Digital review: Samsung Gear 360 VR camera puts focus on fun and convenience
Short list of compatible smartphones likely to hold back sales of this ‘cute’ piece of kit
Soon after virtual reality headsets such as the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift hit shop shelves, cameras that produce VR content began to appear on the market. Now, 360-degree photography is all the rage. The Samsung Gear 360 is the latest arrival.
The Gear 360 has a striking design. It looks like a futuristic camera drone, if not a cute anime figurine, with its huge lenses.The camera is relatively small, just a little smaller than a tennis ball. The foldable rubber “legs” serve as a mini tripod or a grip. You can interchange this handle with tripods of different sizes on the market.
The camera measures 66.7 x 56.3 x 60.1mm and most of its 153 grams is packed into the top lens module. You may want to slip it into the included pouch or risk scratching the exposed lenses when it is not in use. A flap with rubber seals protects its microSD card slot, USB port and the removeable battery. The rest of the body has a IP53 rating, meaning it can withstand a few quick splashes just fine.
Photo and video quality
The Gear 360 has two lenses – a standard set-up for consumer 360 cameras. Each captures vista – moving or still – up to 180 degrees and they are then stitched together. Objects along the stitch lines become slightly distorted and colours under certain lighting conditions have appeared slightly different also.