Samsung introduces ball-shaped 360-degree action camera

Samsung has announced the Gear 360. The ball-shaped camera has two fisheye lenses, with which 360-degree videos in 4k resolution. Photos have a resolution of up to 30 megapixels.

The Samsung Gear 360 has two cameras, each with a 15-megapixel sensor, and equipped with a fisheye lens with a wide angle of view and an aperture of f/2.0. The image processor processes the images from the two separate sensors in the camera into one 360-degree video or photo.

The device shoots videos with a resolution of 3840×1920 pixels at 30fps. Files are saved with the h265 codec. 360-degree photos, combining the files from the two sensors, have a resolution of 7776×3888 pixels. It is also possible to take pictures with one of the two built-in cameras.

In addition to a photo and movie function, the Gear 360 has a time-lapse mode. Users get control over the sharpness settings, white balance, HDR, exposure compensation and maximum ISO value, and can switch on a wind filter. The camera works in conjunction with the Gear 360 app on Samsung smartphones such as the Galaxy S6 and S7 models. It is possible to view the camera images in real time in 360 degrees with VR glasses such as Samsung’s own Gear VR.

There is a 0.5″ screen on the ball and micro-SD cards of up to 128GB can be used in the camera. The Gear 360 weighs 153 grams and has dimensions of 66.7×56.2x60mm. The camera ball is water-resistant. and dustproof according to the ip53 standard.The device is equipped with wifi, nfc, bluetooth and a usb connection.In the second quarter the Gear 360 will be on the market for a suggested retail price of 419 euros.