Photography News issue 28

Photography News Issue 28 absolutephoto.com

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First tests

Accessories First tests We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list

Reviews by Kingsley Singleton &Will Cheung

360Fly £399

Verdict

Specs

The 360Fly is a fun gadget and you’ll certainly capture some great footage with it. Scanning around the recorded footage with your mobile device is amazing. I think it is fair to say that the 360Fly will appeal to people into action sports or those who have the chance for interesting footage. The brochure has an example of a pilot self-portrait flying in formation. Priced at £399, the 360Fly is more expensive than the GoPro HERO4 (which costs £320), but it offers something different for those looking for a fresh, unusual view. Features Ultra-wide view is exciting, tough bodyform, HD only Performance Capable of decent image quality and fun to use Handling Camera and app easy to use once they’re set up Value formoney Its price is at the top end of the action camera market Overall Just the thing for the creative action camera user, but it comes at a price Pros Field of view, rugged build, easy to use, 32GB internal memory Cons Not Full HD

Sensor CMOS 2.26 megapixels, giving images 1504x1504 pixels Recording H.264 video format, 1504x1504 pixels resolution at 27.97fps Audio Built-in microphone, mono, 48kHz, 64kbps AAC Lens 0.88mm f/2.5, 8-element ultra- fisheye, 240° field of view Minimumfocus 30cm Storage 32GB internal memory Connectivity USB2.0, built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Body build Dust, shock and water-resistant Power Built-in Li-Polymer rechargeable battery with life of around 2 hours. Recharge time of 2.5 hours via supplied cradle and supplied USB cable Dimensions 61mm sphere Weight 138g Contact intro2020.co.uk

You probably know that action cameras are hugely popular right now, finding their way into all sorts of situations, fun, creative and professional. With their compact bodyforms, usually housed in a rugged case, they are used for action, sports, in drones... and in last year’s RugbyWorld Cup – the referees had them strapped to their chests. The 360Fly is the latest such model to surface in the UK. It’s a camera, a little bigger than a golf ball, in a spherical body that is dust, shock and water-resistant. The 0.88mm ultra-fisheye lens is under glass and this gives a 360° field of view in the horizontal axis and 240° in the vertical axis. It’s this remarkable view that gives the 360 its unique appeal and in the right environment or situation provides amazing results. In the box with the camera is a collection of accessories to get you going, including a charger cradle with USB cable and an action camera adapter. So if you already own a GoPro with a selection of mount accessories, the 360Fly will mesh in perfectly. Put the camera on the charger and a red LED shows on the camera, which changes to green when

the issue was quickly resolved after a couple of re-installs. Pairing the camera up with the app via Bluetooth is simple enough (by following the various screen prompts) and soon you’re enjoying a live view with a reasonable-quality image. The extreme wide view means including yourself in shot is easy and for action sports people that is the appeal, with lots of the surrounding environment in the frame too. Footage can be downloaded, via Bluetooth to your device for viewing and editing. Being able to scan around the recorded footage is neat to give that immersive experience and I can see users mixing 360Fly video with regular action camera video to great effect. WC

charged. The camera itself has only one control, and that’s the on/ off switch, which is so discreet it’s easily missed – it looks like one of the body panels. You can just fix the 360Fly in position and start shooting, but you need your phone or tablet with you to viewwhat’s going on, take control and edit the footage. Apps are available for iOS and Android, and desktop software is also available for Mac OSX andWindows. I tried the 360Fly through a Samsung tablet and Apple mobile devices. I did have an initial problem with the app on an iPad mini. It was not showing the full interface so I could not see the record/playback controls. I sent a query via the 360Fly website to the help desk and

20/25

20/25

21/25

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80/100

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