360 rumors

I got an inexpensive third person view mount / harness from eBay  for GoPro, action cameras, and 360 cameras.  Here's a sample 360 video from this mount.  UPDATE: found on Amazon a nearly identical mount . Here's how the backpack mount looks: The harness has clamps that you can use to configure the two included pipes and elbow to choose an angle for the camera.  It uses a GoPro style adapter, so you may need a GoPro to 1/4-20 adapter. For this sample video I used the Xiaomi Mi Sphere yet again because it's lightweight and stabilized.  Here's the video: I would say the harness did its job and I like that you can position the camera in many ways.  The issue is that when walking, the camera will move side to side.  Fortunately, the Xiaomi Mi Sphere's stabilization keeps the horizon level.  Without stabilization, I imagine it would be difficult to watch.  The mount is much smoother for videos while riding a bike, or other wheeled vehicle as you ...

VRDL360 is a 360 camera with 7K photos and 3K video that will be launching on or around June 12, 2017.  Should you get one? VRDL360 is a new 360 camera that will be crowdfunded and is launching in a couple of weeks.  It looks very similar to the Ricoh Theta S, but offers better specifications: - Photo resolution: 7K (I am guessing it to be 6912 x 3456) - Video resolution: 3K (I am guessing it to be 3008 x 1504, but could be 3456 x 1728) - Live streaming: 3K (I am guessing it to be 3008 x 1504) - removable Micro SD up to 128GB Here is a video about it: On paper, the VRDL360 specifications look pretty good, and do beat those of the market leader Ricoh Theta S seemingly in every way.  Moreover, it appears to have a thin body just like that of the Theta, and with a small distance between the lenses, it will be less susceptible to parallax stitching error. Moreover, even though they don't say it, if VRDL360 has live streaming capability, it will likely have an in-camera stitch...

Gearbest has a flash sale with discounts on a couple of VR headsets and some action cameras that can be used for 360 camera rigs. HIGH RESOLUTION VR HEADSET: PIMAX 4K Pimax's 4K VR headset is a desktop VR headset with a 4K (3840 x 1920) screen.  The per-eye resolution is 1920 x 1920, which is significantly higher than that of the HTC Vive or Rift (1080 x 1200).  Upload VR tried it and they said that it was crisper than anything they had seen .   Pimax 4K is on sale at GearBest for $375  with free shipping. HOMAGE TO GOOGLE DAYDREAM: MI PLAY 2 Xiaomi's Mi Play 2 is a Google Cardboard viewer based on the design of the Google Daydream headset (but I don't have anything to indicate that it is an actual Daydream headset with NFC codes etc.).  It fits phones with screens from 4.7 to 5.7 inches.  It looks like a comfortable Cardboard viewer.   It's on sale for $23.99  with free shipping to the US. 4K ACTION CAMERAS ON SALE There are several 4K action cam...

GPS and adventure equimpent manufacturer Garmin is launching the Virb 360, a rugged, waterproof fully spherical 360 camera with 5K 360 video on May 24, 2017.  Here's what we know so far. Key specifications and features so far: - two lenses - field of view: fully spherical - video resolution: 5K - Waterproof to 10 meters, probably without an additional housing - 360 audio - Wi-Fi - G-Metrix captures action data (such as temperature, altimeter, etc.) and may be able to overlay it on the 360 video. Here is a teaser video: So far, on paper, this looks like the camera that people were hoping for the Nikon Keymission 360.  I'm somewhat concerned that the distance between lenses looks quite large.  I hope the stitching is up to par.  I also hope that the stitching in underwater videos takes refraction into account. Other features that I am SPECULATING that it will have: - shockproof up to 2 meters, possibly with replaceable lenses - live streaming - in-camera stitching, po...

I was curious about how long the Xiaomi Mi Sphere can record at its full resolution, so I tested it.  The results were astonishing! One of the quirks of the Xiaomi is that it can get hot.  Very hot.  As hot as your coffee cup.  This is because the frame on the edge is made of metal, and I believe it acts as a radiator for the processor.  Because the Xiaomi gets very hot, I've been concerned about how long it can record video, so I've never tried to record for very long (besides the fact that very long 360 videos can get boring). Nonetheless, it's always good to know the limits of your equipment, so I decided today would be the day I would find out. Part 1: Plugged in . One of the cool things about the Xiaomi is that you can connect it to a USB power source and it will power the camera while recording.  That's what I did for the first test.  I set up the Xiaomi to record video, while plugged into a USB adapter.  It was in a small room with no fan a...

Here is a video tutorial on using the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 camera.  I also have late-breaking news on possible workarounds using third party software. The Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 3.5K panoramic camera currently appears to offer the highest video quality for 360 cameras for $300 or less, and it is one of the few that offer manual exposure controls.  Together with fairly smooth stitching, edge-to-edge sharpness, and a 24mp photo resolution, it offers an excellent package for those looking for an entry-level or even intermediate 360 camera. The only problem with the Mi Sphere is that its software is not straightforward and has quite a few bugs.  In this video, I will show how to use Xiaomi and hopefully demystify the Mi Sphere's software. As you saw in the video, the Mi Sphere has a few issues when stitching or exporting videos.  I therefore recommend trying out some files from the Xiaomi on your phone before buying it. iOS app Android app Unstitched samples for yo...

