Reviews for Official Samsung Gear 360 2017 4K VR Camera

Simple & easy to set up and it works really well. I used it on my track bike as it allows you to review the track ahead as well as looking back at my body position while cornering.

Never having ventured into the world of 360 photography before, I was intrigued to see whether the Samsung Gear 360 would draw me in. The device itself is small, fits into the hand very comfortably, stands well on its own (with the option to be fixed to a separate tripod), and has a neat, pleasingly quirky design with two big eyes peering from opposite sides and a small but bright LED menu screen. A sock-like carry case is provided. Setup was straightforward, the microSD easy to insert, and the Gear 360 charges from a type C USB. The device was unresponsive during the initial charge for much longer than you’d expect, but subsequent charging is relatively quick and offers about 2 hours battery life. You can take pictures directly with the device and I guess the thinking is that if you’re taking a picture of everything surrounding you viewfinder functionality is a lower priority. In practice, however, it’s so easy to connect this via Bluetooth to the app on your phone (I’m using a Samsung Galaxy S8) why wouldn’t you use the app? Another reason for using the app is that if you’re holding the device when you take a pic, you’re not only in it but nice and close to the camera. This is also true of using a tripod, actually, albeit much less intrusive. The app is simple to use, very intuitive, and selecting picture, video and live broadcast options is easy. Seeing what you’re taking ensures you have the right ‘starting position’ for your 360 pic, and of course you can make sure you’re not in the shot, or at least not a big part of it. Once a pic is taken, sharing it to social media is a cinch. On the downside, I found it very easy to accidentally take pictures because of the positioning of the button on the ‘grip’ part of the Gear 360. The biggest issue though is the picture quality, which is hugely disappointing for what’s advertised as 4k HDR. Viewed on the phone it’s reasonable, but go to a laptop screen or a Gear VR and its shortfalls are very obvious – particularly in video. It’s clearly aimed at the home market and the technology is relatively new at this level, but perhaps a little better picture quality might be expected. That said, as a way of capturing and keeping moments in a different way it’s capable, and a real experience when photos are viewed through the VT headset. Overall it probably just squeezes into the 'reasonable value for money' category, but don't expect the highest quality output.

I had high hopes for this, having seen many 360 videos. The setup was reasonably easy, it connected to my phone and I installed the SD card I had (16gb). The videos are filmed in 4K, but they dont really do it justice. Anything near is clear and in focus, but when you watch them back, anything a little further away looks a little blurry. I was viewing them back on a Samsung VR headset. For new technology, and someone who plays sports these cameras are great. I attached it to the front of my mountain bike and took some great shots of the trails. I'm sure they would work equally well with any extreme sports, as long as they can be attached. It has a tripod mounting screw in the bottom for this. All in all this type of technology is coming and its early days so things will improve on the quality and ease of use. I'd say this is more for the early adopters and needs to improve a little more before we can fully embrace 360 video. Value for money 7/10 Ease of use 8/10 Cool factor 10/10 as everyone commented when I was using it!

Having never used a camera like this before and being both excited and nervous to try, the instructions on the operations and set-up of the device helped massively, directing on what to do and how long certain tasks should take such as recharging the device. Using it with my Samsung S8 and my brothers iPhone SE it worked flawlessly with both, enabling stunning photos and videos to be taken. The Gear 360 is a fantastically well-made camera. It is lightweight and water resistant so everyday knocks and bangs wont damage it. Coming with toughened lenses to avoid scratches and scuffs, it also has an additional pouch for storage to help with protection. With an easy to hold grip and the option of adding a stand for greater support, the Gear 360 allows a variety of camera lens operations: - Front lens – opts for a 180-degree front view - Rear lens – opts for a 180-degree rear view - Both lenses – opts for a 360-degree all around view which allows for a panoramic view that you can move and rotate In addition to the variety of camera lens operations, there are a variety of view functions including: - Stretched view - Dual view - Panoramic view Using the camera when I went out with parents to walk our dog and when I went with friends to the local beach, It enabled fantastic videos and photos to be captured and when played though the Samsung Gear VR headset made it seem like you were actually there again. When using the camera, it is made easy using the Samsung and iPhone apps which allow you to control the camera with your phone, an amazing thing if you set the camera up with the stand and don’t want to be in the shot but still want to relive the moment! Additionally the Gear 360 has a LIVE BROADCAST option! Allowing you to share moments live with friends and family and capture them for reliving the moment. The battery life for this device is 3 hours with no issues when recharging with the charging process made easy with a cable that connects to the device and laptop. Overall it is a fantastic device that allows memories to be captured and allows to them to be relived in high definition as if you are present again in the moment with the Samsung VR Headset Totally recommend!! Amazing!!  

