The Other Side of the Fad
As the name implies, a 360-degree camera captures the entire world around it. They were a hot ticket item for a short time, with dozens of models available. But the fad is over, the dust has settled, and some big names, including Samsung, having dropped out of the market. That leaves you with fewer choices today. GoPro makes the best consumer model we’ve tested, the Max, but it’s not as good an action camera as the less expensive Hero8 Black.
GoPro’s big competition is the Insta360 One R, released earlier this year, but we’ve haven’t yet had a chance to review it. The One R’s big appeal is swappable camera modules, so it can double as a traditional 4K camera in addition to 360-degree capture.
We recommend most videographers shopping for a small camcorder look at a traditional action camera first. The GoPro Hero8 Black is our current favorite, but there are others to consider—check out our top picks if you’re not to committed to 360 video.
But there are reasons to get a camera with dual lenses and spherical capture.
Why Buy a 360 Camera?
Realtors can use the tech to create virtual tours. You’ll want to think of it as an additional tool in your bag, though, not a panacea. You should still have a 12-24mm full-frame zoom for interiors and a drone for aerial shots.
Creatives are sure to see more use for re-framed spherical video. If you go with the GoPro Max or Insta360 One R or One X you’ll have excellent software tools to convert your spherical video into something that’s viewable on any TV or smartphone display. You can do this with budget cameras too, but you’ll need to bring your own software to the party.
All About the Software
If you’re thinking about buying a 360-degree camera, you should first think about how you’ll use it. Sure, you can record spherical footage and share it on YouTube or Facebook. But as Gear VR and Google Cardboard headsets have gone out of fashion, there are fewer eyeballs out there craving this type of footage.
Instead, you’ll find the real power in 360 capture is in reframing the spherical video into a squarely two-dimensional 16:9 frame.
Software editing tools, typically phone-based (but there’s also desktop and tablet software available in some cases), allow you to set angles of view for shots, and either pan or cut your footage to switch between them. This allows you to direct the viewer’s attention, rather than letting them explore the spherical space, so you’ll maintain control over the narrative flow of your project.
There are other benefits too. Because the camera is capturing such an immersive angle of view, and not using all of it, digital stabilization is extremely effective, even better than we’ve seen from the best action cams.
You do have to rethink how to shoot when rolling footage with the intent of reframing later on. You’ll need to take care in placing the camera so you can cut out different angles and still get compelling footage. And, of course, there are plenty of different projections to play with, including a Little Planet view that bends the world into a tiny spherical globe.
Beyond 4K
We’re used to seeing small camcorders capture 4K footage, a format that squeezes 8MP of detail in each frame. But stretching those pixels out over a 360-degree sphere really harms quality. Because of this, the top-tier 360-degree cameras offer resolution beyond 5K, which is enough to pull crisp 2K (1080p) video out when reframing footage.
These cameras are mostly video-first, though most also offer still capture. If you’re more of a photographer than videographer, think about an inexpensive model—the YI 360 VR won’t empty your pockets and snaps 16MP stills.
Regardless, skip older and ultra-budget models that top out at 2K. They’re just not worth your time. For video you’ll want 4K capture at the bare minimum, but you’ll be better off with a camera that approaches 6K if you can afford it.
Stitching?
If you’re buying a 360-degree video camera today, get one that stitches footage on its own, rather than offloading the process to your computer or smartphone. The GoPro Max, Insta360 One R, and Insta360 One X all fit the bill.
It’s something you should definitely pay attention to when shopping. Some models, mostly older cameras now selling at a discount, only provide desktop software, and macOS support can be spotty. Check reviews and system requirements before snapping one of these up—you may find that the effort to process the footage is more hassle than it’s worth.
You should be aware that, even with the best models, there can be stitching problems when objects get too close to the camera. You’ll have no problem with someone walking right up to the front of a lens, but the same subject getting close to the side may disappear into the ether. There is some overlap between multiple lenses to help blend the two halves of video together, but we’ve yet to see a device that can do it perfectly in all situations.
Once video is stitched into a flat equirectangular projection, you can edit it just like any other video file. The latest version of Adobe Premiere Pro CC handles 360-degree footage easily, and outputs it in a format that you can upload directly to YouTube or Facebook, where viewers will be able to experience spherical footage via a headset or on a tablet screen.
If you want to reframe your footage to cut in with 16:9 video, you’ll need to reach for other tools. We recommend most people go with a camera that includes good software tools for this. Stick with a GoPro or Insta360 if you want good software support.
Viewing Footage: Screens and Goggles
While marketing departments really, really want you to buy a VR headset, they simply haven’t reached a point of ubiquity. If you have one, you can certainly view 360-degree videos if you want to keep them spherical and navigable.
For hosting, you’ll want to look at Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube. The latter two services offer the best video quality, though. You can’t share spherical footage on the most popular service for creatives, Instagram, however. And, given that 360’s moment has all but passed, I wouldn’t expect to see the feature added down the road.
Instead, you’ll get the most flexibility in sharing video if you reframe it to a 16:9 format. There, you can embed anywhere you would a normal video, including Instagram, and many of the software apps support pulling out vertical footage for Stories and Snapchat, adding appeal for vloggers and influencers alike.
Regardless of how you intend to utilize the footage, it’s important to look at a 360 camera as another tool in the kit. The footage you’re able to capture using the tech can be compelling, but it’s certainly not the right tool to use for every shot in a video, or even for every project. A good 360-degree camera can supplement your action cam, drone, or full-frame mirrorless video rig, but it’s not a replacement for any of them.
