The Kodak PIXPRO 4KVR360 features dual 4K Ultra HD lenses which capture a 360° sphere of the scene around you so you can record a unique perspective. Take in the scenery of a bike ride, share the atmosphere of a crowd, or marvel at impressive hilltop views – it’s ideal for capturing life’s special moments.
As Christmas is fast approaching and whether you’re the super-keen type who’s already finished their shopping or still looking for something to buy your family or friends or even work colleagues, I have something for you. Last Christmas, it was all about instant cameras and DSLRs, thanks to how accessible and affordable they are now. This year has been all about VR (Virtual Reality), 4K UHD videos, 360 videos and images, and as much as you may think this is something only professionals can do, it’s actually easy, if you have the right tool.
I know what you’re thinking, why do I need one of those and how/where do I even begin? Well, the first step would be to get yourself a decent 360 cam, and in this case, I have the Kodak Pixpro 4KVR360. The reason why I’ve picked this one is that it comes with all the attachments and kit to help me get started and it’s capable of shooting 360 videos in 4K, which is one of the highest resolutions out there right now on a tiny little gadget.
What else?
- 4K Ultra HD video up to 30 fps
- 360° lens
- Up to 2 hours recording
- 27 megapixel still photos & time-lapse modes
The Kodak Pixpro 4KVR360 is built for simplicity, in fact, on the device itself, you only have four buttons on there to use; the record, WiFi, menu, and power button. There’s a tab on the side which when lifted, you can access your microSD card slot, charging port, HDMI and you can even plug in an external microphone for better audio capture.
One of the accessories in the box is a waterproofing case which is awesome, it means not only can you use it in the normal conditions, you can take it swimming, snorkeling, and surfing if you’re the adventurer type. It’s also splashproof if you don’t want to use the case in light rain conditions.
How to set up the Kodak Pixpro 4KVR360
Setting up the Kodak Pixpro 4KVR360 is very simple and straight-forward, in fact, it can be used out of the box without the need to change settings, however, if you want to tweak a little bit, the best way is to download Kodak’s free 360 app which you can change things like resolution, which lens to use and more. In addition to shooting 360° spherical images and video, the Pixpro 4KVR360 also offers 4K Full-Frame View in the front mode with a 197° wide-angle lens, and Hemisphere View (global mode) with a 235° super wide-angle lens. Using a bunch of this modes, you can choose to take wide shots or a tiny planet style kind of shots.
While I’m talking about Christmas here, you can upload straight to Facebook or YouTube, for example, allowing people to see everything in 360 either by turning their phone to view the location or simply by dragging the picture, or better yet, stream live to Facebook and share the moment with your loved ones who can’t be there with you; they can scan around the dinner table and feel like they are there with you. If you’re just taking photos like me, you can download the pictures to your smartphone or you can connect it to your computer and edit what you have captured.
How to ensure you nail the perfect picture
Ok so I lied, there’s no such thing as the perfect picture, it’s all about what you like and what captures your imagination, however, there are a couple of basic things that you can do to help you bring your imagination to life.
Here are some pictures I took with mine
Lighting is very important; when you have a good level of lighting for your footage or picture, everything appears sharp and you get more detail in your imagery. One thing I would mention here tho is that the Pixpro 4KVR360 has night vision mode too, so you could take it further and use that mode if you like, but for things like capturing you and your family over dinner at Christmas, have a good level of lighting.
Use the tools and accessories provided. In the packaging, Kodak has included a mini tripod and a selfie stick; using those two things you can get sharper images because you won’t have your shaky hands making it blurry – using the tripod would also help in low light. Simply screw it to the tripod thread/mount and you are good to do; oh it’s also great for capturing time-lapse. The selfie stick means you can extend the camera further than your arms could and in turn get more people in your shot although the wide angle is wide enough anyway.
Want to find out more? Check out the Pixpro’s website here
