset or modify the settings.
Step 2: Setup several recording profiles
After enabling recording profiles, the Settings page shows a new dropdown menu with a Profile slot number.
Each slot allows you to save an independent set of all recording settings. For example you can save a profile with 8K-3D video recording in slot 1, a profile with Raw Timelapse photos in slot 2, and another video profile in slot 3, all with entirely different exposure and white balance settings.
Choose the recording paramaters for each profile in the settings page.
These settings are stored on the controller and remain active until changed again in the App. A Firmware update does not reset or modify the profile settings.
Step 3: Switch between recording profiles
It is very simple to switch between recording profiles while diving:
Press Button 2 once to have the Mantis Sub show you the currently active slot.
The LED will blink blue once for currently active slot: Once for slot 1, twice for slot 2, etc
Press Button 2 again within 10 seconds to switch to the next slot.
The LED will blink blue once for the newly selected slot: Once for slot 1, twice for slot 2, etc.
The selected slot remains active until the controller is restarted, when it defaults to the first slot.
Then simply press Button 1 to stop/start a recording with the settings configured for the currently selected slot.
You can confirm the recording mode of the Pro2 during recording by observing the viewport.
Conclusion
Underwater nobody has time for fiddly menus. With the Mantis Sub housing for Insta360 Pro/Pro2 it’s easy to change recording modes underwater. Simply configure your preferred recording settings before the dive, the quickly toggle between them underwater.
More from the Mantis Sub Academy.
With the Mantis Sub Academy we want to provide a set of free resources to help you getting started with creating 360/VR content. Here are some more articles: