Most consumer 360-degree camera makers are finding it difficult to market their cameras. Almost all 360-degree cameras suffer in terms of detail due to the resolution which is usually spotty and pixelated. But the bigger question facing probable buyers is why they should buy a 360-degree camera. That's where GoPro's new Fusion 360 comes in with a "new creative idea" that will change the world of photo and videography as we know it.
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman teased a Fusion 360 camera at the company's event held in San Francisco on Thursday. The company has finally taken the Fusion 360 camera out of R&D and it should hit US stores later this month. To recall, back in January, GoPro had revealed its plans for a 360-degree camera in the future following Nikon's announcement of its KeyMission360 camera.
GoPro's image has for long been associated with extreme sports and that's a cause of concern for the company as buyers would look for reasons to buy a GoPro camera for anything apart from filming bike stunts. But the Fusion 360 might change all that.
GoPro says the Fusion 360 will "mark the beginning of a new creative, and that's because of something GoPro's broadly calling "OverCapture."
For starters, Overcapture is GoPro's way of calling the different ways in which users can manipulate the footage they shoot with the Fusion camera. Unlike other 360-degree cameras, which restrict users from posting anything but 360 degree videos, OverCapture allows users to post the footage in a more traditional, flat 1080p video format.
Usually with 360-degree images or videos captured on 360-degree cameras, you play back a 360-degree image on your phone, scroll or spin around to view it in full 360-degree. But what OverCapture adds to that is the ability to tap on a frame that the user likes and frame up a 16:9 or a 4:3 image and save a full-resolution of the newly-composed 2D rendering. The process is interesting when it comes to videos though. Here, you can actually pan around in a 360-degree sphere of imagery by moving your phone like you would when you are shooting a video.
Coming to the specs , the GoPro Fusion 360 has got one of the most impressive specs sheet for a 360 degree camera till date. It's got two lenses that shoot 360-degree video at up to 5.2K resolution at 30 frames per second (fps), and can take 18MP 360-degree photos. It also captures 360-degree sound. Apart from that, Fusion 360 has GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth for connectivity.
Given its adventurous pedigree, the GoPro Fusion 360 is waterproof up to 16 feet deep and it is compatible with most GoPro mounts available in the market right now. The GoPro Fusion 360 also has an accelerometer, a gyroscope and a compass that the camera uses to stabilize the 360-degree spherical footage.
It's not an easy path for Fusion
When GoPro Fusion 360 camera goes on sale, it will face tough competition from several other cameras already available in the market. Samsungs Gear 360 is currently in its second edition (2017 Edition) and captures 360 degree images at 15MP (5,472 x 2,736 pixels) resolution and FullHD videos at 60fps.
Other manufactures too have launched their respective spherical cameras. LG launched the LG 360 CAM spherical camera which shoots 360-degree VR videos at 4K resolution and 360 degree photos at 16MP (5,660 x 2,830 pixels) resolution, what's more, there's option for memory expansion up to 1TB. But GoPro Fusion 360 offers "OverCapture" which no other 360 degree camera has on board, except for maybe the Insta360 One from Chinese manufacturer Insta360.
The Insta360 One has two cameras that shoot 360-degree videos in 4K resolution at 30 fps and captures 24MP still photos. But it comes with a feature similar to that of GoPro's OverCapture, which the Shenzen-based company calls "FreeCapture." FreeCapture gives you the ability to extract a still image or a FullHD video of your choice from a 360-degree photo or video footage. GoPro's Fusion 360 uses basically the same trick. But sadly, you won't be able to play around with this feature just yet.
The OverCapture software feature will be available on mobile only by 2018, but it should be available on desktop at launch.
GoPro's Fusion 360 camera is priced at $699.99 and is currently up for pre-orders on GoPro.com in USA, Canada, UK and the European Union and start shipping by November.
Meanwhile, GoPro has also unveiled the GoPro Hero6 Black, which is GoPro's most powerful and convenient camera yet. The company also launched three new products- Shorty, The Handler and Bite Mount + Floaty mounts.
