Samsung Gear 360 SM-R210 (2017 Edition) Spherical Cam 360 Degree 4K Camera (International Version)

First I must say if you have never used a 360 camera before, it is unreasonable to expect the photo quality you are used to from today's flagship smartphones and cameras and the only way to get closer to that is to buy commercial cameras that can cost over $5,000.The new 360 is a camera for the masses and comes at a very reasonable MSRP around $250. The photo quality is top notch for the current generation consumer cameras (insta 360, theta, lg, etc). The beauty of these cameras is you capture a full 360 image and can revisit the location in the future via a VR headset or look around on a device like staring through a window. You can also post these images to social media sites like facebook so your friends can look around much like you can.In comparison to the old gear 360, this one is much smaller (you can fit it in a pocket!) and is also easier to hold. The tripod was removed and instead a rubber ring is attached to the wrist strap that can be placed on the base for increased stability. The overall megapixels were decreased however images still appear great, low light performance is increased, and there is a sharpness setting you can change to offset the density loss if you would like (but remember megapixels aren't everything). The lenses have been moved closer together which improved the stitching and a new HRD landscape setting is present that can be used with a tripod to capture impressive landscape shots. It also charges with usb C now and compatibility was expanded to IOS.This is now my favorite 360 camera and took the place of my old Theta S. This will likely be the best consumer 360 camera for the year 2017. I will also say I live in the US and purchased this early (international edition) to have in time for summer. The new 360 app is on the play store and connected easily with it. It will still update as updates are released and everything was in English so no problems there!

I bought this camera (Samsung Gear 360 SM-R210 Spherical Cam 360 degree 4K Camera) in June 2021 as a birthday present for my son, who lives in Tokyo, and had it shipped directly to him by Amazon. When I paid $358 for it, I was under the impression that it was a model that would actually allow my son to create 360 degree images. Sadly there's no software that runs on my son's phone or Powerbook that can actually stitch together the raw images from this camera- so he could not use it. Because it was an expensive birthday present, my son was embarrassed to tell me it did not work. I found that out tonight, November 21, 2021, because my son is home from Japan for the first time in two years, and I asked how the camera was working. Needless to say, I am both disappointed and angry that such a pricey item from a premier electronics company is useless. There is also no third party software that works - my son is a software engineer and would be able to find it if it existed. Had I known immediately, I would have returned it for a refund. As is, I feel bad for my son. I feel burned by Samsung and by Amazon for selling an unsupported camera. Right now it is too late for a return. I would love to hear from Samsung or Amazon to remedy this. I find it hard to trust Samsung right now. I'm not too hopeful but open to be pleasantly surprised.

The photos are perfect. Stitching of the 360 videos are beautiful. I will do more testing, and update this post, but I wanted to show some photos of the unboxing the international version.So posting photos isn't so easy on Amazon. I have put up a raw still photos. Amazon, of course, degrades the quality, so I'm not sure how relevant the photo is. But even in its reduced quality, one can see that the photo is not "horrible" and is quite good. The stitching is impressive. What makes the still photos even better is the ability to use HDR, so one part isn't blown out, while the other part is underexposed.The simple fact is that a 360 camera rig costs about $7,000 to $12,000. If you don't have that sort of money, this Samsung is the next best thing. Sure, there is a blur line where the two lens are stitched together. Again, if you want 7 to 12 or more lens, then be prepared to pay the professional price.The video and photos are easily uploaded to Facebook (which owns Oculus, the big name in VR) and are truly impressive. I can't give everyone my Facebook (or even web page) because Amazon doesn't allow that. But try looking up reviews of the 360 2017 to find out if the lower quality fits within your limits. Every review I have read says something to the effect of the video not being quite 4K, but hey, Samsung is the best 360 camera for the money.I'm delighted with my purchase. It gives a sense of being there that no single camera can do. It's easy to operate and has a great connection to many Samsung phones.