The best 360 cameras for capturing everything around you

(Image credit: Insta360)

It can be difficult to choose the best 360 degree camera for you when more and more models are hitting the market. The most common approach is to use two super wide-angle lenses back-to-back. After the video is recorded, it is digitally blended to create a fully spherical movie or, more practically, a regular two-dimensional movie made up of frames you select after the fact.

certain of the top 360-degree cameras come with capabilities like live-streaming, image stabilization, quality up to 8K in certain cases, and automatic stitching, which eliminates the headache of manually aligning multiple captures. It’s also worthwhile to check out the cropping feature, which enables you to take the 360 degree video you’ve recorded and turn it into a conventional “flat” movie. This implies that you can record everything that occurs and decide on a target area once you return home.

Given the abundance of capabilities that surpass basic 360-degree coverage, it is understandable why like-for-like comparisons are challenging. We’ve put up a list of the top choices, complete with arguments for and against each purchase. While some are slightly older but still quite reasonably priced, others are the newest and best models. Remember that we constantly feature the newest and greatest offers as well.

THE QUICK LIST

The list below provides a quick summary of our top choices for 360 degree cameras if you’re looking for a shortcut to the greatest ones. Once you’ve selected one that meets your needs, you can access our complete summary by clicking the links below each article.

• BEST OVERALL: Insta360 X4
• BEST STABILIZATION: GoPro Max
• BEST 8K DETAIL: Kandao Qoocam 8K
• BEST 3D VR: Insta360 Evo
• BEST VALUE: Insta360 X3

The best 360 degree cameras for 2024

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 We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best.

Complete reviews of each of the top 360 degree cameras on our list can be found below. We have thoroughly tested each one, so you can be certain that our suggestions are reliable.

(Image credit: T3)

1. Insta360 X4

The best 360 degree camera overall

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 203g

Max. video resolution: 8K

Stills resolution: Up to 72MP

Battery life: 135 minutes

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The Insta360 X4, a suitable replacement for our former favorite and an incredibly adaptable pocket camera, is an improvement. It has an 8K 360-degree video capability, a potent 4K 60p single camera mode, and 10m water resistance. In addition, you have good Bluetooth connectivity, so even if the upgraded in-camera microphones are already good, you can pair external microphones like the DJI Mic 2 for better audio. With all of those things taken into account, the X4 can be your all-in-one 360-degree, action, and vlogging camera, producing video footage that your smartphone just cannot.

The larger 2.5-inch touchscreen with incredibly user-friendly control, the larger 2290mAh battery that extends battery life to 135 minutes on a full charge, and the ability to screw in and out of the lens protectors are the improvements over the X3. The strongest features from earlier versions are still present, including Horizon Lock, excellent FlowState image stabilization, and Active HDR, which excels at preserving clarity in highlights. The editing interface is always becoming better, which makes it easy to quickly edit your 360-degree footage and incorporate entertaining shooting modes like bullet time and hyperlapse. When all is said and done, the X4 has emerged as our top pick for a smartphone accessory camera.

(Image credit: Digitaltrends)

2. GoPro Max

The best 360 degree camera for stabilization

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 163g

Waterproof: 5m

5.6K spherical video: Up to 30fps

1440p 2D video : up to 60fps

Stills resolution: 16.6MP

Battery life: 108 minutes (1440p), 78 minutes (5.6K)

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Take immersive films of your sporting exploits or outdoor experiences with the GoPro Max, which is a fantastic substitute for the Insta360 One X2 near. Without a case, it is waterproof down to five meters, and the editing process is easy to use. One of the primary advantages of 360-degree cameras is that you can simply convert your 360-degree video into a standard 2D film using the app’s OverCapture software, provided that you don’t mind the final footage being in Full HD.

Many of the capabilities found in the Hero action cameras from GoPro are also enhanced in the Max, such as the 360-degree TimeWarp sequences and improved HyperSmooth stabilization. The Max isn’t the best GoPro for 360 and regular footage because of the somewhat inferior 2D video footage (which comes from it being transformed from a fish-eye image). However, it’s an excellent choice for anyone who wants to record action scenes in any direction without having to worry about figuring out where to aim their action camera, then rapidly edit them together afterwards.

