Best 360 Cameras for Beginners Part 2: best 360 cameras for photographers


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 compensation).  The beginner cameras in this group are easy to use for photos, and also do have exposure controls that photographers will appreciate. In addition, because image quality is very important for most photographers, all of the cameras here have great image quality.

1.  BEST EXPOSURE CONTROLS


Ricoh Theta S or Theta SC (£299.00 to (£219.00).  This is the 360 camera that started it all and after all these years, it still has the best-in-class stitching.  It also has the best exposure controls for photography.  The differences between the Theta S and Theta SC are that the Theta S can record for more than 5 minutes, and it has more automatic modes for night sky photography and for bracketing.
Number of steps to get shareable photos or videos: 2.
- Connect to the app wirelessly.
- Download the photo to the Theta app.
When you do, they will be stitched automatically and ready to share from a Theta folder on your Camera Roll or Gallery.
Sample photo:
Feeding a lorikeet at #SanDiego #WildAnimalPark #safari @sdzsafaripark #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
Downsides: low resolution videos (1920 x 960), photo quality not as good as some of the newer 360 cameras, sometimes hard to connect to the app.


2.  BEST IMAGE QUALITY

Xiaomi Mi Sphere ($270 to $320).  This new camera is from Xiaomi.  It has higher image quality than the popular Ricoh Theta (see above), and offers exposure controls similar to the Theta.  Shutter speed can be as slow as 32 seconds and ISO can be set as low as 50 (for both iOS and Android).

Number of steps to get shareable photos: 2 for Android, 3 for iOS.
1.  Connect to the app.
2.  Tap on a photo to download the photo to the app, then they will be stitched automatically and on Android, it will appear in your Gallery, ready for sharing.
3.  (iOS only) On iOS, the photo will be on a hidden directory on iOS.  To move it to your Camera Roll, you need to export the photo, then it will be in your Camera Roll.
For both Android and iOS, the stitched photo or video will have 360 metadata and can be shared to 360 photo sharing sites such as Facebook, Google Streetview, Kuula.co or Roundme.  However, one peculiarity is that they can't be viewed on Google Photos (as of June 2, 2017), even though 360 videos from Xiaomi are displayed correctly on Google Photos.

If you find Google Photos essential for your 360 photos, you can fix the metadata on the Xiaomi photos so that they can be displayed on Google Photos. The process is as simple as opening the file in an app for fixing metadata and saving it into the right format.  There are several apps for that such as Exif Fixer (Mac, Windows) and Photosphere XMP Tagger (Android).
Sample photos:

Downside: for videos, you can only get the full resolution if you have a very high end phone (at least Snapdragon 820 or equivalent).  For photos, the phones I've tested have all gotten the full resolution: iPhone 6, iPhone SE, Samsung S6, Samsung S7, Samsung S8+.  Xiaomi photos also have a strange bug where some straight lines look very slightly wavy.

Other 360 cameras
The 2016 Gear 360 and the 2017 Gear 360 also have pretty good photos, and they also take just 2 steps to get a shareable photo.  However, I didn't select them for this group because they don't have adjustable exposure controls.  Meanwhile, the LG 360 Cam does have manual exposure controls, but the shutter speed is only up to 1/2 second at the slowest.  Finally, the Panono has the highest image quality for photos, and takes only 3 steps to get shareable photos, but their future is uncertain because they recently filed for reorganization, and the shutter is only 2 seconds at the slowest.

SUMMARY
     The two best beginner 360 cameras for photographers are the Ricoh Theta S or SC and the Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere.  The Theta's advantages are its best-in-class stitching and the many automated controls, such as interval composite, which has both an intervalometer and a way to combine the exposure of the resulting photos, making it convenient for star trails, for example. Yes, you do get the individual photos, not just the composite.   (Note: the Theta SC lacks these automated features)

     The Xiaomi Mi Sphere on the other hand, has higher overall image quality (higher resolution, better dynamic range, less chromatic aberration) and also has very good exposure controls with a full manual mode, shutter priority mode (auto or 1 sec. to 32 secs in 1 stop increments), or ISO priority mode (auto or 50 to 1600).  However, as of May 2017, the Xiaomi doesn't have automated functions such as bracketing, a multi-shot HDR mode, or an intervalometer.  Its stitching is also quite good, but not as good as that of the Theta.

