With virtual reality headsets becoming more popular and platforms like Facebook and YouTube supporting 360-degree photos and videos, it's no surprise to see more 360 cameras coming to market.
There is now a range of capable cameras available at wildly different budgets. Each has their own appeal, so the choice really comes down to budget and what you want the camera for. Something small you can slip in your pocket and take on a jaunt or an action camera that can survive being dropped, bashed and used underwater?
Take a look at our list of the best VR and 360 cameras available to buy, whatever your budget.
Best 360 camera for video capture
GoPro Max
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- 6K spherical video capture capabilities
- Voice control and live-streaming
- OverCapture user-friendly video editing system
- 1,600mAh battery
- Hypersmooth video stabilisation
When it comes to video, especially action-cam footage, GoPro has always managed to produce incredible results. The GoPro Max is another camera from GoPro making waves.
Video capture capabilities
This device possibly offers the best 360 video capture capabilities of any device we've seen. Likely because it's capable of capturing 6K video at 30fps. Where the GoPro Max really shines though is in usability. GoPro's OverCapture video editing system allows users to easily create brilliant footage from their recordings.
This OverCapture tech even offers the ability to flatten 360 videos to make them viewable on any device - including TVs and create a "tiny planet"-like view or make sharp transitions at certain points.
The results are something pretty special and set this 360 camera apart from the crowd.
Durability and flexibility
Like other cameras in the GoPro range, the GoPro Max is a flexible and durable camera. This device is waterproof up to 16 feet and can be used underwater and with some abuse - making it suitable for use with watersports.
A removable 1,600mAh battery and a USB-C port that supports fast charging make it pretty flexible too. A touchscreen even lets you see what you're capturing and widens its appeal.
360 video makes a lot of sense in extreme sports areas and with the sort of footage GoPro fans will be capturing. It's therefore easy to see why GoPro created the Max (itself a soft reboot of the older Fusion camera) and where it sits in this market. As such, it's well worth considering.
The GoPro Max offers some of the best results we've seen in terms of capture quality. It's also easy to use with the OverCapture functionality on a smartphone. It boasts a great feature list and impressive specifications, but it does come with a pretty hefty price tag.
Conclusion
GoPro's expertise when it comes to action cameras has come to bear brilliantly on the Max — it's great for filming whatever activities you'd want it to, and is also adaptable. When you need 360 footage, it'll produce the goods, but can also film all sorts of other quality video.
Pros:
- User-friendly video editing system
- Tripod mounting as standard
- Waterproof and durable build
- Excellent footage results
- Touchscreen so that you can see what you're capturing
Cons:
- One of the more expensive 360 camera options
Best for sharing on the go
- View offers on Acer.co.uk
Acer Holo 360
- Wi-Fi and LTE capabilities for image/video sharing
- 802.11b/g/n/a/ac Wi-Fi
- Runs on Android 7.1.1
Modern 360 cameras are designed to make it easy to capture and share immersive video footage and 360 photos with ease. These cameras use multiple lenses and automatically stitch the imagery together to create an impressive end result.
The Acer Holo 360 is an attempt to tick all the right boxes, with an affordable 360 camera that captures great images and make it easy to share them too. It's hardly the prettiest camera around, in fact it looks much like an old brick phone, but there's a lot going for this camera that makes it worth considering.
Capture quality
- 6.9K image capture, 16MP images
- 4K video capture
- H.265, MP4 video formats and AAC audio format
The Acer Holo 360 is capable of capturing images and video in a variety of formats. This includes 16MP standard landscape and portrait photos via the front and rear facing cameras, panoramic images, full 360 photos at either 4K or 6K resolution and 4K 360 video too.
The video quality isn't quite as good as we've seen with the GoPro Max, but the stitching of both images and video is impressive. The results are good enough to marvel at the surroundings but are unlikely to blow your socks off.
That said, the appeal of the Acer Holo 360 isn't necessarily the results of the camera, but more the feature-packed flexible functionality.