(Image credit: Ifdesign)

3. Kandao QooCam 8K

The best 360 degree camera for 8K

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 228g

Max. video resolution: 8K at 30fps

Stills resolution: 29.4MP

Battery life: 70 minutes

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Although statistics never fully convey a picture, 8K is an extremely remarkable number on the spec sheet of a consumer 360 camera. The 360 heavyweight from Qoocam beats all competitors in terms of resolution thanks to its dual 20MP CMOS sensors, which can record 4K video at up to 200 frames per second and 8K video at 30 frames per second.

It is not just the first non-professional model that allows 360-degree video to be chopped down to widescreen format without significantly sacrificing resolution, but it can also produce VR-quality video right out of the box. Along with class-leading 2.4-inch OLED touchscreen for effortless control and framing, it also boasts remarkable SuperSteady image stabilization. Dynamic range, color, and contrast are all great for both still images and video.

Drawbacks? The companion app is quite simple and has few video modes, but it does provide a useful express mode that reduces the quality of the video for editing on mobile devices. It’s also impossible to ignore the Qoocam 8K’s lack of waterproofing or relative bulk. Nevertheless, if you can afford it, the video quality is the best on the 360 market. You cannot go back after trying 8K.

(Image credit: Yankodesign)

4. Insta360 Evo

The best 360 degree camera for 3D VR

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 113g

Max. video resolution: 5760 x 2880 at 30fps

Stills resolution: 18MP

Battery life: 65 minutes

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Although the Evo lacks the sleek and portable style of Insta360’s One X, it is nevertheless a more versatile 360-degree camera. With back-to-back fisheye lenses, it can operate for a minute as a regular 360-degree camera, capturing the surrounding area in respectable 5.7K resolution. The next instant, both lenses will be positioned side by side and looking in the same direction, taking use of their hinged architecture to record 3D VR material with a 180-degree field of view. To truly enjoy the latter, though, you’ll need an Oculus or comparable VR headset; for most people, the One X is definitely a better option.

FlowState Stabilization eliminates shaky video so that users can record stable, smooth footage. High dynamic range capabilities are another advantage of the Insta360 Evo, which makes it perfect for shooting scenes with dramatic highlights and shadows. Finally, using the Insta360 software, you may produce dramatic scenes by accelerating or decelerating video.

(Image credit: 9to5toys)

5. Insta360 X3

The best value 360 degree camera

SPECIFICATIONS

Weight: 180g

Max. video resolution: 5.7K

Stills resolution: 18MP

Battery life: 81 minutes

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Updated with the best 360-degree camera available, the Insta360 X4, the Insta360 X3 is still available for purchase and a fantastic value option if you don’t need the new features of the later model, which include 8K video capture and longer battery life.

When the X3 was released, it outperformed the GoPro Max (which hasn’t been updated yet) in terms of single-lens 4K quality and 5.7K 360-degree video capture. We discovered that the Active HDR setting did a fantastic job of preserving information in highlights, even though some processing aspects can seem more artificial than a GoPro. Test results also demonstrated FlowState image stabilization’s ongoing efficacy.

Even if there are still a few software kinks to work out, we found that the Insta360 X3’s considerably larger 2.29-inch touchscreen made it a much easier camera to operate handed. However, once you know how to use the interface, it’s pretty simple. Testing revealed that Insta360’s editing process was likewise flawless, and its assortment of user-friendly features enhanced the overall experience. The advertised 81-minute battery life turned out to be reasonable during our study period as well. In the contest of the greatest X4 substitutes, the Insta360 prevails thanks to its 10m water resistance, which is double that of the GoPro Max.

HOW TO CHOOSE

How do I choose the best 360 degree camera?

There’s no shortage of forms, sizes, and designs for the greatest 360-degree cameras. However, the majority of models operate in a similar manner: they employ a number of camera modules (often a pair of wide-angle lenses positioned back-to-back) to record video, which may subsequently be digitally combined to produce a fully spherical movie.

