Xiaomi MiJia 360 Camera Review: Panoramic Shots on Budget

Virtual Reality is a booming industry, and some people have been very quick in getting their hands on i of these new VR headsets. Well, what's VR without great content to watch and enjoy? In comparison to regular videos, VR-set up videos are pretty deficient. This is exactly where 360-caste cameras kick in, as they let you lot shoot panoramic videos that tin be best experienced using these headsets. Still, it's not mandatory that you demand a VR headset to spotter these videos, as you can easily whorl around and yet manage to enjoy watching it on a regular display.

Then far, well-nigh of the 360-degree cameras take been expensive for many of united states, but before this yr, popular Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi had announced an affordable 360-caste camera for the masses that lets you shoot some high quality panoramic videos. It's called the Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 camera and it'south nothing short of impressive to say the to the lowest degree, especially when y'all take it'due south $240 price tag into consideration. And then if you're in the market place looking for a 360-degree camera, yous might be interested in reading our in-depth review of the Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 Camera and check out everything that information technology has to offer:

Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 Camera: Specifications

Dimensions	78 x 67.twoscore ten 24.00 mm
Weight	109 g
Chipset	Ambarella A12
Image Sensor	Sony IMX 206
Sensor size	1/2.3 inch
Broad angle	190-degree wide angle, with f/two.0 aperture
Image Resolution	sixteen MP
Video Resolution	2304 x 1152 (xxx/60 fps), 3456 10 1728 (30 fps)
Video Format	H.264
Audio	Born microphone/speaker
H2o Resistance	IP67 rated, Can be submerged in water up to 1 meter for upward to thirty minutes
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.eleven b/g/n 2.4 GHz with maximum altitude of 50m, Bluetooth 4.0
Battery	1600 mAh / three.8 V
Storage	MicroSD carte du jour up to 128 GB

What'southward In The Box?

The new Xiaomi MiJia 360-degree camera comes neatly packed in a compact box that'southward probably the size of your palm, just that doesn't mean that Xiaomi hasn't included annihilation else apart from the camera. So, let's see what the bundle includes:

• Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 Camera ten ane
• Tripod ten i
• Water-resistant conveying pouch x i
• Micro-USB cable 10 1

Design and Build Quality

Xiaomi'south commencement always 360-degree camera is one of the most thinnest and nearly compact we've ever seen. Well, it's small enough to fit an average-sized palm perfectly, so we've got no complaints regarding its dimensions. In fact, we absolutely dearest the rectangular shape of the MiJia. We're glad that Xiaomi took a minimalistic, yet modern approach while designing the MiJia 360, rather taking a weird shape like several other 360-caste cameras that are out there on the market.

The device packs two protruding lenses on either side, each of them with a super-wide 190-degree field of view that works in tandem to create an unhindered 360-caste footage by real-time stitching. Both these cameras boast an resolution of 16 Megapixels that lets you take some sharp panoramic photos. In terms of video, there are two resolutions and frame rates that you can cull from. You could choose to record at 2304 x 1152 resolution at 30 or 60 frames per second, but the college 3456 x 1728 resolution is limited to xxx frames per second.

In terms of the overall build quality, nosotros'd say it's both a striking and miss. Although the sides of this camera are made out of black aluminium, the balance of the photographic camera is entirely made out of plastic, which makes the unit of measurement feel quite cheap in the manus. Nosotros think this is probably done to continue information technology calorie-free-weight. Well, if you're too concerned about the plasticky feel, you'll be pleased to know that information technology has a matte black design, which provides ample texture while yous're holding the photographic camera in your manus. Additionally, the buttons on the camera doesn't give a cheap mushy feel, so we've got no gripe here.

The camera is IP 67 certified, which essentially means that it's resistant to both dust and water. That's right, the MiJia 360-degree camera can exist submerged in water up to 1 meter for upwardly to thirty minutes, which is quite impressive to say the to the lowest degree. As a result, you can employ it every bit an action camera and take some underwater shots. However, the device is non shockproof, then you should be extremely cautious while handling the device, as both the lenses are protruding on either side.

Camera Controls

At the top of the camera, there are iii functional buttons, namely the power button, Wi-Fi toggle push button and the Record button. There are LED indicators that clearly show if the camera is recording video or taking stills, in addition to the battery life. At the lesser, there'southward a pigsty to mount the included tripod for shooting some stable 360-degree videos without having to worry about shakes. There'due south a Micro-SD card slot and Micro-USB port on the side of the camera, for storage and charging purposes.

The camera can be turned on by long pressing on the power button. All the same, the same push is used to switch between image and video modes likewise, and that's by short pressing the power button once information technology has been turned on. Additionally, by clicking the Wi-Fi button, the device creates a Wi-Fi network that tin can be used to connect your smartphone to the camera via the Sphere 360 app that's available for Android and iOS devices. Although it tin be used without connecting to the app by merely clicking the Tape button, your smartphone plays a major part in interim as the viewfinder, and then that you can really run across what you're shooting and frame the shots perfectly.

App Controls

Although yous tin record footage and click videos by making employ of the buttons on the camera, the companion app available for both iOS and Android devices accept the feel to a whole new level. This app lets you connect your smartphone to the MiJia Sphere 360 photographic camera by making use of the Wi-Fi network created past the camera. One time you've set everything up, your smartphone can be used as a viewfinder to actually meet what y'all're recording in real-fourth dimension. It also brings further customization options similar adjusting the resolution, ISO, white residual, exposure compensation and more than.

