Taking 360-degree videos is a cool thing to do, but hardware options on the activity are currently limited. The GoPro Omni, one of the rigs that will be capable of shooting 360-degree content, will come with an expected price tag of about $5,000 for the rig itself and the six GoPro cameras needed for it to function.
Fortunately, video enthusiasts do not have to spend that much to get their 360-degree video fix.
United Kingdom-based Pano Pro's Actioncam360 is a GoPro accessory that allows users to take 360-degree videos using their action cameras. There are no modifications needed to be made on the GoPro camera to be able to use it with the lightweight housing, which is being sold for £199, or about $260.
The accessory, according to Pano Pro, is capable of easy and quick switching between taking regular videos and 360-degree videos, with the housing being water resistant with hydrophobic coating. The Actioncam360 is also said to feature a high-quality optical lens with anti-reflective coating for maximum pixel sharpness.
To use the Actioncam360, users will only have to place their GoPro camera into the accessory, and then turn their camera on. The GoPro will then be recording the reflection of the camera's surroundings on its curved mirror, using the same concept that allows store owners to see down the corners of aisles.
In a bid to make the Actioncam360 even better, Pano Pro has launched a Kickstarter campaign that targets to raise £40,000, which is equivalent to about $52,000. The funds that the company will raise will go to the development and improvements of the accessory, including making it lighter and developing an app for it that would make it easier for users to share the content that they created.
In the campaign, Pano Pro detailed some of the changes on the Actioncam360, such as changing the secondary lens to achromatic lens for clearer videos and the alterations on the lens holder to incorporate the change.
The app that Pano Pro is working on for the accessory will allow users to stream interactive 360-degree videos taken by the Actioncam 360, a feature that could prove to be very popular amid the current trend of live streaming content.
The campaign has only so far raised more than £1,300 at the time of writing, which is equivalent to about $1,700. Interested GoPro users can still avail the super early bird rate offered by the campaign, which will allow them to get an Actioncam360 for only £130, or about $170.
The new version of the Actioncam360 is pegged to begin shipping in September.
