Shooting 360 degree video, which can be viewed on Youtube, Facebook or with a VR headset, was once reserved for professionals with a professional budget. Over the last year, we’ve begun seeing a number of manufacturers releasing 360 degree cameras that promise high quality immersive video at a price point that consumers can actually afford.
We rounded up the 360 degree cameras that are currently on the market for under $US1000 ($1,412) and took them to a puppy school to see how they stacked up.
Note: For the best puppy experience, we highly recommend watching the video portion of this review with a Cardboard or other VR headset.
Bublcam, $US800 ($1130)
- Raw Video Resolution: 1440px by 1440px
- Flattened Video Resolution: 1984 px by 992 px
- Number of Lenses: 4
- Field of View Per Lens: 160 degrees
- Full Spherical Video: yes
Theta S, $US350 ($494)
- Raw Video Resolution: 1920px by 1080 px
- Flattened Video Resolution: 1920 px by 960 px
- Number of Lenses: 2
- Field of View Per Lens: 190 degrees
Full Spherical 360° Video: yes
360Fly, $649.95
- Raw Video Resolution: 1504 px by 1504 px
- Flattened Video Resolution: 2560 px by 1280 px
- Number of Lens: 1
- Field of View Per Lens: 240 degrees
Full Spherical 360° Video: no
PIXPRO SP360 4K, $US500 ($706)
- Raw Video Resolution: 2880 px x 2880 px (30 fps)
- Flattened Resolution: 1920px x 960px
- Number of Lens: 1
- Field of View Per Lens: 235 degrees
Full Spherical 360° Video: no
These little cameras make 360 degree video incredibly easy to shoot and share at a price point that is thousands of dollars less than the professional multi-camera rigs, but shooting footage at a resolution that will put you right there in the pile with the puppies is still a ways away for the everyday person.
Special thanks to School for the Dogs for the adorable puppies. Video by Mandy Mandelstein. Graphics by Devin Clark.