360 Camera Reviews

How to choose the best 360 camera for $150 or less (as of October 2017)

How to choose the best 360 camera for $150 or less
How to choose the best 360 camera for $150 or less

Are you looking for a 360 camera but don’t want to spend more than $150?  In 2017, your options are better than ever.  The best one for you depends on two main factors: what kind of phone you have, and whether you want to shoot mostly photos, or videos, or both.  Follow this 3-step questionnaire.

1.  Do you have a Samsung S6 or above?

a. Yes: Samsung Gear 360 2016 (in-depth review herecurrently below $100 here) or Samsung Gear 360 2017 ($167 at Amazon or currently around $130 on eBay).  They both have similar quality video.  The difference is that Gear 360 2016 has better stitching and has higher resolution photos.  Gear 360 2017 is more convenient to shoot with because of its shape.  Gear 360 2017 also has live streaming and true multi-shot HDR mode.
b. No: go to #2

2. Are you ok using a 360 camera without a phone?

You’ll have to rely on the on-camera buttons, and you won’t be able to get a live view or to review your shots until you get to your desktop.
a. Yes, and you have a Windows PC with Intel iCore 3rd generation or above: Samsung Gear 360 2016 (currently below $100) or Samsung Gear 360 2017 ($167 at Amazon or currently around $130 at eBay).
b. Yes, and you have a Mac that meets these requirements: Samsung Gear 360 2017 ($167 at Amazon or currently around $130 at eBay).
c.  No, or your PC or Mac is not compatible: go to #3

3. Choose your priority:

a. Videos and/or social media: Insta360 Air (reviewed here; check compatibility).  Insta360 Air is available from Amazon (Micro USB or USB Type C).  If your phone is not compatible with Insta360 Air, go to option Step 3B below.

b. Photos, or both photos and videosLG 360 Cam (currently under $100).  Here is my LG 360 Cam review.

c. Real estate, architecture, or landscape photos: check out theVRKit.  It will enable your smartphone to take 8K 360 photos of nonmoving subjects.

d. Underwater use: LG 360 Cam (currently under $100) with underwater case or MGCool 360 / Elecam 360 (currently around $120).  Available at GearBest (don’t forget the waterproof case) or Amazon.    Elecam will have better stitching but lower video resolution.

LG 360 Cam with Voia case:

Elecam 360 with underwater case:

About the author

Mic Ty

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  • threre´s important to say “this cam have one lens option?” …. This funcionality is very good for large number of user; Theta V don´t have.

    • Hi Freitas. Hmm sometimes people have asked me about a one lens option. The good news is that you can crop the spherical photo or video to make it have a similar view as a single lens. Anyway, Samsung Gear 360 2016 and 2017 both have a one-lens shooting mode.

      Best regards,
      Mic

  • What is about the Mi 360 Spere if you do not have a Phone . I have a S5 and a Leagoo T5 but a Laptop… I realy do not like to spend in another phones now or in expensive software. I just order a mi 360 and think about to ship it bag when arives because nowere is told i need again another phone or something like a new software. like photoshop. Any opensource does exist? For pc software or its in plans of the mi producer.

    I found yours blog today and the me is shipping.

    i like to place in my wordpress blog the photos and youtube videos… at normal way i use shotcut as a free video software. any ideas… i saw that there exist one example with shotcut in you tube and seems to work but no workflow exists.