Video and image sharing
- 3-inch IPS touchscreen
- Android app compatible
- Live broadcasting capabilities - Facebook and Youtube
The Acer Holo 360 is an unusual device. This is part camera, part phone. The Holo 360 runs on Android 7.1.1 and has both Wi-Fi and LTE capabilities thanks to the SIM card input. This not only gives you the option run this device in camera mode, but also phone mode.
The result is a device that you can use to browse the web, check your email, keep up-to-date with your Instagram feed but also snap and share 360 photos and videos with ease.
This camera has a 3-inch IPS touchscreen which enables you to see what you're shooting while you're shooting - whether recording video or taking photos. Once you're finished, you can use this same interface to process and save images in a number of ways. You can choose to save the full 360 view or focus on a particular area and just save that.
The images can then be shared on Facebook or other social platforms, as well as being uploaded to Google Drive, Google Photos and more. Thanks to the ability to insert a SIM card, you can do this while you're out and about too.
If you love live streaming your life, then there's more good news. The Holo 360 allows you to broadcast video via the Live 360 Video app straight to Facebook and Youtube with ease. Uploading or broadcasting video to Facebook and Youtube is probably the best way to use this device too as those two platforms automatically support 360 content and make it easy to view.
The Acer Holo 360 is certainly an interesting device. We really enjoyed the design of this camera. It's great to be able to access a live-view of your world while you're snapping. Also, with Android built in and a SIM card slot too, it's easy to use while you're out and about and share images and videos without the need for an accompanying device.
Conclusion
Being able to check your email, update your social profiles or browse the web is an added, if somewhat fiddly, bonus.
Pros:
- Easy sharing and broadcasting capabilities
- Works on mobile networks for sharing on the go
- Runs on Android so can be used as a phone
- Touchscreen display allows you to see image results there and then
Cons:
- Image and video stitching is slow and has to be done on the device
- You can only process up to 10 images or videos at a time
- Image and video quality is underwhelming at times
- No tripod mount
- Micro USB is a little dated
Most affordable 360 cam
Samsung Gear 360 (2017)
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- IP53 (Dust and Splash-proof)
- Various capture modes including video, photo, time-lapse, looping video and landscape HDR
- 1,160 mAh battery
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth v4.1, USB 2.0 (Type-C)
The Samsung Gear 360 is part of the company's "Gear" range of smart products designed to accompany the various Samsung flagship phones available. As such, this 360 camera works well with both the Samsung Gear VR (to view the photos) and the latest Samsung phones via the accompanying app.
Despite this, the camera is actually pretty capable, easy-to-use and boasts a number of specifications that make it interesting. It's also one of the most affordable 360 cameras available.
Capture quality
- 360-degree field of view
- 4K video capture (up to 4096 x 2048 at 24FPS), 15MP photos (5472 x 2736)
- Micro SD card slot compatible with upto 256GB
The Samsung Gear 360 uses two 360-degree lenses to capture either 4K video or 15MP images through a variety of capture modes including video, photo, time-lapse, looping video and landscape HDR. The results are fairly good, especially for the price of this camera - which you can now get for around £129/$100.
However, like many of the other 360 cameras out there, the fully stitched images are quite clear close-up, but distant objects are fairly blurry. The stitching itself though is well done and the split between the two images is often barely visible.
This camera pairs with a range of Samsung phones and will also work with Apple iPhones, but frustratingly won't work with other Android devices. If you have a compatible smartphone you can access a live view of the camera for capturing purposes, as well as access to a wide range of different settings and tweaks.
You don't need a phone to capture images or video if you don't want to though. A small monochrome screen on the device allows you to easily power on the camera and switch between the basic capture modes as well as settings to snap photos on the go.
We also like the addition of the tripod mount underneath which allows you to put the camera to more adventurous uses if you should feel the need.
The Samsung Gear 360 is IP53-rated, making it dust and splash proof, but not fully waterproof like the GoPro Max. It is compact and ergonomically well designed though, making it easy to take with you. It's small enough to fit nicely in your pocket and pop it out when you need it.
