360 rumors

I compared two of the best 360 cameras for consumers right now: Garmin Virb 360 and Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere for low light performance in typical indoor lighting conditions.  Here's the video: Both cameras did very well in this low light test.  As for which one is better, here are my thoughts: Without editing, the Garmin Virb 360 looks underexposed compared to the Xiaomi.  In Premiere, I added +1.0EV exposure, which made the Garmin exposure look more similar to that of the Xiaomi. Remarkably, the Virb video held up to the adjustment and did not show any noticeable increase noise. With the adjustment, the Virb and Xiaomi look very similar, but the Virb video is actually more detailed.  Here are closeup cropped portions of each video: Nonetheless, there is a huge $500+ difference between these two cameras, so you might say they are both winners in their own way.  In terms of absolute image quality, the Virb 360 edged out the Xiaomi, but the Xiaomi is so much mo...

Ben Claremont (Life in 360) compares seven 360 cameras for their low light performance!  Which cameras came out on top?  The answer will surprise you! Here's the video: Spoiler alert below ! . . . . . In my own testing, I found similar results as Ben did, although I would have a different ranking for these same cameras. For me, the Insta360 Air  ( reviewed here ) and Insta360 Nano are pretty good for low light because even though they have quite a lot of noise, there seems to be more detail in the shadows in low light.  Check out this sample . The Xiaomi Mijia MI SPHERE ( reviewed here ) did well because it uses Sony IMX206 sensors which are backside illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensors, which means the wiring for the sensors is behind the photodiodes, allowing more light to reach the photodiodes.   However, the contrast curve for the Xiaomi seems a bit aggressive, so it looks good with the highlights and midtones but the shadow areas in low light are almost totall...

Here is a quick informal photo and video comparison between two of the best 360 cameras at the moment: the Garmin Virb 360 ($799 ; first impressions here ) and the Xiaomi Mi Sphere ($250 to $300; reviewed here ). When I reviewed the Xiaomi Mi Sphere, I found it to have the best photo and video quality among consumer 360 cameras around $350 or less.  Meanwhile, the Garmin has launched the Virb 360 with 5.7K video* (4K in-camera stitched), which is the most feature-rich 360 camera I am aware of, bar none. Both cameras feature image stabilization, which puts them heads-and-shoulders above the competition, IMHO.  No doubt the Xiaomi is a great choice, but is it worth spending the extra to get the Virb 360?  To help you answer that, I took a quick sample of photos and videos from these two cameras for comparison.  (Note: the Virb is using firmware 2.70, while the Xiaomi is using firmware 12494). Here are the videos.  The first is a montage that alternates between th...

Here is a full review of the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 camera, which has become one of my favorite 360 cameras for its excellent image quality and incredible image stabilization. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Xiaomi Mi Sphere is an excellent 360 camera that has the highest image quality for both photos and videos among cameras around $350 or less (for photo quality, I would say there is no better 360 camera unless you are willing to buy a Panono).  On top of that, its image stabilization really works, and it works very well.  On the other hand, the Mi Sphere has significant drawbacks that you should review before buying it. Here is the video review: WHAT'S IN THE BOX The Xiaomi Mi Sphere includes: - the camera - a mini tripod / handle - a Micro USB cable - a water resistant pouch The Xiaomi is very well made, with a sleek matte black outer finish with hidden LED indicators (like the Theta).  The frame is metal, which makes the Xiaomi feel solid but also helps to radiate heat (...

This is Part 2 of this series in which we look at the best 360 cameras for beginners, this time focusing on the best beginner 360 camera for photographers . In Part 1 of this series , I discussed how 360 photos and videos are created, and I explained that my primary criteria for beginner 360 cameras is ease of use, to enable a beginning 360 photographer to learn the craft and avoid frustration. Part 1 was about the easiest 360 cameras to use (not just for taking the photo, but also for viewing and sharing them).  In this Part, the primary audience is photographers who are new to 360 cameras. The primary considerations for this group are the image quality and exposure controls .  I won't limit the choices to the absolute easiest 360 cameras, but the cameras here will still be easy to use. For 360 photography    If you're a photographer trying a 360 camera for the first time, you may be surprised that most of them don't offer exposure controls (beyond exposure compe...

Ben Claremont (Life in 360) posted these seven 360 cameras that he's most looking forward to in the remaining half of 2017.  Check out his video: Which of these cameras are most exciting to you?  Let me know in the comments!

