What new 360 cameras can we expect in 2018? CES is already behind us and tech companies are looking to set them selves apart in the increasing crowded 360 camera market. 2017 saw an explosion of new 360 cameras and a lot of innovation around how we use them, and with the number of people viewing and capturing in 360 it’s hard to argue that these cameras are just a fad.

I’ve done some research into the new 360 cameras being released in 2018 (well, the ones that we know about), and I’ve been surprised at how innovative they continue to get. Expect cameras that look nothing like we’ve seen before being used in ways you probably didn’t ever consider

360 Cameras Coming in 2018

Orbi Prime

Here’s one of those innovative uses of 360 cameras I was talking about. The Orbi Prime, as you’ve probably guessed, is a 360 camera doubling as a paid of shades. You might ask, why? Well it actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Instead of having to carry your camera, why not wear it! The Orbi lets you recreate experiences from your own perspective by shooting 4K 360 video at eye level.

Orbi Prime Video Example

I’ll admit that I’ve not been a fan of previous attempts to put tech inside glasses before, but the design of the Orbi looks to be fairly neutral and the camera aspect is not super obvious. One obvious issue is that your head/face will obstruct part of the video, which can be hidden with a logo or black circle.

The Orbi prime can record for 60 minutes, features 4 individual lenses as well as stabilization to ensure your video is smooth. The Orbi intrigues me and I really hope it turns out as good as their marketing suggests; hands free 360 video at eye level could be a hit with action cam aficionados.

The Orbi Prime is an Indiegogo backed product that has fallen behind its release schedule, but the camera was shown off at CES recently and is set to be released at some point in 2018.

Pilot Era

The Pilot Era was announced as CES 2018 and is now one of my most hotly anticipated cameras of the year. It’s a professional 360 camera, which means it’s very expensive and designed for shooting pro level 360 video. Never the less, the Pilot Era is still pretty cheap compared to many of its rivals and has a few tricks up its sleeve.

The Pilot Era can shoot 8K 360 video and is able to automatically stitch within the camera itself. This is the only 360 camera that can stitch 8K 360 video, in all other cases files must be transferred to a desktop first and then stitched. This innovation will simplify the workflow for many 360 professionals and allow them to preview their footage instantly.

The camera also comes fitted with a touch screen LCD, another 360 camera first, which no doubt will be used to view video stitched by the camera. The surprises don’t end there, because the Pilot Era will also feature 4G connectivity, allowing you to transfer and live stream anywhere you can find signal.

At a cost of around $3000, this is one of the cheaper pro level 360 cameras and will hopefully be able to produce some stunning immersive content. The Pilot Era should be released in April this year.

Insta360 Nano S

Barely a month goes by without Insta360 announcing another camera! This time it’s the sequel to the Insta360 Nano, the first 360 camera iPhone accessory. The Nano S also allows you to turn your iPhone into a 360 camera, but with a huge boost in video quality and some awesome new features thrown in too.

The Nano S will shoot 4K 360 video and 20 megapixel photos, a big jump up from its predecessor. More interestingly the camera will feature new video modes such as multiview and 360 video chat.

Multiview will let you stream or record from both lenses as the same time and create a multi-layered video. You’ll also be able to video call anyone in 360, allowing them to see everything that you see.

The Insta360 Nano S is available to order now from Amazon

Vuze +

The Vuze+ is an upgraded version of the original Vuze, which was released last year. The original Vuze was the first consumer 360 camera to also shoot in 3D, which makes 360 video more immersive when viewed in a VR headset. The original was innovative but received a mixed critique, as most first generation tech does. The upgraded Vuze+ seeks to tackle some of the issues of the original.

The Vuze+ will feature new, enhanced optics (lenses) which should improve the quality of the video shot with the camera. A huge software update (also available for the original) will allow you to adjust the stitching to make it more accurate as well as tinker with color balance, saturation and highlights before exporting.

Perhaps the main new feature is the ability to live-stream in 360 3D, the first camera to be able to do so. Anyone watching on a VR headset will get a better experience than if they watched a 2D stream. The new Vuze will also be water resistant and feature spatial audio, another immersive feature.

The Vuze+ is more of a prosumer camera and the price tag of $1999 reflects this. No word on an exact release date, but I’d guess summer time.

FITT360

Another 360 camera is a strange form factor, the FITT 360 is a wearable 360 camera that can shoot 4K video and live stream. Designed to be worn as a neckband, the FITT 360 promises to provide an immersive 1st person 360 perspective. The hands free design means you can slick a single button and not have to worry about holding the camera.

The FITT360 has been developed in conjunction with Samsung, who themeselves have a lot of experience in the 360 and VR markets. As for whether people will be willing to walk around with a 3 cameras hanging over their neck, well, that remains to be seen.

The device itself does look quite sleek and the ability to shoot 4K as well as live-stream is a bit plus. You’ll have to pay a heft price for the pleasure though, at least $699 according to the Kickstarter page.

Kandao QooCam

The QooCam (I can’t even guess at how to pronounce that) is another 360 camera previewed at CES this year, and it’s a combination of both 360 and 180 technology. This camera can capture either monoscopic 360 video or stereoscopic 180 video by adjusting the position of the lenses. The camera can also lives stream in 180 3D or 360.

The most interesting feature of the camera is the inclusion of Kandao’s depth mapping technology, usually reserved for pro-level cameras. Depth mapping allows you edit your videos in ways not previously possible, for example you can completely refocus an image after it’s been shot.

The Qoocam is certainly a unique 360 camera with some promising features. No word on the release date or price, but apparently the camera will be aimed at a mass market, so here’s hoping it’s on the cheaper side. More info will be released in March when the cameras goes up on Kickstarter.

See Also: Ultimate 360 Camera Comparison Table

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