Video and image sharing
- 130-minute battery life when recording 2560 x 1280 at 30fps
- Sharing via connected Samsung phone
The Samsung Gear 360 captures images and video that can be shared via the app on your smartphone. It can also be accessed, processed, edited and shared on PC or Mac with the accompanying Action Director software.
Thanks to a USB-C connection, it's not only easy to quickly charge this camera, but also to easily download the images captured on the MicroSD card. The software can then be used to stitch the captured images into a 360-viewable photo or video and shared from there.
If you're using the Smartphone app, you can share directly from there. You can also start a live broadcast via Facebook or YouTube too, though obviously the latter requires passing the data from the camera to the phone and then onwards, which results in lower-quality resolutions.
The Samsung Gear 360 is an easy-to-use camera. Although the photo and video results aren't necessarily the best, the price point of this device and flexibility of its features and settings make it pretty appealing.
Conclusion
The stitching of images and videos is also surprisingly impressive and a much speedier process than the Acer Holo 360 - especially when using the Action Director software on PC.
Pros:
- Quick image and video processing via Action Director software
- USB Type-C charging/interface port
- Great ergonomics and compact design
- Includes tripod mount
Cons:
- Only compatible with Samsung phones and Apple iPhones
Most flexible 360 camera
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Garmin VIRB 360
- Tripod mounts and grips included
- Four microphones for spatial audio recording
- Single and dual lens capture
- Various photo modes including single shot, burst, timelapse, 360-degree front and back
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC connections
- Waterproof to 10 metres
- Built-in sensors for G-Metrix data overlays
The Garmin VIRB 360 is simultaneously both one of the most expensive and most interesting 360 cameras on our list.
This chunky little camera will put a serious dent in your bank balance, it's not easy to fit in your pocket and it doesn't even come with a MicroSD card but don't let that put you off.
This camera is an impressive little box of tricks. Packed into the fat little body is some high-end tech. This includes not only two 360-degree lenses capable of capturing 5.7K footage and 15MP photos but also a mass of other tech too. There's GPS, GLONASS, barometer and accelerometer sensors designed to capture data as you record and four microphones for spatial audio recording too.
This gives you the power to create some pretty impressive footage using this camera, not just in quality, but also in the information you include. Videos look pretty awesome with speedometers and other G-Metrix data overlays visible during playback. Especially if you're planning on doing something sporty with the camera.
The Garmin VIRB 360 is also designed to be rough and rugged. This 360 camera is waterproof to 10 metres, though Garmin doesn't reveal what, if any, IP-rating the body supports. Still, it shows it's capable of recording in wet environments and will stand up to some abuse.
In the box, Garmin has included two attachments which allow you to connect a tripod using the usual screw mount. A small and capable, hand-held tripod is also included which allows for some nifty and steady shooting if you can find somewhere to stand it.
This camera also includes another attachment which allows you to connect the camera to GoPro style mounts - opening up a world of possibilities for attaching to helmets, suction cups, handlebars and much more besides.
Capturing is as simple as pressing a button on top to take photographs and pushing a slide on the side to record video. An LCD screen on top gives you easy access to change basic settings and flip between capture modes too. The result is an easy-to-use camera that's a joy to play with.
Voice control is also an option saying "OK, Garmin" allows you to give verbal commands. You can then ask the camera to start/stop recording, take photos and more besides.
Capture quality
- 5.7K/30FPS, unstitched or 4K/30FPS, stitched
- 15 MP photo capture
- Automatically stitched photos and videos
We were suitably impressed with the capture quality of the Garmin VIRB 360. It's not surprising that with such impressive specs under the hood, this camera is capable of not only capturing high-quality video but images too.
As well as recording 360-degree video at a maximum of 5.7K, the Garmin VIRB 360 also has a number of other capture options that include standard stills from either lens, burst mode, timelapse capture and slow motion too.