Crowdfunded 360 camera Nico360 just posted an update.  Here are my thoughts. Back in June 2016,  Nico360 launched a crowdfunded 360 camera that offered amazing specs, including Adobe DNG raw support and 360 wireless livestreaming.  Delivery was promised October 2016.  It's now May 2017 and there is still no sign of the camera. Nico360 did post an update today , saying that they encountered overheating issues.  They said solving the overheating problems "will cost another three or four weeks."   But they did release the [final?] resolution of the camera: - photo resolution: 6912 x 3456 - video resolution: up to 3840 x 1920 @ 24fps - live streaming: up to 2560 x 1280 @ 30fps. Those are indeed juicy looking specs.  The problem is they seem too good to be true.  The photo resolution is identical to the Xiaomi Mijia Sphere 360, but the Sphere 360, backed by the financial resources of Xiaomi, has video that tops out at 3.5K, and is selling fo...

Acer announced the Holo 360, a hybrid device that is both a 360 camera and smartphone. Just the other day, my friend Ben Claremont (Life in 360) and I were discussing about when 360 cameras would become truly popular, and Ben's prediction was that phones would have built-in 360 cameras, which would make them grow in popularity.  In that regard, one of the fastest growing sub-categories of 360 cameras of the past year have been 360 cameras that attach to smartphones (such as the Insta360 Nano, Insta360 Air and Giroptic iO).   We also saw two smartphones from Protruly called Darling that had built-in 360 cameras . Acer today made a surprise announcement of the Holo 360, a hybrid device that is a 360 camera but can also function as an Android smartphone.  The underlying premise is that you would be able to share your 360 photos and videos directly from the Holo 360 without connecting the camera to a phone or desktop.  Acer did not give other details (such as resolution...

Panasonic AW-360 at NAB 2017. Photo credit: Svend Even Haerra At NAB Show 2017, Panasonic again showcased their 4k 360 live streaming camera, only this time, they confirmed that it would be entering production.  Panasonic is now the third major camera manufacturer (after Ricoh Pentax and Nikon) to enter the growing 360 camera industry. About five months ago at the International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition, Panasonic showed a prototype 360 camera with 4k live streaming .  At NAB Show 2017, Panasonic confirmed that they would be producing the 360 camera, called the 360 Live Camera (AW-360).  They also revealed more specifications. The AW-360 consists of a camera head (AW-360C10) and a base unit (AW-360B10).  Here are the key specifications: - four 1/2.3-inch sensors - four fisheye lenses with f/2.4 aperture - video resolution: 3840 x 1920 - frame rates: 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94 The AW-360 streaming has very low latency and is uncompressed for high image quality. Another...

Probably the biggest news for 360 cameras out of NAB Show 2017 is the Yi 360 VR, a 360 camera with 5.7K video, the highest video resolution for consumer 360 cameras thus far, for just $399.  I had a chance to talk to Yi Technology about the Yi 360 VR. Here is the 360 video interview with Yi Technology's Director of Marketing.  Also with me was Svend Even Haerra from NRK, Norway's Public Broadcasting Station.  You also get to see my reaction when I first found out about the Yi 360 VR! :D (To shoot the video, I used the Nikon Keymission 360 and Guru 360 gimbal .) If you found the video helpful, please take a moment to hit the Like button on YouTube, and and please consider subscribing to the 360 Rumors YouTube channel ! For specifications and other info on the Yi 360 VR see here .  Again, the Yi 360 VR is $399, shipping in June.  If you are interested in preordering the Yi 360 VR, you can sign up here  (you'll need to scroll down to the bottom of the page). ...

The Polaroid R360 is a fully spherical 360 camera that is being crowdfunded at 699 yuan (around US$100). Here are the key specifications: - two 210-degree fisheye lenses - f/2.4 aperture - photo resolution: 3040 x 1520 - video resolution: 1920 x 1080 @ 30fps - realtime stitching - uses Micro SD memory cards up to 128GB The Polaroid R360 is being crowdfunded at a price of 699 yuan (around US$100) for the camera by itself or 749 yuan (around $108.50) for a camera with a case .  As with any crowdfunding case, it's not a preorder and you are not guaranteed to receive the camera. I don't know if they plan to release the camera in other countries.

