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0The 360fly 4K is a 2nd gen video camera offering an increased resolution of 4K from the earlier 1080 pixels. It is a 360 degree camera and comes with a powerful companion mobile application, offering crisp videos covering 360 degrees of view.
Contents
Design
The camera is 2.6 inches in size and weighs 6 ounces, with black spheroid and flat bottom combined with edges that are angled, along with bulbous lens made of glass. It can be gripped comfortably while shooting and comes with the usual tripod mount at its base. You can also use the regular GoPro mounts with the adapter that comes with the device.
Sturdiness and Resistance
The camera is sturdy and you can use it in tough weather conditions, such as in the rain on the beach, as it offers protection against dust and water splashes. It comes with 1 ATM water resistance, so it can be submerged up to 10 meters of water. This is sufficient for most of the users, but the accessory case needed for deeper diving is not included.
Performance
There is just one lens on the top, so truly spherical images are not possible. The 360 camera 360fly 4K camera offers 360 degrees and 240 degrees, horizontally and vertically respectively.
How it Works
Instead of the usual data ports, there are several data connectors. It can be connected using a USB to a desktop or a Mac. There is a micro USB cable in it, with one button commonly used for recording as well as power. You can power the camera by holding on the button for a few seconds, whereas a single press can be used for starting or stopping recording. The haptic vibration on the camera lets users know that the command has been received.
There are two LED indicators, one near the lone button and one more near the base. The indicators change colors and inform the user about the status. For instance, blue shows that the device is search for mobile connections, whereas green shows that there is a connection with a smartphone, with red standing for recording and yellow showing a connection with a desktop using USB.
Mobile Application
Software is one of the strongpoints of the 360 camera 360fly. The 360fly 4K comes with an internal memory of 64 GB. It is possible to store three hours footage, as a minute’s 4K footage takes up 375 MB space.
One of the positive aspects of the software is that it comes with a companion mobile application, capable of working on both Android and iOS devices. It makes use of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for connecting with the camera and offers a live streaming to your mobile device, along with tools for editing. When first launching the application, users can view videos of other users for inspiration. This feature makes the application useful to users even when the device is not connected to the smartphone.
After downloading a clip on your smartphone using Wi-Fi, you can mark whatever you wish to share and then assemble these into one clip. The steps offer ease of use and users can share a selection easily with their contacts. Once the clips have been edited, you can send them to YouTube or Facebook or to the 360fly website to share them.
The app also offers a cardboard mode with a split video view, so that you can use a VR headset to view them from the mobile screen.
PC Software
The PC software for the video camera is available for both Windows and Mac, but it is not as powerful as the mobile software. There are editing tools for trimming a selection and merging them. However, for those who wish to do something more complex, they must have to use other editing suites. You can share the video with Facebook or YouTube using the desktop application as well.
Quality of Video
This is one of the weak points on the 360fly 4K and it does not offer footage that can equal a flat 4K video camera. Center details are sharp but the edges are blurred and you can only record videos at 24 fps or 30 fps for a 2880 x 2880 pixel resolution. However, you can take 60 fps videos at a lower resolution of 1728 x 1728 pixels. The dynamic range of the camera leaves much to be desired and the recording show some grain with loss of detail in case of pictures recorded in low light conditions.
Battery Life
The video camera comes with an internal battery that is powerful enough to last about 90 minutes recording with one charge. The battery, however, cannot be replaced, so you have to put the device on the magnetic stand for recharging purposes.
The Good
The 360 camera 360fly 4K offers ease of use and comes with an excellent companion mobile application. 4K videos are excellent with vibrant colors along with crisp videos. Though truly spherical images cannot be recorded, the videos are best looking when compared to other cameras in this category. The mobile app is very useful for sharing your movie recordings on YouTube or Facebook.
The Bad
The product needs to go a little further in the technology to become part of the mainstream. The video quality is a little poor with videos appearing a little soft when you stretch them out for an interactive playback. In addition, the battery and the memory on the video camera device cannot be replaced. The video frame is not truly spherical, as compared to the Samsung Gear 360 dual lens models. If you want perfect spherical video, you can purchase a second camera and attach both cameras back to back and join the videos with the software.
Summary (Verdict)
The 360fly 4K delivers excellent pictures and videos and allows users to share them easily, though it does not offer full 360 degree images in all directions. There is considerable room for improvement in the technology of the 360fly 4K, as videos appear soft when you view them in 360 degree players. It also has problems concerning dynamic range and the audio is distant. The technology is barely emerging and it has a long way to go, so the quality is not as good as yet. It does have some advantages, as you can use it in shallow waters and the software is very good.