I have a new 360 video camera that fits with my iPhone and iPad. The 360 camera is called the Giroptic iO HD 360 degree camera for iPhone/iPad. Right now it’s one of the affordable 360 cameras on the market. I’m having SO much fun playing with this video camera and exploring the possibilities with mobile devices and applications.
What a 360 video looks like flat
If you are watching this video on a computer then you will see this video as one flat image and not the 360 view. The tricky part about the video is that the camera and the application matter. This specific camera, the Giroptic iO 360 is designed for iPhone and can be viewed as a real 360 video in only three applications; youtube, facebook, and periscope.
You can watch the video flat style but it’s kind of strange. Here are a couple screenshots of what the 360 video looks like if you watch it on YouTube with a desktop computer. The video is flat, kind of like looking at a world map of the round globe. This is what it looks like when I’m editing it I think. I have not attempted to edit the video yet as I need to read up on that before I mess around with it.
Watching a 360 video with a mobile device
The 30 video is supposed to be watched on a mobile device. If you have not done it before, it might seem mysterious. In truth the mind is mysterious and the real magic happens in your brain. The technology itself is really basic. The camera turns into two screens and the VR headset is a little helmett that makes sure the screens are the correct distance from your head. There are also some crazy strong plastic lenses in there so that you can focus on the screen up close. When you watch the YoutTube video on your phone a special icon will show up and you can click to watch it in VR mode
Looking up and down in 360
When you watch the YouTube video with your mobile device (see below) then you *should* get the 360 video experience. You don’t need a VR headset. Many people are familiar with these videos and they are popular also on Facebook. You have to actually turn around in place and move the camera like it is a portal into another world. You can point the camera anywhere you want to look, like up and down. There is not a whole lot to see when you look up and down in most videos. OFC as an artist this is the most interesting thing for me to play with–how can I activate all 360 points of view in a short video? I’m working on some ideas.
360 video tour of mobile creative studio on YouTube
I’m cleaning up and doing some reorganization of art tools and supplies today so I took a few minutes to record it with the 360 camera. What do you think of the 360 video? Is it more fun and engaging to move your phone around wherever you want while the video plays?
Giroptic Promo Videos
Giroptic does a good job of communicating the potential of really feeling like you are in a different place and with other people. What you realize when you do use a VR headset with video from this camera, is that the point of view shrinks down when you are in the watching from the camera eye and that takes getting used to. I have a MERGE VR headset – it’s another of the more affordable options are the market if you are interested in messing around with new digital technologies. The promo video below from Giroptic is not a 360 video, but it does show you the features in a standard video format.
That’s a great article but it doesn’t really make me want to buy that camera. The image quality looks terrible, Your art certainly deserves better than that!
Do you sell cameras or VR equipment? Just kidding there. The image quality is lower in VR across the board at this point. Using video and games really heat up the phone too!