     These cameras are available here:
- Ricoh Theta S (Amazon), currently around £299.00.
- Ricoh Theta SC (Amazon), currently around £219.00.
- Xiaomi Mi Sphere is around $250 to $300 and is available from GearBest, which ships to 260+ countries.

Best 360 Cameras for Beginners and Casual Shooters - Part 1: the simplest and easiest 360 cameras


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 video.  That special information is called "360 metadata" (or 360 photosphere metadata).  The 360 metadata follows a standard format called Photosphere XMP Metadata.  Note: There are 360 sharing sites such as kuula.co and roundme that will accept photos or videos without 360 metadata but the majority require 360 metadata.

CHOOSING A 360 CAMERA FOR BEGINNERS AND CASUAL USERS
In evaluating which 360 cameras are best for beginners and casual users, I determined the number of steps needed to make a file "shareable" (i.e., stitched and with the proper 360 metadata, ready for upload).  In my opinion, this is probably the most important criterion for beginners, and is more important than sheer image quality or even price.  If it takes too many steps to make a photo or video shareable, then a beginner would be discouraged and likely won't use the camera.

After filtering out 360 cameras that took too many steps to become shareable, I grouped the remaining cameras by usage:
- absolute easiest to use
- best for photos
- best for videos
- best for balance of photos and videos
- best for social media.

In this post, we'll discuss the first group: the 360 cameras that are the absolute easiest to use.

GROUP 1: ABSOLUTE EASIEST TO USE.  The sole criterion for this category is that the user doesn't have to do anything for stitching and that the photos and videos are ready to share immediately.

1. SIMPLY SEXY
The absolute easiest 360 camera I've ever used is Giroptic iO (£219.99; first impressions here).  Android version here (either in Micro USB or USB Type C).
The Giroptic iO attaches to your smartphone (available for either iPhone or Android), so you can use your phone as a large touchscreen with live preview, and as soon as you take a photo or video, it's ready to share with your phone.
Moreover, the Giroptic iO also has wireless live streaming.  Unlike other buggy 360 cameras, the iO's app is polished and it works smoothly, without frustration.

Number of steps to get shareable photos or videos: 0.  Photos and videos are saved into your phone's memory, in shareable JPG or MP4 format.  In fact, the Giroptic iO app includes links to popular social media apps such as Facebook and YouTube so you can share directly from within the iO app, without even having to launch the other apps.  You can also send photos and videos through text messages, when the recipient clicks on the link, they can view your photo or video in 360 without having to install any app.
Photo resolution: 3840 x 1920

 Video resolution: 1920 x 960, 30fps

 Downsides:  Costs a little more and has lower video resolution than other competing 360 camera accessories (Insta360 Air, Insta360 Nano).

2. TOUGH YET EASY
"I don't want to think about stitching or metadata or any of that technical stuff!  I'm also afraid of dropping my camera."  If this sounds like you, check out the Nikon Keymission 360 (
£419.00; reviewed here).
Number of steps to get shareable photos or videos: 
Zero. Nada. Zip.  This is the only This was the first 4K camera that allows you to use share 24mp photos or 4K videos straight from the memory card, which you can upload to YouTube, Facebook or other 360 sharing sites, without any processing and will still be recognized as 360.  It is also waterproof up to 30 meters and shockproof to 2 meters, without an external housing.  And if you ever damage the lens, you can replace them instead of replacing the whole camera.

Photo resolution: 7744 x 3872.  Here is a sample low light photo (f/2, 1/25, ISO 560):


Video resolution: 3840 x 1920 @ 24 fps (3840 x 2160 @ 24 fps also available but don't select it because it's not the standard aspect ratio for 360).  Here are sample videos (it's a playlist - you can select the video by clicking on the upper left corner):


Downsides:  You will probably not get immediate feedback because the app has poor connectivity (although some people are able to pair their smartphones successfully).  You also have to be careful about anything on the sides of the camera which will likely look split because the stitching method is simple and automated.

