It looks like a tiny lantern. But the V.360° camera from VSN Mobil is a serious video tool, a camera that records footage in its namesake 360 degrees to soak in all angles of a scene.
We got the camera in house for a first look. After a week of testing we’re happy to report that the unit is a solid and capable camera that can add one-of-a-kind footage to any shoot.
A tripod thread on its base lets you connect the V.360° camera to any common mount. We put it on bike handlebars and a motorcycle this week to grab some test footage (see video below).
The video, which can be shot as high resolution as 6480 × 1080 HD, is sharp and unusually super wide — the camera captures an accurate image of everything around you, all 360 degrees of action.
This is accomplished with a tiny lens and a convex mirror cone that works as an Argus eye to record footage in front of you, behind, and side to side.
The resulting footage can be viewed as a stretched panorama or in a hypnotizing circular display. In edit, you can pan left or right across a giant captured 6480-pixel-wide canvas and pick and choose what angle of footage to use.
An app controls the whole process. The camera syncs wirelessly with phones or tablets.
We tested it on an iPad, where controls on the screen gave options for recording 360 video or taking still photos with the mega-wide lens. A separate remote control unit offers manipulation of basic functions, or you can run the V.360° camera in full from your mobile device.
The camera shoots the standard 30 frames per second for video and 8-megapixel still photos. The unit, at about 4 inches tall, is waterproof and made for the outdoors.
The camera has Bluetooth 4.0 and wifi capability. It takes a Micro SD card for storage.
VSN Mobil began selling the camera this month. It costs $399 now; see all the details at the company’s V.360 site.
A built-in GPS, barometer, accelerometer, and altimeter offer all kinds of metrics for use in production. With its standard threaded base, any tripod or GoPro-type mount will work with the VSN.
We’re psyched with the first bits of video captured from the unit. Indeed, over the coming month we’ll be filming two short videos with the V.360° camera, including episodes on snowboarding and winter biking.
Stay tuned for the footage of these short films, each one to be shot in 360 degrees to capture the action in full and literally all around.
