The idea of a 360 degree camera sounds exciting, but if it’s your first time, make sure you know what do you want from your 360 degree video camera instead of just buying one and living with it. Now before spending your money on just some camera you found online, you might want to educate yourself a little bit about it.
Table of Contents – Best Virtual Reality Camera
- Product Summary Table (Top 7 Cameras)
- Ricoh Theta S Camera Review
- Ricoh Theta S Camera Features
- Ricoh Theta S Camera Pros & Cons
- Samsung Gear 360 VR Camera Review
- Samsung Gear 360 VR Camera Features
- Samsung Gear 360 VR Camera Pros & Cons
- How to Choose the Best Virtual Reality Camera?
- Editor’s Choice
Well, you have landed at the right place. But, before getting started – let’s have a summary of the best virtual reality cameras that we have featured. Detail review of two of the best ones is discussed after this summary.
Product Summary
| Camera | Price Range | WiFi & Bluetooth | Water Resistant | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 360 FLY 4K HD | $$$ | Yes | Yes | |
| KODAK PIXPRO SP360 4K DUAL | $$$$$ | Yes | No | |
| RICOH THETA S (Recommended) | $$$ | Yes | No | |
| SAMSUNG GEAR 360 (Recommended) | $$$ | Yes | Yes | |
| LG G5 360 CAM | $$ | No | No | |
| ALLie Home | $$$$ | Yes | No | |
| 360fly 360° HD Video Camera | $$ | Yes | Yes |
Let’s move forward with the reviews of best virtual reality cameras that you can get.
Ricoh Theta S Digital Camera
BRING YOUR MEMORIES BACK TO LIFE: Whether you want capture 360 degree photos or bring your memories back to life by 360 degree videos, you might want to consider Ricoh Theta S Digital Camera.
LIVE STREAM YOUR VIDEOS: You can share your experiences live using its HD live streaming feature or you can save some up for later in its 8 GB memory.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES ON GOOGLE STREET VIEW APP: The device is also compatible with new Google street view app. Long story short, Theta S have a few features that could make it a potential candidate for you to buy let’s have a look:
- HD live streaming feature, enables you to share your 360 degree photos/videos live to your audience.
- 8 GB memory of Theta S can hold up your memories as long as you want.
- 14 MP high quality images, videos (approximately 25 minutes long).
- Compatibility with Google Street View app, so people all across the globe can explore your photo spheres published on Google map.
- Bright F2.0 lens help you shoot even in low lights.
Most of the people who have used the product are satisfied with the resolutions of images created by Theta S, however some complained about its overexposure while taking 360 degree photos outside and its shutter speed, while according to others the videos recorded were not completely seamless. Overall review of the device was satisfactory and some rated it best among the other products in market for an average customer.
Features of Ricoh S Theta Digital Camera
Let’s have a look at some of the best features of Ricoh Theta S.
HIGH QUALITY IMAGE SENSOR: Theta S has come with amazing features including a new, large, image sensor which lets you capture approximately 14 megapixel, high quality spherical images and HD movie recorder, that can record the videos for as long as 25 minutes.
LOW LIGHT SHOOTING: The camera not only captures high resolution images and videos but with the addition of newly developed bright 0 lens, it can now also shoot in low lights.
ADJUSTABLE SHUTTER SPEED: With this low light shooting feature, you can also operate the camera in Manual Mode and the shutter speeds up to 60 seconds can be adjusted.
HD LIVE STREAMING: Using HD live streaming feature of Theta S, you can share your 360 degree videos live with your audience or you can save your data in its 8 GB built in memory.
COMPATIBILITY WITH THE GOOGLE STREET VIEW APP: Theta S is also compatible with the Google Street View app so people all across the globe can explore your photo spheres published on Google map.
- Low light shooting
- Google Street View app compatible
- High resolution 360 degree images
- Seamless photos & videos – 14 MP density.
- Memory of 8 GB.
- Adjustable shutter speed.
- Overexposure while shooting outside
- Small shutter range
- Low image quality
- Small video recording time.
Samsung Gear 360 Real 360° High Resolution VR Camera
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE LIVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Sharing your experiences live on Facebook, Youtube, or Instagram is just one click away if you are using gear 360.
CREATE HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Every single moment is recorded in high resolution videos and photos. The camera is equipped with front and rear lenses.
TRANSFER YOUR DATA VIA BLUETOOTH TO OTHER DEVICES IF WIFI IS NOT AVAILABLE: The data is also transferable to your smartphone via a seamless Bluetooth connection. Now the following features of Gear 360 might address your question of ‘why you should buy a Gear 360 for yourself?
