Always wanted to play around with 360-degree cameras, but never quite picked one up due to their prohibitive prices? We get it. Those dual-camera setups can get quite pricey. If you’ve been waiting for a more affordable option in the category, you just might be interested in the new Akaso 360 Action Camera.
Yes, this is Akaso’s very first 360-degree cam, so you’re probably not getting something quite as good as Insta360’s multi-model lineup, especially at the lower cost. However, the outfit has been a proven commodity in the budget action cam space, having released a number of more affordable yet quite impressive GoPro competitors in the past.
The Akaso 360 Action Camera takes on a compact candy bar shape, similar to many of Insta360’s consumer-grade 360-degree cameras, with lenses on either side of the housing allowing it to capture spherical footage. It’s equipped with dual 48MP sensors that capture 360-degree video in 5.7K at up to 60 fps, complete with electronic stabilization to ensure steady footage even with moving shots. Since 360-degree isn’t really all that popular, they will let you frame those spherical recordings into more traditional flat videos, allowing you to reframe your scenes and subjects in post-production. You can also record using just one of the two cameras in 2.8K at 60 fps.
As with modern 360-degree cameras, it supports AI-based tracking, allowing it to follow the subject and keep them in frame without actually having to move the camera. Unlike traditional, it can perform the tracking a full 360-degrees, which makes it much more useful in plenty of recording situations. It incorporates other staples of 360-degree action cams, such as horizon locking for level footage, selfie-stick removal, real-time data overlays, and more. For those who want a spherical camera for photos, it’s capable of recording 72MP 360-degree stills, complete with DNG8 RAW photo mode for enhanced image quality in dark environments.
The Akaso 360 Action Camera comes with two built-in microphones for capturing stereo audio along with your footage, complete with a windshield to filter out unwanted noise. It’s weatherproof right out of the box, so it should handle spills and drizzles with ease, although you’ll definitely want further reinforcement if you need a more waterproofed build. The built-in 1350mAh battery is rated at 60 minutes of runtime when recording 5.7K video at 30 fps, so you can get a decent amount of footage between charges. Even better, it comes with an extra battery that you can simply swap when needed, allowing you to get 120 minutes of footage with only a brief pause in the middle.
Dimensions are 4.3 x 1.8 x 1.2 inches (height x width x thickness), with a weight of just 0.4 pounds, so it’s very compact and portable. Other features include a built-in 2.3-inch touchscreen with 480 x 800 resolution for making quick settings adjustments, a six-axis gyroscope, a tripod slot at the bottom, a microSD card slot (supports up to 512GB), dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth LE 4.2. For editing videos, they offer both a smartphone app (Akaso 360) and a PC software (Akaso 360 Studio).
Want one? The Akaso 360 Action Camera is available now.
