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...

I found the perfect camera case for the Garmin Virb 360!  Look at it -- it even fits both cradles, and there's no wasted space.  Here's a video: The case is the Pelican Micro 1010 (available here) .  Here are the benefits: - fits the Garmin and both cradles with no wasted space - Virb and cradles will not move around - Transparent cover lets you see if the camera is inside - You can attach your monopod or selfie stick while the Virb 360 is still in the case (while cover is open obviously) - The case can be used to temporarily cover the Virb like a lens cap while the Virb is on a monopod waiting between recordings. - you can attach a strap to it for your backpack, etc. - includes a carabiner - Water resistant, dustproof, crushproof - Low cost - Proudly made in the USA by Pelican.  Comes with a lifetime guarantee. PLEASE NOTE THE DIRECTION that the lenses are facing. Do not face the lenses to the cradles - they could be scratched! Alternatively, you can also remove the...

I hope you had a great Father's Day weekend.  Over the weekend, I tested the Garmin Virb 360's underwater capabilities in a swimming pool.  Here are videos and photos. The Garmin Virb 360 is waterproof up to 10 meters, without needing a housing.  The Virb is only the second 360 camera for consumers to do that (the first was the Nikon Keymission 360). Of course, just because a camera is waterproof does not negate the laws of physics.  In particular, refraction will often be an issue.  That is why in my list of 12 things to know about the Virb before ordering, I warned that Garmin had not posted any underwater photos or videos, and that there would likely be refraction underwater. I took the Virb 360 to a swimming pool to find out.  As expected there was refraction.  Nonetheless, the stitching looked better than the other 360 cameras I've used underwater, such as the Keymission 360 ( see these samples by Young360 ), the Elecam 360 with its housing ( see...

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...

After a few delays, I finally got the Garmin Virb 360!  I've been really excited about this camera because of its many features.  In fact, I would say that it has the most features of any 360 camera I've encountered, bar none , not the least of which is its unique image stabilization that follows the user's direction of movement instead of being locked in one direction . Here is a recap of the key specifications and features of the Garmin Virb 360: - video resolution: 5760 x 2880 (unstitched) or 3940 x 1920 (in-camera stitched) - photo resolution: 5640 x 2816 (no, that is not a typo) - gyro-based image stabilization - waterproof to 10 meters without a housing - G-Metrix overlay - live streaming - 360 audio The Garmin's box is smaller than I expected.  Maybe I expected a bigger box just because of the cost of the camera.  Here's what's inside: - the Virb 360 - a mini-tripod / handle - one battery (it appears to be specifically only for the Virb 360) - a proprieta...

Here is an update on the Garmin Virb 360's availability and a sample photo. The Garmin Virb 360 is backordered in a few places.  Here is an update on its availability: - Amazon : I ordered mine on May 24, and now I'm getting a ship date of July 7... sigh.  Amazon is usually pretty good with preorders but seems like someone dropped the ball on this one. - Preorders from Amazon UK appear to be having their orders shipped tomorrow but no one has received theirs yet. - B&H Photo : as of today, it seems they're back in stock on June 20. - Best Buy : since Amazon's late and B&H was backordered last week, I grudgingly ordered from Best Buy, supposedly for pick up on June 14.  They charged my card immediately but until now have not shown that my order is being prepared.  Yup.   Update : I just got an email saying my order's been delayed to June 19.... >:-( They did the same thing to my Oculus Touch preorder, which was also delayed.  They even had stock o...

Here are some sample user videos from the Garmin Virb 360, and a sample photo. Sample video by Becky Lane : Sample video by Geoffrey Morrison . Sample video by  Focus Pulling : Sample photo by Focus Pulling : What do you think of these samples?  I am supposed to receive my Virb 360 order this week.  Hopefully it arrives on time.  In the meantime, if you are interested in the Virb 360, you can check out the Facebook group for the Virb 360 here .

The Garmin Virb 360 , Garmin's 5.7K 360 camera, is due to be released within the next couple of weeks.  It is quite expensive at $799 but it is the most feature-rich 360 camera I've seen for consumers.  You may already know that it is waterproof, has gimbal-like image stabilization (spherical stabilization) , 360 surround sound, and voice control for hands-free operation.  Here are  10 other cool features of the Virb 360 that you might not know about (in no particular order). 1.  Remote wake up. The Virb 360 is one of the few 360 cameras that can be remotely turned on from standby (two others are LG 360 Cam and Nikon Keymission 360).  Let's say you are recording a long event and you only want to capture the highlights. With this feature, the Virb can remain off while you wait for the action from a distance.  When the moment comes, you can turn on your Virb remotely to begin recording. This feature does sip the battery on standby, which is wh...

Here are a couple of stabilized aerial 360 videos from the Garmin Virb 360! The Garmin Virb 360 is the latest 360 camera to feature image stabilization that keeps the horizon level, just as if it was on a stabilized 3-axis gimbal. Here's one video: Here's another: The videos look impressive, and I'm very much looking forward to the Virb 360.  In the meantime, if you're interested in getting one, don't forget to check my post on 12 things you should know before ordering the Virb 360 . The Garmin Virb 360 is  available for preorder on Amazon  or  B&H Photo . Besides the Virb, there are a few other options for stabilization, as discussed in this post . OPTION 1 . Use a stabilized gimbal. The two most affordable gimbals for 360 cameras are: Guru 360 ($299):  https://goo.gl/vMCD8l Feiyu G360 ($349 or $359 with extension handle):  http://amzn.to/2rWF6Ia OPTION 2 : stabilized 360 camera. Insta360 Air ($129)  Type C   or  Micro USB  is a 360...

Here is a brief tutorial on a few ways to avoid shaking in your tiny planet videos. Here's the video: To recap, stabilization isn't just for spherical videos.  It's also very useful for tiny planet videos.  Indeed, any shaking tends to get exaggerated in tiny planet videos, so even though the shaking is not going to cause any nausea, stabilization is critical for tiny planet videos.  There are three ways to stabilize the video to avoid shaking: OPTION 1 . Use a stabilized gimbal. Gimbals tend to have the most stability among the three methods.  Another advantage is that a single gimbal can often be used to stabilize any of your 360 cameras, or even your smartphone. The two most affordable gimbals for 360 cameras are: Guru 360 ($299): https://goo.gl/vMCD8l Feiyu G360 ($349 or $359 with extension handle): http://amzn.to/2rWF6Ia OPTION 2 : stabilized 360 camera. A few cameras have gyro-based stabilization: the Insta360 Air, Insta360 Nano, Xiaomi Mi Sphere, and Garmin Vi...