A prototype of the VRDL 360.
Ben SinA new Shanghai-based start-up has launched on Indiegogo a US$99 camera that can capture 360-degree photos and videos in 7k and 3k resolution, respectively. I was fortunate enough to play around with a prototype today (in Los Angeles, of all places), and while the software is quite raw and will need fine-tuning, the result so far has been pretty cool.
The small 4-inch tall device, named the VRDL 360, has four physical buttons and can be used as a stand-alone camera whose content can be transferred to a computer via good ol' USB connection or in tandem with a smartphone, connected via the VRDL 360 app. The latter option turns the smartphone into a remote control of sort, as you can see in real-time the visuals being captured by the camera.
Because everything is in the prototype stage right now, the app is very buggy and I was unable to actually load any video or photos I took to a computer. So instead, I shot a video of my phone, showing off the photo and video quality below.
As you can see from the video, both the photos and videos captured appear very crisp. The device's two 16-megapixel Sony lens, both with f/2.0 aperture, can capture videos and photos in dim light settings quite well, and shoots videos at 30fps.
A phone, when synced with the VRDL 360, can show footage in real time.
Ben Sin16-megapixel shooters on the front and back of device.
Ben SinThe app has built in filters and a video editor for basic on-the-fly tweaking. It'll also let you live stream content to your favorite social media channel automatically, but that feature isn't available right now as the app is still being fine-tuned.
Inside the plastic device is a 2,000 mAh batter that can shoot content for two hours, and 8GB of internal storage. You can, of course, use a micro SD card for more space. I'm told it can handle SD cards up to 128GB.
Content can be displayed in standard 360-degree photo mode (where you move around the photo by swiping), or fisheye lens, or in VR mode. I've tried the VR mode, and while it's a bit buggy, the camera shows great potential. A $99 device that lets you record your own VR content sounds very appealing. But, the device won't be ready to ship to backers until September.