- Merged, high quality shots taken by two 180 degree lenses, so that you can get seamless 360 degree videos.
- Splash and dust resistance of Gear 360 allows you to shoot even in extreme conditions.
- High quality 30 MP photos and videos.
- Compatibility with Samsung galaxy S7 so you can enjoy your shots just by connecting a VR Gear to your Galaxy S7.
Many customers who used Gear 360 were satisfied with the resolution of images and videos of the camera, besides some also find its image results better than Theta S. While according to some other, the device cannot be used to its full extent if you don’t own a Galaxy S7. Overall, customers were very happy with the device.
Features of Samsung Gear 360 Real 360 Degrees High Resolution VR Camera
Here are some of the prominent features of this virtual reality camera.
- SHARE YOUR VIDEOS ON SOCIAL MEDIA: The 360 degree camera of Gear 360 lets you capture, trim and share 360 degree photos/videos on social apps like Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
- SEAMLESS VIDEOS AND IMAGES: Two 180 degree lenses recording simultaneously, take shots that can be merged together to get a seamless VR 360 degree image.
- Gear 360 is splash and dust resistant and tempered glass lenses prevent scratches while shooting, so you can shoot while hiking, or running. It is highly portable due to its small size.
- HIGH RESOLUTION HD IMAGES: Compared to Theta S, the resolution of Gear 360’s images is 30 MP.
- COMPATIBILITY WITH THE GALAXY S7: The device is also compatible with Samsung galaxy S7 so you can enjoy your shots just by connecting a VR Gear to your Galaxy S7.
- Small and compact size of the device
- Experiencing the VR via Gear VR
- High resolution images upto 30 MP
- Resistance to dust and splash
- Low light shooting
- Compatibility with the Galaxy S7
- Stitching of two 180 degree images
- Limited dynamic range of images
- Confined uses of the device due to no availability of Galaxy S7.
Virtual Reality Camera
Have a complete insight and all the data to make an informed choice in regards to purchasing a VR camera.
What really is a Virtual Reality Camera
If, creating your own virtual reality is the question, virtual reality camera is the answer. 360 degree video is the new photography trend of 2016, taking your insta-game to a whole new level.
How does it work?
Using a series of cameras, stitched together in all directions, a virtual reality camera enables you to capture a 360 degree view of the surroundings unlike ordinary camera that can only point in one direction. So if you want to see from the perspective of a race car driver just ask him turn his 360 degree camera on before he starts driving and voila you just have created a virtual reality of a race car driving for yourself.
With an enormous amount of VR cameras hitting the market every day, claiming to be the best ones you’ve ever seen, it somehow becomes difficult to choose the right product for you.
- Bluetooth Connectivity: If you want to live the moments once again by experiencing virtual reality created by you, you might want to have a Bluetooth feature in your camera and Gear 360 is the right choice for you.
- Low Light Shooting: Both Gear 360 and Theta S are equipped with bright f2.0 lens to enable low light shootings via your VR camera.
- High Resolution Images: Gear 360 is the one stop for you
Besides these attributes, budget is another factor you must take into account. Virtual reality cameras ranging from 200$ to 15000$ are all available in the market, but if you just are just into experiencing stuff, you might not want to spend a huge amount on these cameras.
Why you should try a virtual reality camera?
The year 2016 is all about virtual reality and besides what’s the point of going somewhere if you haven’t uploaded the 360 degree image of your experience and shown it to the rest of the world. Now if you are a cyber-junkie and want to be updated with the latest technologies in photography, VR camera is worth a try for you. Gone are the days of 2D cameras, 360 degree photography is hitting all over the internet. Besides photography, you can do so much more stuff with the VR cameras, its up to you how you utilize this lates technology.
Why you should NOT spend money on a virtual reality camera?
Ordinary camera would work just fine for you if you are not a social media freak and want to keep a low profile. The only difference between 360 degree videos and ordinary 2D videos is that you can rotate them. Besides, having experienced actual place is better than recording one.
Conclusion – The Best VR Camera for You
Virtual reality camera is the new cool these days and choosing the right one for you might be a difficult task. Both the Gear 360 and Theta S are awesome in many ways for a customer who wants better results within best price.
Who should get Samsung Gear 360?
For adventure junkies who have broken cell phone screens every now and then and can’t take much care of stuff like this, splash proof, dust proof, temperature resistant and compact Gear 360 might be the right kind of choice for you. Its image quality is very good and if you own a galaxy S7 you must pair it with a Gear 360 too.
Who should try Ricoh S Theta Digital Camera?
This is our personal recommendation and top choice for you guys. It has most of the features every other VR camera has, but within a very reasonable range of price.
So, which one did you like personally? Let us know in the comments.