New VR cameras are seemingly announced by the day, but we’re still seeing many media companies stick to multiple GoPro sensors for shooting. The company behind the kit hopes to keep that momentum going with its newest rig, the Omni.
No, not that Omni. Instead, the GoPro Omni has space for six of the company’s cameras, positioned to offer a complete spherical 360 degree recording of any environment. To showcase the rig, the company has released a brand new 360 degree video featuring Jesper Tjader, Halldor Helgason and other skiers and snowboarders as they head down the Suzuki Nine Queens course in the Tyrolean Alps of Austria. The video was shot using six of the company’s Hero4 cameras, all of which were attached to Omni rigs.
https://youtu.be/0wC3x_bnnps
It’s certainly an impressive demonstration. Tjader and co put the rig through its paces as they soar off of ramps, grind down rails and get pulled along by snow mobiles. Look hard enough and you’ll definitely find some stitch work, though only for fleeting moments. There’s a rather spectacular finish to look forward to, too.
Of course, if you want to view it in VR you can either hit the Google Cardboard icon in the Android version of the YouTube app, or access it via the Samsung Internet browser VR app for the Gear VR.
The Omni begins shipping on August 17th and offers an all-inclusive version with the six Hero4 cameras and the software needed to stitch footage together for a rather astonishing $5,000. The frame itself costs $1,500. That’s hardly a casual price, but there’s still a big difference between that and the company’s 16-camera Odyssey rig, which is strictly aimed at the professional (and successful) market for $15,000. Videos shot on either will also be available to view through the new GoPro VR mobile app on both iOS and Android.
While you can’t question GoPro’s dominance as a live action sports camera, can the company really maintain a lead in the VR space while it continues to work with 2D footage and starts to go up against the likes of Samsung’s much cheaper Gear 360?
