Five, four, three, two, one.
Happy New Year!
(snoring)
- Wha, wh, eh...
Happy... never mind.
Okay so it's January 1st
and you probably know what that means:
It's time to figure out which 360 camera
you should buy in 2019!
I'm not gonna go super in depth in this video
because I've already made in depth reviews
of most of these cameras, but I do wanna give you
a rough idea of which cameras are the top players
and which cameras you should forget about.
I'm only going to cover 360 cameras under $1000
in this video and if there's a camera you have your eye on
that you don't see here, there's a good chance
I knocked it out in a previous video.
Links to all these cameras can be found
down in the description.
So, without further ado,
let's get into it!
I want to start with the camera
that everyone's talking about and that
is the Insta360 One X
And yes, I did just pull it out of my underpants.
So I made a two part review of the One X,
which you've probably seen by now
and I basically declared this as the best 360 camera
of 2018, which kinda makes it seem like the obvious choice
as the best camera to buy in 2019, right?
Well, just wait a minute.
First I'll talk about the pros
and the first one is the design.
This is one of the best designed 360 cameras
I've ever seen.
We've learned so much now about 360 camera design,
after point and shoot cameras have been prevalent
for about three years.
And you can tell that this camera has fixed
all the mistakes of the past cameras.
Things like having a removable battery,
having an LCD screen, having a charging port
that is easy to access, as well as the tripod mount
and SD card slot being situated almost perfectly.
If you added spatial audio mics and replaceable lenses
to this camera, this would be
the perfectly designed 360 camera.
It's also light, slim and pocketable.
I can't stress how important this is
from a 360 camera design.
It's got to be small, compact and easy to take around.
On top of that, the 360 photos and videos it takes
are really impressive.
Most 360 cameras you think of
as being good at just one thing,
whether it be photos or videos, but the One X,
I can confidently say, is excellent
at both photos and videos.
The dynamic range is really good,
the sharpness and resolution is good
and the colors are the best we've seen yet
from an Insta360 camera.
Not only does it shoot 30fps
at 5.7K but it shoots 100fps at 3K.
And this slow motion doesn't look jittery
and simulated, it looks like legit slow motion.
I haven't seen slow motion look this good
from a 360 camera ever, unless you use a lot
of After Effects plugins.
Not only does it do slow motion well
but its hyperlapses are amazing.
All you do is press the record button
and walk for a few minutes and you have yourself
a cinematic masterpiece that you just made in five minutes.
This effect is seriously addictive
and when you combine slow motion with hyperlapse,
you have a video that is going to capture
your audience's attention, scrolling through
that news feed, ten out of ten times.
Next is the workflow.
The One X has the best all around workflow
for photos and videos of any 360 camera.
The app is so well designed and easy to understand
that you don't need a computer anymore
to edit your footage.
You can download your files, reframe and export in minutes
and I'm not talking about a basic edit,
I'm talking about properly edited and reframed 360 videos.
The camera's app should be a big factor
when choosing a 360 camera and no question,
Insta360 have the best.
When coming up with flaws of this camera,
it's really hard to think of them.
If I go by what I've seen in some of the Facebook groups,
the biggest issues people have had was firstly
the audio, there are a few complaints
about the audio not being very good, I disagree,
but I've heard that quite a bit.
Next is its compatibility with a lot of older devices,
specifically Android has been the biggest one
and a few tablets.
It seems like people are trying to use the One X
with devices that are older than about three years
and that's just not going to cut it.
For 5.7K video, if you think about it,
that's a massive file and you're doing a lot
when you're shooting, downloading and editing 5.7K footage,
so you will need a device that is of the last two years
at least, if you wanna have any chance of using the One X.
Do check out part one and two of my One X review
before buying but,
to give you a spoiler,
yes 1000%, you should buy the One X.
I feel like I almost need to change the title
of this video to, Can anything beat the Insta360 One X?
I think you'll find that, a few of these cameras
do beat it at certain things.
It's not the best all around camera,
but I do consider it the best camera for most things.
This brings me to the previous two Insta360 cameras,
the One and the Nano S.
Should you buy these?
Uh, no.
I mean look, just six months ago, these were
two great options and at $239 each,
which is what they're at now,
you should consider them if that's all you've got.