What a little beast this is. For such a small device I packs a huge punch. The Samsung Gear 360 is an amazing little device with a super high quality dual camera and great sharing capabilities. In the box: typically slick Samsung packaging houses the camera, a sleeve, a rubber stand, usb c wire and instructions. Setup: Once charged, you must download the Gear360 app and connect to your phone. The Bluetooth connectivity is just as simple as pairing earphones or an external speaker and within minutes you are ready to go! Usability: there is a live view facility in the Gear360 app allowing you to use the phone as a view finder which is pretty nifty and handy but there is a distinct and noticeable amount of lag with the feedback and transferring photos from the device to your phone. The click to shoot function and audible cues are clever little features that help make the photo taking process that little bit smoother. There is a slightly visible seam in photos but nothing too obvious to spoil the magic this device creates. Comfortable to hold at first but after a while can feel cumbersome and cause a slight ache in your arm and palm. In combination with the VR heaset, you can create your own breathtaking 360 photos with the addition of a selfie stick or tripod to avoid the mess of an extra long arm. Overall a strong improvement from Samsung offering a reasonable product for a reasonable price but it still feels like it's falling a touch short of the bar set by the GoPro range. IP67 leaves us wanting full waterproof capability offered by other Samsung products. Pros: super sharp images, amazing battery life, social media connectivity. Cons: Lag in app, only IP67, cumbersome after holding for a while.

Aesthetically this product is great. It looks nice and compact, it feels like it’s made of pretty good materials and it’s easy/comfortable to hold. It looks like a high-end gadget and attracts lots of attention. However, the picture quality isn’t great when you put it on the computer. It isn’t as clear as the Samsung S8 camera photos (nor the panoramic photos). Overall I’d say it’s a fun gadget to play with but I’d much prefer to just stick to my phone camera which would save me carrying the Gear 360 camera around with me too.

The Samsung Gear 360 is just a video camera. What makes it different from other cameras is its dual camera setup. It doesnt just record the world, it records your world with you in it.
When it comes to price, gear 360 is affordable, easier to use and its totally a different experience if you havent dipped into 360 degree video before.
What i dont like about this new 360 gear is you are only able to shoot in 4K with a max frame rate of 24 frames per second. I typically prefer higher fps when it comes to regular videos, higher fps are key with 360 degree videos because the footage covers more detail and 360 degree videos need farm more amount of resolution to make the whole spherical image look detailed enough for our eyes and brains to comfortable with.

Having never used a camera like this before and being both excited and nervous to try, the instructions on the operations and set-up of the device helped massively, directing on what to do and how long certain tasks should take such as recharging the device. Using it with my Samsung S8 and my brothers iPhone SE it worked flawlessly with both, enabling stunning photos and videos to be taken. The Gear 360 is a fantastically well-made camera. It is lightweight and water resistant so everyday knocks and bangs wont damage it. Coming with toughened lenses to avoid scratches and scuffs, it also has an additional pouch for storage to help with protection. With an easy to hold grip and the option of adding a stand for greater support, the Gear 360 allows a variety of camera lens operations: - Front lens – opts for a 180-degree front view - Rear lens – opts for a 180-degree rear view - Both lenses – opts for a 360-degree all around view which allows for a panoramic view that you can move and rotate In addition to the variety of camera lens operations, there are a variety of view functions including: - Stretched view - Dual view - Panoramic view Using the camera when I went out with parents to walk our dog and when I went with friends to the local beach, It enabled fantastic videos and photos to be captured and when played though the Samsung Gear VR headset made it seem like you were actually there again. When using the camera, it is made easy using the Samsung and iPhone apps which allow you to control the camera with your phone, an amazing thing if you set the camera up with the stand and don’t want to be in the shot but still want to relive the moment! Additionally the Gear 360 has a LIVE BROADCAST option! Allowing you to share moments live with friends and family and capture them for reliving the moment. The battery life for this device is 3 hours with no issues when recharging with the charging process made easy with a cable that connects to the device and laptop. Overall it is a fantastic device that allows memories to be captured and allows to them to be relived in high definition as if you are present again in the moment with the Samsung VR Headset Totally recommend!! Amazing!!  

The Gear 360 is a handy little camera. It's nice and compact so easy to take out and about. If being used on it's own without a connected smartphone, taking pictures and video is pretty simple with a push of a button and you can easily view them later. In this case, it's probably best to take several shots as there's no way to view the images on the camera itself. When connected to a smartphone, you can see what the camera sees which makes things easier and you can instantly see how the pictures and videos have turned out after. The 360 images are best viewed on a VR headset such as the Gear VR but even on a regular screen, they're rather good. The only downside with the images is that when zoomed in, they can be grainy. So far, I've taken the camera out with me on walks by the sea and hiking up hills as well as testing it out at home. I've done live streams on Facebook as well as taking some photographs and videos. It's a great way to share your adventures where ever you go. While it certainly has it's many uses, for the majority of people it may be little more than a novelty or a gimmick. Overall, it is a very fun device to use but i'm not yet sure if the novelty will wear off and only end up using it on occasions such as during outings or attending events or use it on a regular basis. I will definitely keep it with me where ever I go though, as I may find there are plenty more good opportunity to use it.

If you've ever used a GoPro, the experience of setting up the Gear 360 is relatively easy and simple. Turn it on, pair it with bluetooth, download any relevant apps (if you own a Samsung) and you're good to go. The Gear 360 paints a similar picture to the Gear VR - in the sense, that it is extremely better if you own a Samsung smartphone. However, unlike the Gear VR, if you don't own a Samsung you can still use the Gear 360 with the basic features you expect a 360 camera to do.

For what its worth, like I said the Gear 360 does everything you expect it to, and more. If you had tried last years model, you'll be relieved to know almost all the shortcomings of that have been addressed and sufficiently improved. The biggest improvement is that the Gear 360 stitches its videos automatically, rather than depend on the horsepower of your Samsung smartphone. This second generation is just everything the first should've been, and leaves very little to complain about.