New! 3.  SIMPLE BUT POWERFUL
After I originally posted this article, a new 360 camera was announced that would also qualify as easy to use: the Garmin Virb 360.  The Virb 360 can stitch 4K 360 videos in the camera, ready to be shared.  It's not cheap at £649.99 , but you get a LOT of features for that price:
- image stabilization (to get stabilization, the video has to be processed in the app, or on the desktop).  Adding stabilization is a one-click process.
- waterproof to 10 meters, without a housing
- live streaming on iOS at 720p
- replaceable lenses

Number of steps to get shareable photos or videos:
As with the Keymission, the Garmin Virb can share photos and videos straight from the memory card, which you can upload to YouTube, Facebook or other 360 sharing sites, without any processing.

Photo resolution: 5640 x 2816 (might be a typo -- it could be 5640 x 2820 or 5632 x 2816).
Video resolution: 3840 x 2160 @ 30 fps (in-camera stitched).  It's actually capable of even higher resolution -- 5760 x 2880 -- but you need a 3rd party app, and it would be complicated to use for beginners.
Downsides: costlier than other 360 cameras in this group.

4. SIMPLE FOR PHOTOS:
left: Ricoh Theta S; right: LG 360 Cam
If you only care about 360 photos, Ricoh Theta S (£299.00), and LG 360 Cam (£134.95) also meet the criteria for simplicity, with 360 photos that are stitched in-camera and ready to share straight from the memory card.  (For video, they require a couple of steps before the videos are shareable).

Sample photo from Ricoh Theta S (14 mp):
LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA

Sample photo from LG 360 Cam (16 mp):


That's it for this part! CONTINUED PART 2

2017 Samsung Gear 360 image stabilization demo; Gear 360 launches in the US as the most affordable 4K 360 camera; $49 promo


The 2017 Samsung Gear 360 has finally launched in the US for a remarkable $229!  And there's a promo to get it for even less.  I also wanted to demonstrate the 2017 Gear 360's image stabilization.
The 2017 Samsung Gear 360 is the most affordable 4k 360 camera.  It was launched about a month ago in Korea, Germany and a few other countries.  It is finally launching in the US.  Officially, the launch date is tomorrow, which is why it's not yet on the Samsung US website (as of today May 25), but online retailers such as Amazon have already made the US version of the Gear 360 available.

At just $229, it is the lowest cost 4K 360 camera (based on MSRP).  Moreover, Samsung has a new promo that lets you buy the 2017 Gear 360 for just $49 if you get a Samsung S8 or S8+ within the promo period (May 25 to June 19).

Although the Gear 360 is the lowest cost 4K camera, it is actually a pretty good 360 camera for both 360 photos and videos, and it is compatible with more devices than its predecessor. Here are my impressions.

Lately, there has been a lot of buzz around stabilization - from gimbals such as the Guru 360, software such as Mettle Skybox, or more recently, gyro-based stabilization, as seen in the Insta360 Nano, Insta360 Air, Insta360 Pro, and Xiaomi Mi Sphere.   The latest camera to breathe the rarefied atmosphere of The Stabilization Club is the Garmin Virb 360.

What is not so commonly known is that the 2017 Gear 360 also has some image stabilization capability. It works only for pitch / tilt correction and only at slower speeds.  It will not correct for yaw or roll.  Here is a demo:


Note: to get the stabilization, you have to turn on the "Tilt Correction" option in the app, and the "correct wobbles" checkbox in the Gear 360 Action Director 2 software.  By default, they are off.  You should also turn off this option when using a gimbal.

Although the stabilization is limited, it's still quite useful in actual practice.  Here is a sample 360 video where the tilt correction / image stabilization kept the camera level while I was swimming with it:


If you would like a camera with more robust image stabilization, you can check out these alternatives:
- The Xiaomi Mijia Mi Sphere, with 3.5K video (around $255 to $320).  See this stabilization demo.
- The Insta360 Nano for iPhone, with 3K video (around £209.00).  See this stabilization demo.
- The Insta360 Air for Android with 3K or 2.5K video depending on your phone (£122.91 for Micro USB or USB Type C).  See this stabilization demo.

