Mantona 360 Turnaround: Time-lapse videos with camera panning
24.2.2020
Translation: machine translated
This thing with an integrated electric motor turns your camera's head. The purpose: to bring movement into time-lapse videos. It works quite well - and if it doesn't, it's down to the user, not the device.
Time-lapse recordings are more exciting if they include camera movement. In English, this is called hyperlapse, as opposed to static timelapse. Hyperlapse can be very time-consuming; there are people who move the tripod a few centimetres for each individual image. This has to be very regular. With several hundred images, it's painstakingly hard work.
Moving the camera is much easier with a self-rotating tripod head - a panoramic head. The Mantona Turnaround 360 has an electric motor that rotates the camera very slowly while it captures the time-lapse images.
Charging
The device uses an outdated micro USB cable for charging and takes a whopping eight hours to do so. According to the data sheet, the operating time is four to six hours. The head can also be used while the device is charging. So you could use a power bank in an emergency. The cable is included in the scope of delivery, but not the power supply unit.
Unfortunately, I can't see the battery level on the device as long as there is still enough battery left. Only when it is too low is this indicated by flashing LEDs.
Aiming
The panoramic head can be placed directly on a surface or mounted on a tripod. It weighs a good 500 grams. Due to its weight, it does not tip over when placed on a surface and a camera with a heavy lens is screwed on. However, if you want to use a tripod, it must be designed for a heavy weight. Of course, this applies even more if you rotate the camera and head by 90 degrees for vertical movement.
The head works with a load of up to two kilograms. Vertically and upside down up to 1.5 kilograms according to the data sheet.
Shooting
Operation is child's play. You set the desired time by repeatedly pressing the corresponding button. The same with a second button regulates the angle, i.e. the rotation that must be completed in this time. A third button starts the process or can stop it prematurely.
Angle and runtime are indicated by LED lights. The disadvantage of this operating concept is that only certain levels can be set. These are 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes for the time and 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 180 and 360 degrees for the angle.
The standard direction of rotation is from left to right - or clockwise when viewed from above. The direction can be changed by pressing two buttons simultaneously. Not every combination of angle and time leads to usable videos. Movements that are too fast lead to jerks in the video and don't look great either. A sensible combination, for example, is 90 degrees in 15 minutes.
Speaking of jerks: I experienced these not only due to the camera moving too quickly, but also due to the autofocus - manual focus is safer. Due to the shift, it can happen that the autofocus does not find a focal point, and then the shooting rhythm gets confused.
Conclusion: Very practical
The Mantona Turnaround 360 has two weaknesses: the extremely long charging time and the fact that only certain angles and times can be selected. Otherwise, the panoramic head is a good thing: solid, easy to use and relatively inexpensive. <p
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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