PERIPHERALS Samsung Gear 360 (2017)
A big improvement over the previous Gear 360, with a handy design and great image quality
SCORE ✪✪✪✪✪ PRICE £183 (£219 inc VAT) from pcpro.link/275gear
If you thought Samsung’s Gear 360 camera wasn’t for you – more the type of person willing to jump out of a plane just for the YouTube views – then it might be time to think again. Certainly Samsung has rethought the design. The old chunky golf ball and tripod of the original Gear 360 has been replaced by a simpler, all-in-one shape, with a handle that’s perfect for one-handed, 360-degree streaming.
This moulded grip fits snugly in the palm with the big, round record button falling naturally under your thumb. There’s only one flaw: it doesn’t stand up too well on its own. The slim handle, which houses a tripod thread, is so small and the camera so top-heavy that the slightest of breezes sends it toppling.
Samsung tries to rectify this by including a rubber ring that fits around the base for added stability and attaches to the camera via a lanyard. It’s hardly elegant, though: I recommend you invest in a compact tripod if you want to take static shots.
The other significant development is compatibility with a wider range of phones. Last year’s 360 only worked with a meagre selection, but this time around Samsung’s 2017 mid-range A5 and A7 are included in the list, alongside every flagship from the S6 upwards, as well as iPhones running iOS 10 or later. Don’t expect to use it on other Android phones or your PC or Mac, though.
There’s still microSD storage – found under a flap on the handle – while a tiny monochrome display tells you which mode you’ve selected, as well as its battery status. Just note that Samsung has jettisoned the previous model’s removable battery.
The new Gear 360 uses two 8.4-megapixel sensors to record 4K 360-degree video at a resolution of 4,096 x 2,048 at 24fps, while single-sensor recordings max out at a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 at 60fps. You can snatch 15-megapixel 360-degree stills too. As before, footage can be viewed live via Bluetooth on any of the supported devices or recorded directly to any UHS-1 speed rated microSD card. All settings can be cycled through without the need of a handset but, to help frame your shots if nothing else, you’re advised to use the Gear 360 in tandem with the Samsung app and your phone. Captured footage is pixel perfect when viewed on a smartphone, and although softer edges and ill-defined details can be spotted when viewed on a larger screen, quality is surprisingly strong. Just try and get as much light into shots as possible: the Gear 360’s f/2.2 cameras don’t fare well in darker conditions, with noisy video footage and stills, plus clear evidence of compression artefacts. Audio quality, including speech and background noise, is clear even on windy days, so long as you have the wind noise reduction feature enabled. So what will you record? Samsung is betting on 360-degree live streaming. The camera supports this via Facebook, YouTube and Samsung’s own VR platform, and it’s a feature Samsung claims is vitally important for the integration of the VR revolution into our normal day-today video consumption.
It’s easy to set up: just link your YouTube or Facebook account to the Gear 360 App, tap “live broadcast” and stream away. You can set the privacy of the live stream directly from the app, either to be viewable only via the generated link or make it public.
To test battery life, I took the Samsung Gear 360 on a Saturday evening tour around Greenwich and the Royal Observatory, filming the sights and taking full advantage of the shooting modes on offer. After I’d returned home the (non-removable) 1,350mAh battery had dropped to 28%, so it’s perfectly suited to lengthy VR filming sessions. Samsung claims 130 minutes of footage at 2,560 x 1,280 at 30fps.
So should you buy one? This year’s Gear 360 is far more portable, is compatible with more phones and it adds 360-degree live video for a little extra spice. The only step backwards is the move to a non-removable battery.
The price, however, is what swings it for me. If you’re interested in 360-degree photography there are few cameras to choose from. At £300 you have the Ricoh Theta S; there’s the dinky Insta 360 smartphone add-on for £200; while Nikon aims for professionals with its wallet-wilting £420 KeyMission 360. None of these is as easy to use or produces images to rival the Samsung. If live streaming appeals, take the leap – and while you’re at, film yourself in glorious, 4K, 360-degree video. SPECIFICATIONS
Dual CMOS 8.4MP sensors dual f/2.2 lens l l 4,096 x 2,048 at 24fps microSD slot (up to l 256GB) 1,160mAh battery Wi-Fi Direct l l l Bluetooth 4.1 USB-C 46 x 45 x 101mm l l (WDH) 130g 1yr warranty l l
“The Gear 360’s audio quality, including speech and background noise, is clear even on the windiest of days”