Ben Claremont (Life in 360) gives a very detailed comparison of the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 and the original Gear 360.  I'll let you know my take on these two cameras as well. Here's the video: SECOND OPINION Here are my own thoughts on the two:      The original Gear 360 is actually a very good 360 camera.  Its biggest problem was poor compatibility.  It worked only with high-end Samsung smartphones (S6 and above).  In addition, the desktop software was for Windows only.      As for me, I liked it but I have to admit I didn't use it all that often after a while.  The photos were nice but not reliable because of blurgate.  I liked it well enough for videos but one thing I didn't like was the glare (something that Ben notes in his comparison as well).  As far as I can tell, the glare is a reflection of the concentric rings around the lens.  It's quite distracting, in my opinion, and very difficult to correct.  And ...

If you're looking for a 360 camera for a beginner, here are the ones I would recommend for ease of use.  I've also linked to among the most comprehensive hands-on reviews you will find anywhere, not just a mindless regurgitation of a spec sheet. Update : added a new camera -- the Garmin Virb 360!  Find out why it made the list! INTRODUCTION: HOW 360 CAMERAS WORK 360 cameras work by having two or more lenses take photos or videos at the same time.  The photos and videos then have to be combined into a whole (this process is called " stitching "). The farther the distance between the lenses, the harder it is to stitch smoothly.  Some cameras are also better at stitching (with less obvious stitches) than others.  The process is usually automatic, although a few cameras allow stitching to be customized. After stitching, a 360 photo or video needs one more step: it needs special information in the file so that viewing software will recognize it as a 360 photo or vide...

Z Cam's Kinson Loo showed comparison videos between the Z Cam S1 and the Z Cam S1 Pro! The Z Cam S1 is a professional 360 camera with 6K resolution with amazing image quality.   I've posted several impressive examples . Z Cam followed up with the new S1 Pro, which has a similar body but instead uses larger Micro Four Thirds lenses paired with iZugar lenses.  It hasn't been launched officially yet, but I recently posted an S1 Pro sample here . To show the difference in image quality between the two cameras, Z Cam's Kinson Loo posted 360 videos from the two cameras at the same location, in similar lighting conditions. Here is the sample from the S1: Here is the sample from the S1 Pro: What do you think?  Let me know in the comments below!   The Z Cam S1 is $2,499 and the optional WonderStich software is $1,499 .  I don't know yet the S1 Pro's price or availability.

I compared four #360consumer cameras with the best low light performance - 2017 Samsung Gear 360 (available here) - Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 camera (available here) - Kodak SP360 4K Dual Pro (available here) - Nikon Keymission 360 (available here) . Which camera came out on top?  See the videos for yourself! I wanted to know which 360 camera performs best under indoor lighting (on a late afternoon).  I compared four 4K cameras: -  2017 Samsung Gear 360 (available here) . Currently one of the hottest new 360 cameras.  Ben Claremont found that it beat last year's Gear 360 in low light performance.  How would it fare against other competitors? -  Nikon Keymission 360 (available here) .  In my experience, the Nikon Keymission has pretty good low light quality and that's why I included it here. -  Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere 360 camera (available here) .  It's a 360 camera from Xiaomi, co-creators of the Xiaomi Yi action camera.  Not a lot of...

My friend Ben Claremont (Life in 360) compared the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 with the original Gear 360.  Check out his comparison! Ben is a preeminent 360 shooter, one of the first to be recognized for tiny planet photos and videos.  He has been shooting with 360 since 2015 and knows his 360 gear, as it were.  He got the 2017 Gear 360 last week and has been testing it.  Here is his comparison between the 2017 Gear 360 and the original Gear 360: I agree with Ben's findings.   You can check out my comparison between the 2017 Gear 360 and original Gear 360 here .   I also have an updated comparison here (comparing the original files) .  I will also be working on the mega-comparison (with twelve 360 cameras) as soon as I get the Xiaomi Mijia Sphere 360 (which should be arriving this week). In the meantime, if you want to get the 2017 Gear 360, it's available here: - Amazon - B&H Photo - eBay The original Gear 360 is available below and can be found below...

How does the 2017 Samsung Gear 360 compare against last year's video quality champ?  Check out these comparison videos. Last year, I found that the Kodak SP360 4k Dual Pro had the best video quality among consumer 360 cameras.  I thought it would be interesting to compare the 2017 Gear 360 against the SP360 4K Dual Pro.  Here's a playlist with a sample from the SP360 4K Dual Pro and another sample from 2017 Gear 360. Here are screenshots (the bluish one is the SP360 4K). For near objects, the SP360 4K Dual Pro was sharper and more detailed. SP360 4K Dual Pro 2017 Gear 360 For distant objects, the SP360 was also more detailed.  In the SP360 sample below, you can see the texture of the far wall. On the 2017 Gear 360, the texture on the wall is not visible. On the other hand, the stitching on the Gear 360 is far superior: SP360 4K Dual Pro stitching 2017 Gear 360 stitching In summary, the Kodak SP360 4k Dual Pro appears to be sharper and more detailed than the 2017 Gear...