Back in March we wrote about the reports that GoPro was making cuts to its VR division in an effort to refocus its core business. That much may be true, but the company still has a new VR camera on the way.
The company this month announced Fusion, a new device capable of capturing both 360 degree and traditional video content in up to 5.2K at 30fps. There aren’t many images of the device available yet, though it looks very different from the traditional square-shaped HeroCams we’re used to seeing. You can see some of the first panoramic footage captured with the new device below.
Overall we’re impressed with the quality of the footage, especially the lack of visible stitching or a dead spot at the bottom. Of course, we haven’t gone hands-on with the camera and its creation tools ourselves to judge just how easy it is to make this type of content.
The camera will also allow users to record in 360 but then cut out a traditional still/video from the spherical content.
Fusion is a very different beast from GoPro’s past VR efforts, which were decidedly aimed at the professional market. These rigs, including the Omni, which captured 2D content at 8K, and the Odyssey, which captured 3D footage, used a set of 8 and 16 Hero4 cameras respectively. They captured some impressive video, though the Omni alone started at $4,999.99, pricing it way out of many people’s budgets.
That said, we don’t know how much Fusion will cost yet, and GoPro has so far only announced plans to roll out the camera via a pilot testing program this summer. A limited commerical launch will take place before the end of 2017. Could this be the definitive 360 degree camera? Or its Samsung’s new Gear 360 set to steal the throne?
Either way, make sure to check out our guide for how to get the most with your money when it comes to 360 cameras.