It's easy to grab imagery and video footage with just a couple of clicks and the camera automatically does all the legwork in processing what you've snapped too.
We did experience some minor issues with stitching occasionally with photos (people missing parts of their heads) but this is fairly common on these sorts of cameras and is often forgivable. Otherwise, the quality of the footage and imagery is pretty reasonable.
None of these cameras is yet mind-blowing in terms of the end results. Despite the specifications, the technology is not quite there yet and you can easily see the degradation in quality the further into the distance you look, but this camera still has a lot going for it.
The Garmin VIRB includes spherical stabilisation capabilities and footage can be edited to reduce shake and wobble with a simple couple of clicks. The results are remarkable too. It's the ease-of-use, brilliant capture capabilities and flexibility where this 360 camera really shines.
As if that wasn't enough, the camera is also capable of recording for up to an hour on a single charge. Spare batteries and dual chargers are available to purchase to keep on recording if you so wish too.
Video and image sharing
- Spherical stabilisation capabilities
- Free desktop editing software
- Mobile app for settings tweaks and sharing on the go
For us, one of the highlights of the Garmin VIRB 360 is almost certainly the way it handles stitching of images and videos. This processing is done automatically on the device meaning it's almost seamless.
You can choose to use the iOS or Android app to share content while you're out and about or use the free desktop software to edit footage once you're back home. But even importing photos and videos from the device onto your PC or Mac you'll find their already stitched and ready for viewing or sharing to Facebook, YouTube or wherever else you wish to use them.
There's a Google Cardboard functionality built right into the app too, meaning you can pop your phone into a VR headset and view footage you've captured in full 360-degree glory.
There's a lot of flexibility here. Apple users can even live stream via the smartphone app, so there are plenty of different ways to capture and share content.
The Garmin VIRB 360 is one of the best 360-degree cameras we've seen. It's flexible, capable and powerful. We loved the automatic stitching and the easy-to-use accompanying app and software that make it a breeze to easily create and share your content.
Conclusion
Stand-out features include powerful video stabilisation, brilliant G-Metrix data overlays, easy editing and spatial audio recording.
For us though, the best feature is likely the one you'll take for granted - the automatic stitching and processing. This is seamless and results in content that can be viewed and shared as soon as it's exported. This means it can be seen without any dull waiting around for the camera to process the footage beforehand like we experienced with other cameras we've tested.
Of course, the price may well be off-putting for most, as the Garmin VIRB certainly comes with a hefty price tag, but with good reason.
Pros:
- Automatic on-camera stitching and footage processing
- Easy-to-use interface
- Simple pairing and controls via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC
- Free app and desktop software makes editing and sharing a breeze
- Waterproofing and rugged design
- Flexible mounts and adapters mean you can potentially stick it to anything
Cons:
- Hefty price tag
Most durable 360 camera
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Nikon KeyMission 360
- 1,050mAh Lithium-Ion battery
- Approximately two hours of charging time
- 198-gram bodyweight
- Bluetooth 4.1/IEEE 802.11b/g Wi-Fi
- microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC memory card compatible
- NIKKOR 1.6 mm f/2.0 lenses
If an action camera and a 360 camera got together and had a baby, this would be the result. The Nikon KeyMission 360 features a rugged, durable and robust body housing some capable NIKKOR 1.6 mm f/2.0 lenses and the ability to capture UHD 4K footage or 23.9MP 360-degree stills.
If you're into extreme sports or want a 360 camera that's capable of functioning underwater, in snowy/freezing conditions or just stand up to rough handling then this might well be it.
The Nikon KeyMission 360 is IP6X and IPX8 rated meaning this camera is capable of withstanding a multitude of environments and rough handling. It's dustproof, shockproof, weatherproof and waterproof too.
The camera's durable body allows it to be dropped up to two metres, used underwater up to 30 metres for 60 minutes and resist temperatures ranging from -10°C to 40°C. All these specs certainly make it an ideal candidate for extreme sports use or a great alternative if you're a bit of a clumsy buffoon.