720VV's O3 is a 360 camera with near-4k resolution and livestreaming. Here are the key specifications: - three lenses - 1/2.3 inch sensors - video resolution:  3500 x 1750 @ 25 fps - livestream or realtime stitching resolution: 2560 x 1280 @ 25 fps - mic jack input - AC adapter available - 3 hours battery life - 380g The manufacturer posted this computer generated picture to illustrate its size: There are sample videos here .  The field of view is not exactly fully spherical because of the large nadir.  I  estimate  around 330 degrees FOV.  The stitching looks very good, although the dynamic range looks quite limited. It appears that the O3 will retail for 7,000 yuan (around US$1,015).  The O3 is being offered on a Chinese crowdfunding site, for 5,000 yuan (around US$725) with an early bird price of 4,000 yuan (around US$580) .   Update :  the price in the US will be $699 .  According to 720VV's representative, they will be shi...

TwoEyes VR is now live on Kickstarter .  The good news is that it's really $199 for the Super Early Bird ($219 to $239 for others).  The not-so-good news is that the shipping is $50.   Ouch.  Nonetheless, even with the $50 shipping, it is currently both the most affordable 3D 360 camera and for backers up to $219, the most affordable 4k 360 camera.  The next cheapest 4k 360 camera is the Samsung Gear 360 at $275 ( reviewed here ). The release date is planned for August 2017 .  The caveat is that it's a crowdfunding project which are usually delayed and moreover, it could fail completely and in the worst case scenario means that you might lose the money you paid. Some updates: - I asked TwoEyesTech about the flickering in their sample video and their Director of Business Operations said the flickering is from the artificial lights used in the room and not the optics or sensor of their camera. - TwoEyes uploaded some new photos, including photos that show ...

Mark your calendars: TwoEyesVR (hands-on here) will launch on Kickstarter on January 16 .  I'm still not sure about the exact price.  The reps said would be $399, but the Kickstarter draft preview still seems to show an early bird price of just $199 (???).  Even at $399, it would be the most affordable 3D 360 camera by a significant margin.  If it really is available at $199, it would not only be the cheapest 3D 360 camera but the lowest cost 4k-capable 360 camera.

A couple of months ago, I posted about the Detu Sphere S , a higher resolution version of the Sphere 800 .  The Detu Sphere S is now available from an Amazon reseller, at $160 plus shipping .  Interestingly, it seems that Sphere S is one of the few 360 cameras that may be able to handle night sky photography. Here's a recap of the Sphere S specs: - 12mp sensor - field of view: 236 degrees - aperture: f/2.0 - 1/2.3 inch 12mp backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor by Sony - photo resolution: 4000 x 3000 - video resolution: 2880 x 2160 @ 24 fps; 2560 x 1440 @ 30 fps - weight: 77 grams - dimensions: 50×50×43mm The Sphere S can export its video in equirectangular mp4 for viewing on a VR headset, although the resolution of 2880 x 2160 is not the standard 2:1, which makes me wonder if the video will appear distorted. One of the interesting features of the Sphere S is that it has a manual exposure mode, with a shutter speed that can be as slow as 24 seconds .  This would be usefu...

I saw several 360 cameras for consumers at CES 2017, but the one that I am most excited about is the Kodak Orbit360 4k .  Here's why. In 2016, there were several 360 cameras, but all of them had one or more significant issues.  For example the Ricoh Theta S has great photos, but its video resolution is too low.  The Samsung Gear 360 has great photos and good videos, but is compatible only with high end Samsung phones, and needs an S7 or a desktop to get the full video quality.  The Nikon Keymission 360 is actionproof and stitches videos in-camera, but it's soft at edges, and has connectivity issues.  Kodak PIXPRO's own SP360 4k Dual Pro stands out for its video quality but it too has many usability issues. The new Orbit360 4k (formerly called the 4KVR360 -- thank goodness for the name change!) is a new intermediate-level 360 camera that seems to check all the boxes. The Orbit360 4k has an unusual design.  It uses the same lens as the SP360 4k with a 235...

I got to see the Sphericam Beast and Sphericam 2 , two professional 360 cameras with livestreaming capability.  I got to meet their CEO/Founder Jeffrey Martin and their CRO Gaja Zornada.  They showed a livestream from each camera and they both looked very good from the large LCD screen. According to Jeffrey, they are working on improving the Sphericam 2, and will be launching it in early 2017.   Here is the official Sphericam website .

The Vuze camera is the first affordable 4k 3D 360 camera, and was the camera I was most eagerly anticipating in 2016.  Unfortunately, it was delayed for additional tests . Our correspondent in Germany, Sven Neuhaus, got to see Vuze at Photokina 2016, but they only showed him a sample video.  At CES 2017, I met with Humaneyes' GM for North America, Jim Malcolm, who had been the President for Ricoh Imaging Americas and had helped bring the Ricoh Theta to the US market.  Jim showed me a working camera, and walked me through the entire process from capture to viewing the final video on an HTC Vive.  Here are my impressions of the Vuze. Update: I now have the Vuze.  Here is an unboxing and my first impressions! Here is the Vuze's retail box. HARDWARE First of all, a few things have changed.  Originally, the Vuze's memory was not removable.  That meant that once the memory was filled up (~1 hour capacity), you had to download everything via USB 2.0 before y...