Samsung has released the Gear 360. The camera uses front and rear 195-degree lenses that capture images horizontally and vertically and uses software to provide the user with a single 360-degree image or video.
Samsung Electronics South Africa has released its first 360-degree camera, the Gear 360, in South Africa, promising that it “will allow users to preserve their memories in a whole new way”. The Gear 360 offers a more vivid and expanded viewing experience, as everything is recorded in 3840×1920 high resolution video and 25.9 megapixel photos.
In order to create a seamless and complete 360-degree field of view, the unit uses front and rear lenses that each capture 195 degrees horizontally and vertically. Sophisticated software then stitches the two images together to provide a single, 360-degree image. Naturally, users can choose to utilise just one of the two lenses to capture a striking wide-angled view either in video or stills.
“While Samsung has a notable reputation for creating devices like smartphones and TVs, which are essentially tools that enable viewers to consume content, the Gear 360 is a new type of product that will enable users to produce superior visuals as well,” says Craige Fleischer, Director of Integrated Mobility at Samsung Electronics South Africa.
“The Gear 360 is an easy-to-use, all-in-one gadget that lets everyone take photos and videos in this exciting format. It is also easy to pair it up with your Galaxy smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing you to shoot and edit UHD-grade videos with a single device. This can be done using the Gear 360 Manager application for smartphones, or the Gear 360 ActionDirector for a PC.”
Samsung provided the following information:
The device further includes a range of entertaining camera features such as Time-lapse and Looping Video. Time-lapse makes it possible to take a sequence of frames at set intervals to record changes that take place slowly over time. Looping Video enables continuous video recording – overwriting the beginning of your video to allow for new footage to be captured. This can help to conserve space on your microSD card in order to enable users to create all kinds of content.
Explaining the look of the Gear 360, Fleischer says that inspiration for the apparatus was drawn from the helmets astronauts wear in space. These helmets look sleek, seamless and minimal, but also feature very sturdy inner structures. Like these, the Gear 360 is sleek and minimal on the outside but it is ultimately a 360-degree imaging tool designed for daily and outdoor use, featuring sturdy hardware on the inside and a splash and dust resistant outer shell.
In addition, the Gear 360 comes with a tripod designed to fit with the body as a complete package. Furthermore, a range of accessories can be attached to the universal tripod hole for greater compatibility and convenience.
“This exceptional creation is going to offer people a whole new way to create and share their memories, in a format that’s more immersive than ever. These moments can then be relived through your Gear VR or Galaxy smartphone. With the Gear 360, you can capture life as it happens all around you,” concludes Fleischer.
The Gear 360 is compatible with the Galaxy S6, S6 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, S7, S7 edge with the Samsung Gear 360 Manager app.
Recommend Retail Price (RRP): R 6,999