In a spin with virtual reality camera
Neat and nifty 360° camera opens up a whole new (virtual) world
GoXtreme Dome 360° camera €229:. See goxtreme-action-cams.com ★★★★★
Virtual reality, is all around us. When the Oculus Rift headset launched a few years ago, big tech companies sat up and took notice. Now Samsung, HTC and Sony all have headsets that promise to take to you to whole new worlds with their immersive, real-life displays.
VR games are finding millions of new players and YouTube is swelling with VR content. At last, making your own VR content has become a reality as camera prices fall, meaning it’s possible to relive an unmissable round of golf or family holiday using relatively inexpensive cameras that film the full 360° of a view or experience.
The first VR capable camera I’ve tested is the GoXtreme Dome 360°. It arrives looking much like any other action camera but, as you take it out of the box, you immediately notice how the VR magic happens. This neat, cube-shaped gadget has two 4 megapixel lenses, one on the front and back of the body that combine images to create the VR-style image.
The contents also include a small flexible tripod and a USB charging cable. The body of the camera is slim, measuring just 60mm by 49mm but the charging port and memory card slot are easily accessed through a small cover. The battery isn’t removable but the camera can be powered from external sources – although the battery life was adequate for me to use the camera on and off for a couple of days.
While I charged the camera, I downloaded the SYVR360 app that GoXtreme recommends, from the iOS app store. The camera has built-in WiFi, so I connected to my phone and opened the SYVR app. Instantly, on my phone, I had the camera’s VR view of the room.
As well as video functions the camera also has a standard still-photo mode. The stills are decent but the real fun is getting this camera outside and filming something like a round of golf or visiting somewhere special like the Eiffel Tower. The camera’s two lenses are super-wide angle at 220° and those images automatically thread together to give the full 360° view.
I also wore the camera on a helmet mount while cycling and got remarkable footage, including what had been going on behind me while I had been looking straight ahead.
Watching footage back on your phone or PC is one thing but you really need to convert the footage to VR to experience the best of this camera. This is easily done with the free apps available for Mac or PC. You could also use a VR headset, such as Google Cardboard – or GoXtreme has one for around €20.