However, there are a lot of variations amongst the 360 cameras in the preceding list as well. Many 360-degree cameras come equipped with functions like image stabilization for steady images and automatic stitching, which spares you the trouble of manually aligning many captures. The best choices, such as the GoPro Max and Insta360 One X2, can also digitally remove compatible hand grips from the frame via software trickery, allowing you to capture yourself without having a large boom arm in the way of your shot.

From camera to camera, resolution differs. The Kandao QooCam 8K, which can record 360 video at 8K quality, is the highest resolution consumer 360 camera for 2021. More reasonably priced alternatives with 5.6K and 5.7K resolutions, respectively, are the GoPro Max and Insta360 One X2. It’s crucial to keep in mind, though, that those figures represent the full 360-degree resolution; if you reduce the aspect ratio to a flat frame, the resolution will be substantially lower (usually 1080p or less).

The cropping feature enables you to take the 360-degree film and turn it into a conventional “flat” video. This implies that you can record everything that happens to you and then, once you’re back home, pick a focal point. This is especially helpful for topics that move quickly and are unexpected, like extreme sports fans or safari animals.

Depending on what and how you want to record, other features like GPS, Wi-Fi, and slow-motion modes may or may not be relevant. Numerous top-rated 360-degree cameras come equipped with useful connectivity capabilities, artistic shooting tools, and smartphone apps that facilitate sharing and editing.

(Image credit: techradar)

What’s the best 360 camera for virtual tours?

360-degree virtual tours can be captured with excellent success with 360 cameras. Visitors will be able to explore a location in complete 360 degrees from the comfort of their own home by uploading 360 photos or videos to a compatible hosting platform (like Facebook or CloudPano). This is especially helpful for real estate listings and places like hotels and museums.

Whether you want to record a video tour or a still photo tour will be the main factor in selecting the best 360-degree camera for your virtual tour.

All it takes to make a virtual tour is to stroll about an area while filming video. Any of the top cameras on the aforementioned list should be able to capture crisp, fluid 360-degree video if this is your strategy. Despite the fact that 8K video files are significantly larger and may be reduced by some platforms, the Kandao QooCam 8K in particular is capable of capturing detailed 8K video and benefits from SuperSteady stabilization technology.

Virtual tours often use 360-degree still photos taken with a camera on a tripod. The top 2021 360-degree cameras are capable of producing vivid, detailed photos that are ideal for virtual tours. Once more, the Kandao QooCam 8K is a fantastic choice since it records dynamic still photos with the best resolution of any camera on our list—29.4MP—that let users pan around detailed virtual environments. Its base also has a tripod mount for convenient positioning.

The Insta360 X3, our top pick for a 360 camera, is a reasonably priced alternative for taking 360-degree still photos for virtual tours. It also has a tripod mount and takes decent 18MP 360-degree still photos.

(Image credit: techradar)

HOW WE TEST 360 DEGREE CAMERAS

Our reviews are usually practical and deliberately contrast cameras with other models or earlier iterations. We consider a number of factors, such as performance, features, design, and the quality of the images and videos.

The design of the camera comes first. We want to obtain a sense of the camera’s handling throughout this step. Is it heavy or light, little or large, and does that have a positive or negative effect on the intended audience? We’ll test the user interface and determine how intuitive and user-friendly the workflows are. The integrated touchscreen, which will be evaluated for size, quality, and responsiveness, will be used for all of this.

(Image credit: techradar)

Many modes and feature sets that enhance the basic 360 degree shooting functionality of 360 degree cameras are well recognized. We evaluate each of these aspects to determine its effectiveness and suitability for use in a real-world setting. As we work, we’ll record video and take pictures on a formatted SD card so that we can comment on the quality, low-light performance, and battery life of the device.

We also download and test the accompanying app, which is essential to using these kinds of cameras. We will also provide commentary if the software unlocks particular capabilities or makes a live-feed view available.

Following the conclusion of all of our testing, we consider all of the information we have gathered about the camera along with its cost to determine how good a value it is before making our final decision.