Overall, the app is pretty straightforward with all the necessary options and settings at the right places, which makes it easy to apply. Apart from the alive-feed department, in that location are two other sections as well, which includes featured 360-degree images from the global community as well as the gallery which displays the local pictures and videos stored on the photographic camera. That beingness said, the app needs further polishing and there's a lot of room for improvements in the future, like a revamped design and making the app interface more intuitive to the end user.

Functioning and Quality

The Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 photographic camera is powered by the Ambarella A12 bit which essentially houses a powerful ARM Cortex A9 processor for recording 360-degree VR videos and encoding it in the H.264 video format. Starting with still photography, the MiJia Sphere 360 manages to practise a keen job in delivering high quality pictures, thanks to the loftier resolution sixteen MP sensors that the device has to offer. You'll certainly be impressed with the photographic camera's image quality, especially if y'all take its size into consideration. If interested, you can take a look at one of our sample photos on Flickr.

Now, permit's talk about the video department, which is the chief reason why bought this 360-caste camera in the first place. When it comes to video quality, stabilization plays a major role and Xiaomi has managed to deliver on that regard. That's right, the camera managed to fair well in our stabilization test, and nosotros're glad with the results. However, it'due south non perfect, equally the video begins to drift afterward a while. Although this can exist corrected during mail service-processing, this is just another unnecessary step to the workflow.

https://youtu.be/I9cuUK2siLA

While shooting static scenes, there's a noticeable heatwave issue which when the Sphere 360's video is stabilized, which is kind of annoying. Well, this could've been fixed if at that place was an option to disable the stabilization on this camera, simply unfortunately, in that location isn't one. In improver to this, at that place'due south some other upshot where the camera won't take stabilization if you start recording besides shortly afterward booting it upward. Well, this is an unofficial, yet a nifty trick to disable stabilization on the camera, in guild to avert the heatwave issue.

Bombardment Life

The Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 camera packs a 1600 mAh battery that'due south good plenty to provide juice for approximately 75 minutes while you're recording 360-caste videos at 3.5K resolution with Wi-Fi turned on. However, if you're not using Wi-Fi to connect information technology to your smartphone, you lot'll go slightly amend battery life at 90 minutes. This is quite impressive considering the size of the camera as well every bit the battery capacity. That being said, the standby time of this photographic camera is rated at 2 hours.

It's worth noting that the bombardment is non-removable. So, if you were planning to swap batteries on the become with the Mi Sphere 360, you'll certainly be disappointed. However, it has support for Quick Charge 2.0, so yous'll be able to fill upwardly the juice in your bombardment within a matter of minutes, then that should not actually be a major concern if you have an external ability banking company.

Verdict: Is The Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 Worth The Money?

The answer completely depends on your budget and your intended type of usage. Xiaomi has managed to check nearly of the necessary boxes with their very offset 360-degree camera. With EIS anti-shaking capabilities, the MiJia Sphere 360 is able to fair well when information technology comes to shooting a stabilized video footage, which is impressive for a camera at this toll point. The camera has an operating range of -10 to 45º C and therefore capable of treatment farthermost weather weather. Information technology fifty-fifty delivers when it comes to battery life, as 75 to 90 minutes of recording time is totally acceptable for a camera that's as thin and compact every bit this one.

Well, if yous're on a very tight upkeep, yous should keep in listen that this is certainly non the most affordable 360-caste camera out there. Samsung's get-go-gen Gear 360 costs just under 90 bucks and the newer one has a sub-$200 cost tag. Additionally, LG's G5 Friends 360 cam is currently available for under 150 bucks if y'all're trying to salve some cash. Therefore, it'south pretty clear that your options aren't limited to just one device, but information technology'southward safety to say Xiaomi has set a reasonable cost tag of $240 for the MiJia Sphere 360. If you have the cash, you'll certainly not be disappointed by opting for this compact 360-degree photographic camera.

Pros:

• Compact, light-weight and minimalistic design
• Practiced photos and stabilized 360-degree footage
• Video resolution is on signal
• Battery life is impressive considering its size
• Includes a tripod that can also be used equally a handle
• Affordable

Cons:

• Front end and back is made out of plastic
• Lacks the ability to livestream content
• Companion app has a lot of room for improvements
• iii.five recording doesn't back up lx fps

Planning to Buy The Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 Camera?

We think almost of you guys ended up here while researching for a good 360-degree camera. Nosotros're glad that you came to the correct place. For an asking price of simply nether 240 bucks, you simply cannot go wrong with the MiJia Sphere 360, considering of everything that it has to offer. Certain, this is not the most affordable 360-degree camera that you can purchase, but your options are pretty much express if yous're on a tighter budget. Xiaomi has managed to strike the perfect residuum between affordability and performance with the Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 photographic camera. So, if you're planning to buy a budget 360-degree photographic camera, are you inclined towards getting your hands on the MiJia Sphere 360? Exercise permit u.s. know, past shooting your valuable opinions in the comments section downward beneath.

Buy Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 camera ($239.99)

REVIEW OVERVIEW
Design and Build Quality 9
Photographic camera Controls 9
App Controls viii
Performance 8
Battery Life 8
SUMMARY Xiaomi's commencement ever 360-degree camera is capable of shooting some impressive spherical stills and does a fair task at recording stabilized video footage. The company has managed to strike the perfect balance betwixt affordability and functioning with the Xiaomi MiJia Sphere 360 photographic camera.	8.4 OVERALL SCORE

Source: https://beebom.com/xiaomi-mijia-sphere-360-camera-review/

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