But the One X is such a significant upgrade
from both of these cameras, that it leaves them
with no unique selling points.
There's no reason why you would choose either
of these cameras, if you have $400 to spend.
I know I was very pro Insta360 One last year
but after the One X came out, it improved on this camera
in every single way.
If you already own this, it's still a good camera,
don't get me wrong, but if you're looking to buy
your next camera, then you will wanna consider
the other cameras on this list, specifically the One X.
I hate to say it, but I'm putting both of these cameras
on the Meh list.
Next up we have the Gear 360 family, the 2016 and the 2017
cameras from Samsung.
These were both great and industry leading
when they came out, but in 2019 they have nothing
over their competitors, other than price that is.
I spotted these two on Amazon this morning
for $76 and $59, which makes them among
the cheapest 360 cameras money can buy.
This is the only reason these cameras
are still on this list. (bell dings)
If you don't wanna spend a lot,
but you wanna get a taste for 360,
these are good basic cameras for a good basic 360 result.
The 2016 is only compatible with Samsung phones,
the 2017 is with Android and iPhone
but you will wanna double check before you buy it.
Next is the YI 360 VR, my old nemesis.
And straight away, the list I'm putting this on
is the do not miss out on a great bargain.
I looked on Amazon this morning and it was $183, oh my god!
Yeah, you heard right, $183 for a 5.7K camera.
I've had my issues with the YI in the past,
the main one being, it's not really compatible
with MAC or iPhone and I'm an Apple person,
so this camera is unusable to me.
But if you're on PC or you're on Android,
you should absolutely consider this camera,
if your budget is under $200.
The results you'll get are fine, not amazing.
The dynamic range isn't good, the colors aren't great
but the sharpness is really good.
It's got both high resolution photos and videos,
so if you're one of those people that totally geeks out
over resolution over everything else,
then you should consider the YI 360 VR.
I'm putting this in the buy category
(bell dings)
for the moment.
If it goes back up to its former price,
which is $399, it's going back on the Meh list.
That's the thing with these cameras,
if the price is right, then it can put some
older cameras like this one, back into contention
as a serious camera to buy.
Next is the Garmin adjective.
No I'm just kidding, it's the Garmin VIRB, ha ha ha ha ha.
And not a lot has changed with this camera since last time,
including the price.
This is still a $699 360 camera
and it just doesn't warrant buying it over the others.
The only thing it has above all the other 360 cameras,
is its replaceable lenses.
And don't get me wrong, replaceable lenses
is a really good feature but is it worth $700 for that?
No, may as well buy two cheaper cameras
and risk one getting broken.
If you take a lot of risks with your 360 camera,
I would consider it, since it's also shock proof
but otherwise, I'm putting the VIRB,
(bell dings)
in the Meh list.
Next is another 360 camera with a funny name
and it's the Kandao QooCam.
I made a video called,
Why you Shouldn't Buy the Kandao QooCam,
but if you watched it you'll see,
that's not really what I meant.
I meant it was still early days.
The camera had a lot of potential
that it hadn't fulfilled yet
and I feel like it's come a long way
in the last few months.
Firstly, it's one of the only 360 cameras
that doubles as a 180 camera.
That's really cool and when you take 180 photos
and videos, it's really cool to watch them back.
Especially now that Facebook have introduced
the 3D photo feature.
You can now shoot photos on the QooCam,
upload them to Facebook and they'll appear as 3D photos.
When you watch back your 180s in a headset,
this is where it really shines.
You can see layers of depth within your photos and videos.
They're actually way more immersive
than 360 photos and videos because 360 only has one layer,
whereas 180 has several layers of depth.
So that's cool and that's what I'd say
the unique selling point of the QooCam is.
It also does potentially the best
360 video stabilization of any of these cameras,
but not by much.
They're all extremely good
and other cameras like the Rylo and the One X
are maybe one percent less good than the QooCam.
So that's not really the deciding factor.
The 360 photos and videos that come from it are good,
they're not outstanding
but they're good enough for social media.
Now that they added DNG raw to the QooCam,
I'd say it probably has the best DNG raw
of any 360 camera.
A lot of them do it now, but personally I notice
from playing around in Photoshop,
I can recover so much more detail with QooCam DNGs
than I could with any other camera.
