The Awesome but Buggy 360fly Cam Is for Early Adopters Only

This is the 360fly.

One of a new crop of virtual reality cameras

and camera rigs.

What sets it apart from other systems

is that it's relatively cheap and has just one lens.

A lens with an astonishing 250 degree field of view.

It's also waterproof down to 165 feet.

I wanted to give this camera

a fair chance at blowing us away

so we teamed up with the California Academy of Sciences

to get a virtual look inside

their stunning Steinhart Aqaurium.

There's a lot of small details about this camera

that I really appreciate.

The design is cool,

the construction is solid,

and it's incredibly simple to use.

There are no awkward LCD displays,

no confusing menus.

Just a simple on/off button and a mobile app

that's as easy to use as the camera itself.

When paired with the ability to seamlessly view your footage

in virtual reality using Google Cardboard,

it puts VR content creation

in the hands of your average consumer.

(techno music)

You'd also imbed your clips online

and give viewers the ability to scroll

through your film with a full 360 degree

of field of view.

If you're really into VR

the 360fly might be a great way to experiment.

But it's not for everyone.

Even though the resolution is considered high definition,

it is not comparable to say an iPhone 6s or a Nexus 6.

In other words, you won't be getting those

high-end production shots that you've been dreaming about.

It's a first-generation product showing great promise,

but the narrow field of view and overall image quality

still leave a lot to be desired.

At least for the time being,

creating virtual reality content of any quality

is still out of reach for most of us.

For now, save that $400 and take a trip

to the Cal Academy aquarium or get some scuba lessons.

Turns out, actual reality is still

the best experience around.

(techno music)