It's also limited when taking photos in low light, which can be frustrating if you're trying to grab something quick.
That means if you have a lot of light on one side of the camera and not a lot of light on the other side, the image will appear blown out on one half most of the time. Like all other 360-degree cameras under $1,000, this is a fixed focus camera with no way to deal with complex exposures on a single side.
Samsung camera 360 review full#
These photos are fine for sharing on Facebook but not usually the quality photos you'd want to publish in full resolution to show off your skills. This means your hand is in the shot, which means in VR someone is looking down at what appears to be your massive and slightly disfigured knuckles. If you want to take a photo quickly, the button on the side of the camera is as fast as it gets. For the most part, the Gear 360 does a good job providing a quality experience for each of these concerns.
You want to be able to grab a photo as quickly as possible, you want to be able to take photos in every lighting condition, and you want to know the camera will actually last you a day when you take it to a special event. And these aren't new or unique concerns it's just a new medium with a slightly different perspective. Once the novelty of a 360-degree camera wears off, three things become very important. Probably the best "starter" 360-degree camera you can buy right now. It's a lot to keep in mind, especially since the app itself doesn't do a great job reminding you to disconnect all that often. You can't be connected to the camera and a normal wireless network at the same time, so you're using mobile data if you're trying to share a photo or video while connected to the camera as well. This process is much faster than many 360-degree cameras because the photos are being transferred over a local wireless network instead of Bluetooth, but it's important to remember the negative impact on your battery life by maintaining this connection. Like any camera, the Gear 360 takes some getting used to before you're taking some great images.įrom the Gear 360 app, you have the ability to sort through photos and videos stored on the camera and choose which you'd like to save directly to your phone. It's labeled "landscape" because the camera takes some time to capture the individual exposures, so this mode doesn't work well when things are moving around. The Gear 360 also includes an HDR landscape mode, which does the job of taking the photo at multiple exposures and combining the image into a single, more enjoyable sphere. Tiny Planets and Bigger Perspectives Samsung Gear 360 Softwareīut you also have some traditional camera tools, like exposure controls and timers for taking the photo you want. And it's well worth giving those things a shot if you are so inclined, since the MicroSD card slot on this camera means storage is limited only by your wallet and the battery is able to keep you recording in 4K for at least an hour on a single charge. This means the Gear 360 can be quickly mounted to most normal camera mounts, including GoPro and Drone mounts for unique perspectives on the world around you. This makes the camera a little inconvenient to carry around when compared to the camera on your phone, but it makes up for this by being able to take photos and video your phone is simply incapable of conveniently capturing.Īt the base of the camera, you'll find a simple camera screw, the same mount you'll find in just about every other camera on the planet. Both of these accessories are incredibly important, as the Gear 360 isn't quite thin enough to be pocketable for most, and because the cameras are at the top of the shaft, the camera is a little top-heavy. The Gear 360 comes with a safety pouch to keep the lenses from being scratched while traveling with it, as well as a little rubber donut you can attach to the bottom to ensure the camera isn't accidentally knocked over when trying to take a photo remotely.