Did I mention it has a three hour battery life,
that's really impressive, since the average 360 camera
battery lasts about an hour.
Should you buy the QooCam?
(bell dings) Yeah, if you wanna shoot 180,
you wanna shoot DNG raw
and you need a camera with a really long battery life,
then you should seriously consider this camera.
Exterminate, exterminate!
The next camera, is the Ultracker Aleta S2C
and you're probably thinking, what the hell did he just say?
Yes this is a camera that not too many people
know about, including myself.
I can admit, I have not turned this camera on yet,
because I just got it in the mail,
but that is my goal for early 2019.
Why is this camera special though?
Is it because it looks like a spaceship?
No, this camera is special
because it shoots 66 megapixels 360 photos.
Yes you heard that right, 66 megapixels 360 photos.
The next highest we've seen from a consumer 360 camera
has been 30 megapixels,
that's more than double the resolution.
From the samples I've seen, the sharpness looks really good
and I feel like this camera is the half way point,
between a point and shoot 360 camera
and shooting 360s with DSLR.
I've gotta say, the exposure balance wasn't great
from those samples but maybe those
just weren't taken with optimal settings.
It does have inbuilt HDR
and inbuilt stitching but at a $999 price point,
I would say wait (bell dings)
until I get a proper video out, before you go ahead
and buy the Ultracker Aleta S2C.
(space warbles)
Another shout out, real quick, to a camera
that has just been released,
that I haven't gotten my hands on yet
and that's the Vuze XR.
This is a 5.7K 360 video camera,
that also doubles as a 180 camera,
so this could very well give the Kandao QooCam
a run for its money.
I can't say too much yet because I haven't used it
but it's $439, stay tuned, because I will have videos
coming out later in January
(bell dings) to cover the Vuze XR.
Next camera on the list, is the Theta V.
And straight away, I'm putting the Theta V
in the do not buy category. (bell dings)
Wah, what, what?
Mr Ben I've watched your videos
and you told me to buy the Theta V and now you say this.
I know, that's a pretty bold call isn't it?
Well here's the reason.
I have a sneaking suspicion that Ricoh
will be a releasing a new camera soon.
Late last year we saw Insta360 release their new camera
and we all expected something new from Ricoh
and we didn't get anything.
Normally two months, three months before Christmas
is the time that they all release new cameras
and we heard nothing.
So Ricoh are definitely due for a new camera.
I can't say when, I have no idea when
but I'm pretty certain it is going to happen soon-ish.
And the Theta V is a good camera,
I've always been a fan of it,
but if you're looking to buy your next camera,
you shouldn't buy it.
Because no doubt, Ricoh will be working on
the next generation camera and it's worth waiting
that extra little bit so you can get the latest
and greatest Theta Camera.
Hm, hm, hm, I just started a rumor, a 360 rumor.
(laughing)
Next are the twins.
The Mi Sphere and the Madventure 360 camera.
And you know what, I'm getting stick of sticking up
for the Madventure 360.
It was supposed to be different to the Mi Sphere.
They were supposed to add all these great features.
But, they haven't.
It's just an orange Mi Sphere, there, I said it.
But not just an orange Mi Sphere,
an orange Mi Sphere at $310,
when the Mi Sphere is at $222.
Why would you pay more?
It makes no sense.
Yes it might come with a few more accessories in the box
but is that really worth almost $100?
No, therefore I'm putting the Madventure 360
(bell dings) in the do not buy category.
Because of the much cheaper price,
the Mi Sphere is the obvious choice of these two cameras.
But why should you buy the Mi Sphere?
Yes, it has been outdone by the One X
in basically every way, but I still do consider it
very much a relevant camera in 2019.
This is firstly for its all round ability
with both photos and videos.
There's so much you can do with this camera in both areas.
It shoots amazing 360 photos with very good resolution
and the 360 videos are also really good.
It actually has a lot going for it.
Check out my Mi Sphere review if you haven't seen it already
to see everything, but the reason it's still here
and the reason I'm putting it in the buy category,
is the price.
If you're someone with only $222 to spend
and you want a good result for your 360 photos and videos,
then the Mi Sphere is the obvious option.
It's definitely not as good as the One X
but I'd say it's 2/3 as good, for half the price.
So if you can't afford the $399 price tag
of the One X, then you will wanna consider the Mi Sphere,
because it's still the best (bell dings)
and most versatile 360 camera, under $300.
