The trend of Virtual Reality (VR) opens an opportunity for a
new category in the videography industry: the 360 degree camera. However, VR
won't mean anything if there is no interesting content that can be enjoyed. Therefore,
rather than wait for the creative studios to create VR contents, you can create
your own contents. What you need is of course a camera that can record 360
degree video with a good result.
Sphericam 2 promises the ability to record 360-degree video in 4K resolution and speed of 60 fps. Sphericam
2 has a frame made of aluminum. Its dimension is also very compact, with a
diameter of only 68 mm and weighs less than 400 grams; not much bigger than a
tennis ball.
Even though it's small, but Sphericam 2 can pack six
cameras, each consisting of sensor and lens. The six cameras will record video
simultaneously, which ultimately will create a 360-degree video with a
resolution of 4096 x 2048.
From the technical side, the maximum bit rate reaches 2.4
gigabit per second when recording in the Cinema DNG format. Simply put, the
size of the resulting video file is very large, so large that Sphericam 2
should pack six microSD card slots at once.
The six lenses have been synchronized as good as possible.
The aim is to ensure that a wide range of exposure parameters, such as white
balance, can be maintained constantly and everything will look harmonious.
Regarding to audio, there are four microphones that are ready to carry out
their duties.
Of course, the resulting 360-degree video can be watched
using VR headsets like Oculus Rift, Samsung Gear VR or Google Cardboard. Even
if you don't have VR headset, you can still enjoy it with the help of a
companion application on a smartphone, tablet or PC.
Wi-Fi and streaming feature are also presented so you can
distribute and monitor recording via mobile devices. And of course the simple
editing function can also be accessed through the companion application.
Mounting also becomes an important thing to be considered by
Sphericam 2. There are eight point where you can plug in a variety of
accessories, ranging from a tripod, a monopod to magic clamp. Furthermore,
there is also a backpack that's equipped with a monopod so you can walk while
recording whatever is around you.
Sphericam 2 is powered by 2800mAh lithium-polymer battery.
Once fully charged via micro USB port, the battery can last up to 90 minutes
non-stop. You really need a very large capacity of microSD card if you want to
record 4K video during that period.
Sphericam 2 campaign at Kickstarter is still underway, the
lowest pledge at this time is $ 1,399 for one unit of Sphericam 2, plus a
protective carrying case.