The 360Fly VR camera is announcing retail availability beginning immediately.
Even as you read these words, the 360fly is being shipped to stores including: Best Buy, Target, REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Walmart and specialty retailers. The camera is also launching internationally in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Latin America, Canada, South Africa and China.
There a few things that make this device unique and attempt to justify its $499 price point. The first is the camera’s “single lens” design. Most 360 cameras are essentially cubes or rings of multiple cameras that all record at the same time. The footage is then run through a “stitching” program that converts the individual feeds into a single panoramic video experience.
360fly, however, eschews that model in favor of a single-lens “stitchless”approach. The device is also getting a 4K overhaul for its retail debut. According to the company, the complete list of upgrades for this version includes:
LIVIT Live Streaming: In partnership with LIVIT, camera users can live stream their 360-degree content across the LIVIT mobile app – so your friends and family can see all the action in real time; no editing or uploading required.
Front-Facing Cam (“First-person POV Mode”): Not all situations require a 360-degree field of view. During those times, 360fly 4K users can select “POV Mode” to record video or capture a photograph in the traditional point-and-shoot style. “POV Mode” records in a 16:9 aspect ratio at 2560×1440-pixel resolution, with a field of view of 178×100 degrees (204 diagonal).
Time-Lapse Video Mode: Tell a story in a dramatic fashion by capturing a 360-degree time-lapse video. Users can select 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60-second shutter intervals.
Telemetry: The 360fly 4K camera features a built-in GPS sensor to tag locations, an altimeter, and an accelerometer – all powered by an advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Users can track altitude and speed, and use third-party applications to overlay the data into their existing 360-degree video content.
Expanded Internal Memory: The 360fly 4K camera boasts 64Gb of internal memory.
OnePush™ Button Color-Coding: For clearer visibility and mode recognition, the 360fly 4K camera features an enhanced design with color-coded lighting around the OnePush button and the bottom ring of the mounting dock.
360 cameras are the next big thing in consumer video hardware. A few years ago, industry conventions like CES and NAB were full to bursting with HD cameras or 3D-capable devices. Today, those same events have been overrun with multi-camera immersive rigs and stitching programs.
One of these show-floor darlings was the 360fly. It will now face the harsh crucible of the free marketplace in order to determine if its immersive technology will be more impactful and long-lasting than the other “trendy” cameras that came before it.
