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360 Photo Quality Comparison: Nikon Keymission 360 vs. Ricoh Theta S vs. Samsung Gear 360 vs. Insta360 Nano vs. LG 360 Cam

Yesterday, I posted a 5-way video quality comparison between the new Nikon Keymission 360 camera and other 360 cameras: the Samsung Gear 360, Insta360 Nano, LG 360 Cam and Ricoh Theta S.  Now here are sample photos from these cameras.

I took these photos in sunny weather, which gives us a chance to look at flare and chromatic aberration.  I then uploaded them to Kuula.co for ease of comparison.  There were clouds overhead but I tried to do my best to wait until the sun was not covered with clouds before taking the photos.
Here are the photos:
Ricoh Theta S (5376×2688):
LG 360 Cam (5660 x 2830):
Insta360 Nano (3040 x 1520):
Samsung Gear 360 (7776 x 3888):
Nikon Keymission 360 (7744 x 3872):
I also received complaints about chromatic aberration / purple fringing in the Keymission, so I took some more shots with palm trees (sorry I forgot to take one with the LG 360 Cam):
Ricoh Theta S:
Insta360 Nano:
Samsung Gear 360:

Nikon Keymission 360:
The Keymission 360 photos look pretty good, but I think the Ricoh Theta S and Samsung Gear 360 still look better.
Here are their strengths and weaknesses for photos, in my opinion and in no particular order:
RICOH THETA S
+ best in class stitching
+ photos are very detailed despite having lower nominal resolution
+ best exposure controls (full manual controls + ISO priority + shutter speed priority)
+ shutter speed as slow as 30 seconds
+ excellent dynamic range
+ true multi-shot HDR
– susceptible to chromatic aberration
– less sharp near the stitch line
– temperamental Wi-Fi connection
SAMSUNG GEAR 360
+ highest nominal resolution
+ best edge-to-edge sharpness
+ best resistance chromatic aberration
+ excellent dynamic range
+ excellent stitching despite large distance between lenses
– susceptible to flare
– if you use it for a while, it warms up and it causes the sensor to become blurry (I’ve dubbed this issue “blurgate”)
– sometimes, there is a difference in color / tint between the images from the two lenses
– limited exposure controls (only exposure compensation)
– compatible only with the latest flagship Samsung phones.
LG 360 CAM:
+ excellent white balance and color
+ full manual controls
+ excellent resistance to chromatic aberration
+ best Wi-Fi connectivity (most reliable)
+ remote activation (can be turned on wirelessly)
+ costs much less than other cameras in this group
– limited dynamic range
– stitching is only average for this group
INSTA360 NANO:
+ sharper than expected for its resolution
+ best in class resistance to flare
+ pretty good stitching
+ convenient and reliable connection to iPhone
+ costs much less than other cameras in this group
– lower resolution than other cameras in this group
– prone to chromatic aberration (purple fringing)
– limited dynamic range compared to the other cameras in this group
– compatible only with iPhone
NIKON KEYMISSION 360:
+ very high resolution (almost the same resolution as the Samsung Gear 360)
+ excellent sharpness toward the middle of the lenses
+ excellent dynamic range
+ excellent resistance to chromatic aberration (although there is some purple fringing close to the stitch line)
+ waterproof
+ shockproof and has replaceable front element for the lenses
– less sharp near stitch line
– limited exposure controls (exposure compensation only)
– stitching is only average (similar to the LG 360 Cam). 
– vertical correction doesn’t seem to work for photos
This comparison is only for their photo quality.  It is only one aspect of the camera.  Here is a preliminary review of the Keymission 360.  I will also be posting a more detailed review of the Keymission 360, and an overall comparison between these cameras.
What do you think so far?  Do you agree?  Post your thoughts in the comments!
RELATED POSTS:
Nikon Keymission 360 Preliminary Review
4k 360 video camera shootout: Samsung Gear 360 vs. Nikon Keymission 360 vs. Kodak SP360 4k Dual Pro vs. Insta360 Nano
7 tips and tricks for the Nikon Keymission 360
360 Photo Quality Comparison: Nikon Keymission 360 vs. Ricoh Theta S vs. Samsung Gear 360 vs. Insta360 Nano vs. LG 360 Cam
Sample videos from Nikon Keymission 360 from actual use at a party
Video tutorial for pairing the Keymission 360 with an Android phone
Video tutorial for pairing the Keymission 360 with an iPhone
Detailed step-by-step tutorial for connecting the Keymission with an iPhone or Android phone
Keymission Wi-Fi connection issues might be fixed by iOS update
Nikon updates the Keymission 360 app to fix bugs
ePhotozine reviews Keymission 360, rates it 4 out of 5 stars
Sample Keymission 360 videos from users
User Manual and Desktop Software now available for download
New sample videos from Nikon

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Mic Ty

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  • Thanks for the article. I just purchased a Theta S and don't really understand how to export images. In the past I used PTGUI to create 360 pano's and the export would provide me everything need to post anywhere including uploading to PDFs. Out of all the cameras tested, did you find what camera had the most user friendly software?

    • Hi Eric. Congratulations on getting the Theta S. Theta photos need to be stitched, either on the Theta app or the Theta desktop software. To stitch the photos, just open them in the app or the desktop software. The app or software will recognize it and will stitch it for you as an equirectangular photo.After the photo is stitched in equirectangular format, it can be uploaded to sites such as Facebook, Roundme, or Kuula.co, which will present the photo as a 360 photo. The most user-friendly software I think is Insta360's.

      Best regards,
      Mic

  • este articulo es excelente. gracias por mostrar las imagenes… aunque aqui en Chile no llegan todas esas camaras, solo Samsung…

  • For new samsung gear it says max res for still image is 5472×2736. So how you shoot a 7776×3888 image with it?