You can stabilize the Gear 360 and other cameras with a gimbal, which will work with several 360 cameras (even if you upgrade in the future), smartphones, and some small cameras.  Check out these gimbals:
- Guru360 ($299).  See this demo.
- Feiyu G360 (around $350).  See this demo.

If you have a compatible Samsung phone (S6 or above), you can also consider getting the original Gear 360 which has been selling for under $200 lately.  Here is a comparison between the 2017 and 2016 Gear 360 and a list of their differences.

Stitch Samsung Gear 360 photos online for free with NadirPatch


You can now stitch Samsung Gear 360 photos online for free with NadirPatch.com, a web-based service that offers several tools for editing 360 photos.
NadirPatch is a free web-based service for editing 360 photos, with tools for adding a watermark, patching out the tripod, or converting a spherical photo into cubes.  They've added a new tool for patching Gear 360 photos.  You simply upload the photo in double circular fisheye format and it will stitch it as a standard equirectangular projection.

The 2016 Gear 360 was a very good camera that took great photos and videos but was hampered by poor compatibility (it would only work with high-end Samsung phones, S6 or above, and the desktop software was only for Windows).  NadirPatch's online tool would be useful for those who don't have a compatible phone or desktop, and comes at a time when the 2016 Gear 360 with 30mp photos can be purchased for less than €170 at the time of this writing.



WWDC 2017: Apple adds augmented reality to your iPhone / iPad with iOS 11; adds 360 support to Final Cut; adds support for Steam VR with VR-Ready Mac



At WWDC 2017, Apple demonstrated augmented reality on the upcoming iOS 11 using existing iOS hardware. 
UPDATE:  Apple has announced 360 video editing in Final Cut Pro; Apple will support Steam VR and HTC Vive; Apple has announced Metal API for VR.

1. AUGMENTED REALITY

At WWDC 2017, Apple announced several things including a new iPad Pro variant.  For readers of this site, the highlight was Apple's demonstration of augmented reality on an iPad and an iPhone on the new iOS 11.  Your iPhone or iPad would be like a 'window' that shows AR objects, similar to how Pokemon Go is played for example, except now your iPad or iPhone will be able to estimate the three dimensional surfaces within its view and place AR objects on it more realistically.  For Pokemon Go for example, Pikachu would not just be floating in space, but would appear to be standing on a sidewalk that you are pointing at.  A missed Pokeball would seem to hit the ground and roll off, following its contours.

This SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) demo looks similar to what Mark Zuckerberg showed at Facebook F8 almost 2 months ago.  The difference according to Apple is that its demo is live, whereas they implied that Facebook's demo is merely a carefully edited video.

Here is Apple's demo (around 3hrs and 48 minutes into the video)


Here is another purported video of Apple's AR by Facts Uncovered:


Apple rolled out ARKit to enable developers to create AR apps for the iPhone and iPad, declaring iOS 11 as the "largest AR platform in the world."  iOS 11 will be rolled out in the Fall for iPhone 5S and above (whew, my aging iPhone 6 squeezes by...).

2. 360 VIDEO EDITING IN FINAL CUT PRO

Apple announced that Final Cut Pro would be updated to add support for 360 video editing. This gives Mac users an option for 360 video editing in addition to Adobe Premiere Pro.

3. STEAM VR SUPPORT; HTC VIVE on MAC

Apple announced that it would create a VR-Ready version of the Mac that would use a Radeon RX 580 graphics card.  The new VR-Ready Mac will support SteamVR, enabling it to play HTC Vive natively.  Moreover, the new Metal 2 video processing API will support VR.

Aerial 360 video with "invisible" Mavic Pro drone


Check out this aerial 360 video by Jean-Marie Cannie that uses two 2017 Samsung Gear 360 cameras to make the drone invisible!

Last week I posted about Jean-Marie Cannie's dual 360 camera mount for the DJI Mavic Pro, which puts the Mavic in between the two cameras, allowing it to be masked out.

Here is a new video based on two 2017 Samsung Gear 360 cameras:


I've ordered Jean-Marie's dual mount and will be testing it on my Mavic using two Xiaomi Mi Sphere cameras with image stabilization.  I'm hoping the stabilization will remain synchronized.... we'll see!  If it doesn't work, my backup plan is to get another 2016 Gear 360, which is now very affordable (available from Amazon or B&H Photo).