There are multiple accessories available including everything from suction cups to chest mounts, selfies sticks, grips and more. Meaning you can use this 360 camera for pretty much anything you can imagine. It also supports a standard tripod mount, making it flexible and easy to use with a variety of mounts and attachments.
This camera also comes with a build-it-yourself cardboard headset you can use with your smartphone to view the images and videos in VR - for a more immersive view of the footage you've captured too.
Capture quality
- Standard, timelapse, looping and superlapse video capture
- 7744 x 3872 still images (approx 23.9MP)
- MP4 (Video: H.264/MPEG-4 AVC, Audio: AAC stereo)
- 2160/24p, 1920/24p, 960/30p, 640/120p, 320/240p video capture
The Nikon KeyMission 360 captures images up to a resolution of 7744 x 3872 (approx 23.9MP) and video at a maximum of 2160p at 24 frames per second. The results are fairly impressive and comparable with the other high-end cameras on this list.
This 360 camera offers a number of capture modes including standard, timelapse, looping and Superlapse video capture. It also supports a self-timer which allows you to set up the camera ready for photographs or video and capture footage just the way you want.
Built-in Vibration Reduction technology uses information about the camera's position in the world to counter camera shake and stabilise imagery. This, in theory, should result in smooth video performance and clearer photos. Our experience during testing shows video performance that isn't quite as stable as we've seen with the Garmin VIRB, but this camera is a lot more affordable.
Like the Garmin VIRB, this camera has separate buttons for video and photo capture, making it easy to ensure you're pressing the right button for the results you're after. The video button doubles as the power button, which can make things a bit fiddly at times but otherwise it's fairly user-friendly.
Video and image sharing
- Automatic in-camera stitching
- Self-timer capable
- Auto-download options
A highlight to the design of the Nikon KeyMission 360 is the power under the hood. This camera supports automatic in-camera stitching that processes photographs and videos seamlessly.
You can then use the accompanying app to download captured footage directly to your smartphone or plug it into a computer to access it from there.
The Nikon KeyMission 360 is compatible with the SnapBridge 360/170 app for iPhone and Android devices. This app allows you to connect to the camera to access and tweak settings, download images and work the camera as a remote control. We found the app could be a bit flakey and not as user-friendly as others we've tried, but automatic pairing via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is a breeze. There are some occasional connection issues, but nothing that prevents you from using the camera manually.
We had some issues with video capture during our testing. Some experimenting combined with a thorough reading of the manual revealed that you need a microSDXC memory card with an SD Speed Class rating of 6 or faster in order to properly capture video footage. Lesser rated cards lead to recordings stopping unexpectedly.
The app allows you to manually or automatically download images and videos from the camera to your phone. They can then be shared from your phone straight to social media. This sharing is fairly easy, but sometimes held back by the problems with app connectivity.
Downloading to your computer and sharing from there is also easy and the fact the stitching is automatic really makes life a lot simpler. There's also a desktop utility for basic editing and tweaks available to download for free.
The Nikon KeyMission 360 is an interesting option for those looking for a durable and rugged 360-degree camera. It's built to withstand all sorts of punishment and weather situations making it perfect for extreme sports in all manner of conditions. We found the video capture to not be quite as good as other 360 cameras we've tested. Video stabilisation isn't as good as the Garmin VIRB, for example, but the price of this camera makes it far more accessible.
Conclusion
This camera is also flexible and able to work with a wide variety of accessories and mounts. Meaning you can put it to use in whatever activity you're planning on. It takes pretty impressive 360-degree imagery and is a really capable device for the money.
Pros:
- Automatic in-camera stitching of photos and video
- Ability to download images directly to your phone
- Durable design that's dustproof, shockproof, weatherproof and waterproof too
- Affordable price point compared to other 360 cameras on this list
Cons:
- No live streaming capabilities
- Smartphone app connection is flaky and unreliable
- In-app settings are somewhat limited
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