Guide: Professional ZCam K2 Pro VR production rig
Start shooting professional VR videos with the ZCam K2 Pro camera.
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The ZCam K2 Pro is a professional VR camera with 5800x2700px sensor @ 60FPS, 10-bit color recording in h.265 with 200MKX fish-eye lenses. It consists of two synchronized ZCam E2 cinematic cameras, and provides more advanced visual quality footage compared to the K1 Pro camera, especially in low light environments. This is a professional tool and some experience in video production is recommended.
Be sure to record in 3696x2772@60fps mode, rec.709 color, HEVC. Equirectangular projection resulting in 5400x2700px 180º video. It’s recommended to use MistikaVR or Mistika Boutique products for stitching and rendering. Follow this 200º FOV stitching tutorial for advanced field of view. For enhanced movement perception, interpolate the footage to 90 or 120FPS to match the headset's display rate.
Alongside the camera, additional components are required to build a full rig (see below) and to set up lighting. If you aren’t yet familiar with setting up a lighting rig, try to use daylight.
We recommend watching what’s being filmed using VR while recording to make sure the scene is properly set.
Double check all the connections to ensure all cables are connected properly.
Feel free to send us a sample video for review.
ZCam apps are known to work better with iOS devices, thus we recommend using iPads. Setup your iPads to watch left and right K2 cameras separately.
Make sure to render the video in 8-bit color, as there’s no headset with a 10-bit display.
The process of VR video production:
- Camera rig setup
- Lighting setup
- Shooting (optional: monitoring in VR while shooting)
- Optional: Interpolation to 90 or 120 FPS to match headsets display rate
- Editing video and audio
- Stereo stitching (recommended: Mistika VR or Mistika Boutique)
- Color grading
- Rendering output file in 60-80 Mbps
- Watch in VR headset to make sure frames are in sync
Troubleshooting:
Manage camera settings with the iOS or Windows app, (the Android app is missing multiple features).
Use USB Type-C cable instead of WiFi, otherwise the camera will stutter.
The codec / img format settings of the left camera (Secondary) are only possible through the app.
Recording start and iso / fps / wb settings are possible only on the right camera (Primary), through physical buttons or app. Settings will be applied to both cameras.
Put the SD card into the right camera (Primary) and format it before first use. Insert formatted SD into left camera.
This is a basic ZCam K2 Pro POV rig setup:
1*ZCam K2 Pro (MKX200 lens)
Cards:
2*Angelbird 256GB AV Pro CF CFast 2.0 Memory Card
Cables:
2*Alvin Z Cam E2 Camera Power Cord Right Angle 4 Pin To D Tap 12 Inches Length Durable
1*Alvin Z CAM E2 Sync Cable For Dual Camera Right Angle 10 Pin Male For K2 Pro Prototype
2*Native Union BELT CABLE XL (USB-C TO LIGHTNING)
Rig:
1*Matthews Sky High Combo Triple Riser Steel Stand - 15' 3"
1*Matthews Mini Boom (45-80")
1*Modern Baby Pin 6"x5/8" Double Headed
1*Matthews Studio Equipment 350623 1/4"-20 Male to 5/8" Female Receiver
1*Matthews Studio Equipment 2-1/2" Hollywood Grip Head
1*Sandbag - 35 lbs
1*Sirui K-10x Ball Head
2*LyxPro TSM1 ipad holder
Control:
2*Apple Ipad 8 generation or higher
Lighting:
3*Matthews Hollywood Century C Stand Grip Arm Kit - 10.5' (3.2m)
3*Sandbag - 20 lbs
3*Matthews MQ Mount for T-12 Tubes
2*Quasar Science Q-LED - X - 4' (48") Crossfade Linear LED Lamp
1*Quasar Science Q-LED - X - 2' (24") Crossfade Linear LED Lamp
Audio:
Stereo recorder
Free Space Binaural Microphone (recommended)
Power:
Lemo-Dtap adapter
Extension Dtap cable
Vmount Battery
Tripod:
Manfrotto MK055XPRO3-3W tripod
SmallRig Magic Arm 10 Inch 2066
SmallRig Small Ball Head 2163
SmallRig Barrel Nut 862
Light:
Led Ring Yongnuo YN208PRO and NP-F770/NP-F750 battery (or similar)
Moving rig:
Moza Air 2 or similar