Life in 360 discusses 7 exciting new 360 cameras in 2017


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!

Stabilized aerial 360 video with Garmin Virb 360

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:
Feiyu 360 w/ remote (£299.00): http://amzn.to/2su9F5J
Feiyu G360 (£273.00 ): http://amzn.to/2sjWmql

OPTION 2: stabilized 360 camera.
Insta360 Air (£122.31 ) Type C  or Micro USB is a 360 camera accessory for Android phones.  Here is my review.
Insta360 Nano (£209.00 ) is a 360 camera accessory for iPhones.  Here is a demo of its image stabilization.
Xiaomi Mi Sphere (around $250 to $300) is the first 360 camera to have built-in gyro stabilization (it doesn't need a phone).  Here is a demo of the Xiaomi's stabilization.
Garmin Virb 360 ( £649.99 )

OPTION 3: stabilization software
There are software that can stabilize the horizon in a 360 video.  One such software is Mettle Skybox. Here's a tutorial by CreatorUp's Hugh Hou. See Video here

Thank you very much to Cord Campbell for bringing these videos to my attention!

Life in 360 re-examines 2017 Samsung Gear 360 vs. original Samsung Gear 360


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 perhaps out of laziness, I found it a hassle to bring the Gear 360 around because it was not pocketable and required me to bring a bag for it.  I also didn't like how long it took to stitch the videos.

     The 2017 Gear 360 improved on most of these issues.  The 2017 Gear 360 is now compatible with iPhones and some lower-end Samsung smartphones. There's no blurgate and it is more resistant to overheating.  It is much less susceptible to glare.  It is easier to carry around because of its more ergonomic shape.  The photo resolution wasn't as high as that of the 2016 Gear 360, but it looked quite good.  The video looks almost the as the original Gear 360 but doesn't have as much glare.  Stitching videos still takes a while though.

     Comparing the two, for many people there's really no comparison because many don't have a phone or PC that's compatible with the original Gear 360, which makes the 2017 Gear 360 the only choice for them.  If you do have a compatible phone and PC, I think the 2017 Gear 360 is more practical and more usable for most people.  On the other hand, if you have a compatible phone and PC, you're willing to be mindful of blurgate (and the need to keep the camera off as much as possible), the flare, and the potential for overheating, and you're willing to manage these issues, then the original Gear 360 holds its own for video, has higher photo quality, and is the most affordable 4K 360 camera at well under£329.99 (based on street prices instead of MSRP).
In any case, if you're considering either of these cameras, I also recommend looking at the Xiaomi Mi Sphere.  It is better for photos because of the exposure controls and 32-second shutter speed.  It is better for videos because of the image stabilization, and in my opinion, the image quality as well.  The only downsides are the lack of desktop software and the steep requirement for smartphones (Snapdragon 820 and above).  You can see my comparison of the Xiaomi and the 2017 Gear 360 here.
You can't go wrong with any of these cameras:
- The 2017 Gear 360  UK Version £219.00 is available from Amazon
- The original Gear 360 £244.25 is available from Amazon
- The Xiaomi Mi Sphere is available from GearBest (they ship to 260+ countries).
Incidentally, Ben actually also got the Xiaomi recently (see his unboxing here).  I'm looking forward to what he thinks of the Xiaomi and how it compares to the 2017 Gear 360.

IVRPA Conference 2017 in Vienna

The International Virtual Reality Photography Association (IVRPA) is conducting its 12th annual conference from June 3 to June 6 in scenic Vienna, Austria.  There are several interesting presentations at the conference.  Here is a video of one of the presentations.

Update: added a playlist of other videos.


This presentation is by Jorg Dietrich of Panoramastreetline.com (jump to 29:58):




In addition to workshops and panels, there will also be exhibitors, including Ricoh, which will showcase the Ricoh Theta 4K.

You can check out IVRPA's YouTube channel here and its official website here.

Thank you very much to my good friends Jim Jensen (Google+ Photo Sphere Community) and Ben Claremont (Life in 360) for bringing this to my attention!
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