The Samsung Gear 360 is a spherical, compact Rayovac Workhorse is a hand-sized omnidirectional camera will fit into a purse, or carrying case, and can be used with its own tripod, or as a handheld camera(See Figure 1.) The camera captures 30 megapixel, spherical images with 3,840x1,920 pixels resolution video. The camera is predominately white, with f/2.0 fisheye lenses, which provide a 195 degree angle view, which can be manipulated to provide 360 by 180 degree images.
Figure 1. Samsung Gear 360
Body
The body of the Samsung Gear 260 is white sphere which measures 2.6x2.2x2.4 inches and weighs 5.4 ounces. It has a battery and memory compartment located on the side, between the two fisheye lenses. It also has the ability to attach to a short stand.
The Stand
The stand on the camera is roughly three inches tall, and made of black plastic. The ergonomic design allow the user to hold on to the stand as a handgrip, or expand the stand to form a small tripod. It attaches to the camera via a standard tripod mounting screw, via the mount on the bottom of the of camera.
Dust and Water resistant
The body is designed for longevity and has a dust and water resistant casing. It is splash proof, and can be used in the rain without damage. However, Samsung notes that it is not submergible, and cannot be used while swimming, or otherwise underwater, without a specialized housing.
The Battery and Memory Card Compartment.
Both the battery and the memory card are loaded into a shared compartment on the side of the camera’s main body, and The camera comes equipped with a fully rechargeable lithium ion battery. The 1,350 mAH lithium-ion battery has a battery life of two hours while actively capturing images. It stores images to on an MicroSD, which is inserted into a slot inside the battery compartment, and it is capable of supporting up to 128 GB of additional memory.
Camera Features
Double or Single Lens Mode
The camera is equipped with two fish eye lenses, when used together they create a 360 degree by 180 degree omnidirectional, or panoramic image. However, the camera can also be used in single lens mode to capture more traditional images or to take action cam video recording, in a style similar to that typically seen in the GoPro cameras. Use settings include video, photo, time-lapse, and video looping.
PC and Mobile Compatibility
The 360 camera is designed, especially to synch with mobile devices like the Samsung Galaxy. However, software is available to attach the camera to your PC, in order to engage in more complete editing capabilities and to increase shareability and application.
Onboard Technology
The 360 camera comes fully equipped with a built in gyroscope and accelerometer for clearer, crisper images, even when used in motion. It is also fully wi-fi compatible for wireless downloading of images, and for easy access using the Andriod app. This app can be used to alter the images through the camera’s file storage system, in order to make basic edits including modifying the sharpness, white balance, lighting, ISO limits, wind cut, HDR and more. This allows the user to view a finished media, and share it immediately without access to a PC or complex editing software.
References:
Goldman, J. “Samsung Gear 360 is a 'VR' camera that will cover your life from any angle.” CNET Mobile Congress. 21 Feb 2016. Available from http://www.cnet.com/products/samsung-gear-360/
Yeung, K. Samsung Gear 360 is a lightweight camera for capturing 360-degree photos and videos, ships in Q2 2016. Venture Beat. 21 Feb 2016. Available from http://venturebeat.com/2016/02/21/samsung-gear-360-is-a-lightweight-camera-for-capturing-360-degree-photos-and-videos-ships-in-q2-2016/