Next we have this little camera.
The Rylo, which was groundbreaking when it came out
for its amazing six axis stabilization.
It was the best at the time
and totally blew all the other cameras out of the water.
In early 2018 its draw cards were its stabilization,
hyperlapses and reframing.
And over the course of the year, Insta360 copied everything.
Not only did they get their stabilization as good
as the Rylo, but they added the hyperlapse effect
to the One X app.
And the reframing in the app is now better than Rylos.
And look, they have been working on the Rylo
in the past year, they've added features
like 5.8K video up from 4K.
They've added a desktop app and they fixed a few of their
workflow issues but, I just can't think of why
you would buy the Rylo over the Insta360 One X,
it's better in basically, no ways.
So I'm sorry to say it Rylo but Insta360
took all of your best features
and you're left with nothing.
(paper snapping)
And by nothing I mean it's still got lots of good features
but if you're buying a camera for the first time,
(bell dings) the One X has everything
over the Rylo.
Last but not least, it's One X's biggest competitor,
the GoPro Fusion.
The Fusion was the winner last time I made this video
but due to GoPro not doing too well as a company,
they haven't updated the firmware, the software,
the app, nothing.
And that's okay because it was a really good camera already
so that wasn't something that had to happen.
But I guess we're just kinda getting used to having
all of these updates, all the time
with most other 360 cameras.
And we're not going to get them anymore from GoPro
because it seems like they've given up that 360 pursuits
for now, so I'm not expecting a Fusion two
and I'm not expecting any future updates on the Fusion.
The good is, the Fusion shoots amazing 360 photos
and 360 videos, they're absolutely incredible.
In today, in 2019, the 360 video from the Fusion
absolutely blows me away.
The dynamic range is so good, it looks really sharp
and the image is just beautiful.
But what's not good is the workflow.
This has always been its biggest flaw
and it's never been fixed.
It's always been hard to edit your photos on your phone
and that's just a basic thing for 360 cameras,
having the ability to download to your phone
and edit your 360 photos.
You can't do that with the Fusion.
Even a year after it's been released.
We did see any update to Fusion Studio,
which is a desktop app, a few months ago,
but it didn't really fix the bigger problem
people were having, which is, footage taking days
to render and stitch and export.
The software constantly crashing even on fast computers,
as well as the file sizes being ginormous.
That made creating these beautiful 360 videos,
kinda hard to do, almost impossible for a lot of people.
You really need a minimum of 16 gigabytes of RAM
and a four gigabyte graphics card
to make this camera workable
and not many people have those specs.
I even upgraded my computer to quadruple that
and I still had a few issues.
So for me, that means the Fusion workflow
takes a minimum of an hour to even do a basic video
and I don't have an hour free, I'm a busy guy.
So as a result, I just haven't used the Fusion
in the past few months.
Once I discovered the One X and how fast the workflow can be
I fell in love, and any workflow longer than 10 minutes
made me feel like I was really wasting my time.
So while I think the Fusion does produce
an exceptional result, you need a fast computer
to work with it.
If you don't have that, don't bother.
I'm putting the GoPro Fusion (bell dings)
on the cameras you should consider list.
Man, the One X is a real jerk.
It's basically taken all the best features
of 2018's best cameras and combined them
into one perfect camera.
Now I don't work for Insta360
and I'm not being paid to say this
but none of us expected this, that one camera
would make all these other cameras unnecessary.
Since I got it a few months ago,
I haven't used any of these cameras.
Be gone with you!
(hands clap)
Yeah, that's better.
So, this is the front runner in early 2019.
No doubt this hierarchy will change as the year progresses,
so definitely hit that subscribe button
if you wanna find out about all the latest
and greatest 360 cameras that 2019 has to offer.
Also do check out my full reviews of all the cameras
you've seen today, if any of them peak your interest
and you wanna learn more.
Also I'd be keen to know,
(bell dings) what is your favorite
360 camera in early 2019 and why?
Leave a comment down there and let me know.
Also I wanna let you guys know,
my 360 video course is on sale right now.
So you can find a link to that down in the description.
That's it for me, I hope you have a Happy New Year
and capture your world in 360 in 2019
and I'll see you in the next video.
(snoring)