60-Degree Cameras the Next Big Thing

 
I've seen many POV cameras over the years, but early models were not ready for primetime.

GoPro, however, wisely targeted the extreme sports crowd, who helped the company make a name for itself and drive demand for its cameras. In fact, you can trace the current push for police body cams to the popularity of the GoPro.
A few months back, a company called 360fly dropped by my office to show me one of the first consumer POV cameras that could take 360-degree videos and sprawling panoramas, and I could see how this could be the next major evolution of POV video. Recently, I got some hands-on time with the $399 device and found that it adds a completely new dimension to the POV experience.I will be the first to admit that I am too old for extreme sports or even highly active sports, so my tests were a bit mundane. I took 360 videos of the dogs running in the yard and kids playing soccer at the local park, and was happily surprised by the new dimension a 360-degree video camera had on even my simple experiences. I even put it in the middle of the table at a family meal.
The 360fly camera comes with various mounts, but it uses the same type of connector as GoPro, so it will work with GoPro helmets and various Go Pro mounts, too. The camera and a variety of mounts will be sold exclusively at Best Buy stores in October. One other important thing about this camera is that it is waterproof for use up to 50 meters deep.
The 360fly has one other feature that is unique to its platform: a VR capture mode. You can then view those videos via Google's Cardboard VR goggles. I am personally fascinated with the whole concept of 360-degree cameras. While a direct view GoPro delivers great experiences, adding the ability for a person to see everything around them makes a POV video even more interesting and entertaining.
In fact, I have always thought that this is the one camera I would like to have in my car. I currently have a back-up camera, but a 360-degree view that got rid of blind spots would be worth the price for safer driving. Of course, self-driving cars already figured this out.
I can also see the 360fly being used as a tool for surveyors, insurance adjusters, military, first responders, and other professional markets where getting the whole picture would be important to their work. I also think that since this is HD-quality video that Hollywood will embrace this camera for use in movies.
While GoPro and other direct-viewing video cameras will not go away, I think adding a 360-degree view will become even more important to the POV camera experience.