The best 360-degree cameras (that you can afford)

The best 360-degree cameras (that you can afford)

There are a lot of 360-degree cameras out there, and there are going to be more. These are the best we've used.

This is going to be a big year for 360-degree cameras. And we don't mean big 360-degree cameras. Rather, we're talking about consumer-friendly cameras that are as easy to use as they are affordable. Cameras that can fit into a pocket or purse, and won't bust your wallet in the process. These are cameras that connect to your phone for remote shooting as well as sharing. These are cameras from mobile companies you know, like LG and Samsung, and others that you might not, like Ricoh and 360fly.

And there are a lot of cameras out there already, and so many more to come. We're going to take a look at as many as we can and rank them here.

Ricoh Theta S

The best consumer-grade 360-degree camera you can get (so far)

Pros

• Solid design
• Good still image quality
• Decent sharing platform

Cons

• Video quality is just OK
• No expandable storage
• App UI can be confusing

When it comes to 360-degree cameras, you tend to get what you pay for. While the Ricoh Theta S costs a little bit more than other options out there, the difference is immediately apparent, and Ricoh gets a few features right that other manufacturers didn't. That starts with the design. Theta S is a single piece and comes with a neoprene sleeve to protect it. (Be sure to use it!) The shutter button is perfectly placed, and you shouldn't accidentally hit it when going for the power button. Still images come in at about 14MP, while video hits 1080p at 30fps, which unforutnately is pretty low when you're talking about 360-degree work.

Ricoh has its own service for uploading videos and pictures, which particularly is good for the latter since Google+ and Flickr remain the only main social platforms on which you can share those. (Facebook is still coming.) Perhaps most important is the inclusion of a Wifi Direct on/off toggle, so you can quickly disconnect your phone from the camera if you need proper data back. The Theta S also smartly (though with a clunky UI) lets you choose a data method to share your pictures — 3G/LTE, Wifi access points, etc. — because, again, your phone will be connected via Wifi Direct, which doesn't doesn't have access to the Internet.

Theta S isn't the perfect platform. But it's the best we've used so far and comes in under $400.

More: Check out our Ricoh Theta S review

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LG 360 CAM

A decent starter 360-degree camera

Pros

• Easy to use
• Non-threatening design
• Works on Android and iOS

Cons

• Image quality is just OK
• Wi-Fi Direct is wonky
• App could use some work

LG was the first of the major mobile companies to come forward with a 360-degree camera. And it's an accessible little shooter. It looks like a camera, first and foremost, with dual 13MP lenses that see everything (except directly below it) that output a 16MP spherical image or video. The 360 CAM has a single shutter button, charges via USB-C and has a 1,200 mAh battery.

It's easy to use, and the results are decent, but not spectacular. Lighting plays a key to this, and to that end the included application provides for full manual control over ISO and aperture and what not. Stitching between the two lenses also can be pretty apparent. The 360 CAM Manager app is a little clunky (as is the Wi-Direct connection a phone needs to connect with the camera), but it gets the job done and is pretty full-featured. A nagging issue is that you have to first download your picture or video to your phone and then make sure to disconnect from the camera manually before trying to share anything. But from there you can easily share pictures to Flickr or Google Maps in 360 degrees; same for video to Facebook our YouTube.

All in all, not a bad effort, especially at its $199 price point. You get what you pay for: Decent images, ease of use, and the knowledge that more money will get you better quality.

More: Check out our LG 360 CAM review

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360Fly

Built for anything

Pros

• Waterproof down to 5ATM
• Clever mount system
• Great battery life

Cons

• Software is complicated, especially for photos
• Not exactly pocketable
• Not a perfect sphere

360Fly is one of the early offerings in the 360-degree camera space, and the focus was clearly on being durable. The orb design is rugged, and the casing is sealed such that a little rubber mic plug makes this camera waterproof down to 5ATM (which is DEEP underwater, if you didn't know). A unique locking mechanism on the bottom of the orb allows you to quickly snap the camera onto your mount of choice, and the box includes mounts for the most common sport camera systems. The one button on the casing starts recording video after a press, and lets you know with LEDs when the battery is getting low.

As clever as the hardware design is, 360Fly's software is the exact opposite. There's no easy way to take a single photo, and the Desktop app leaves quite a bit to be desired. Sharing to Facebook isn't easy unless you're in the Desktop app or you want to share a link to the 360Fly video hosting service, which is a little obnoxious. What you do get once you figure out the software looks nice enough, though the resolution on this camera isn't quite enough to enjoy on more than your phone screen. You also aren't recording a complete sphere, since 360Fly only has the one camera.

If you're looking for a 360-degree camera to hold up like an action or sport camera, 360Fly has what you're looking for. If you aren't planning on biking down a mountain or diving with sharks, you may find this isn't quite what you want.

More: Check out our 360fly hands-on

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Still coming: Samsung Gear 360

We spent a very brief time with the Samsung Gear 360 when it was announced in February. And while it's not yet officially available (it's coming very soon), it's worth a mention here because once it goes on sale Samsung's marketing team is sure to get behind it.

Like the other 360-degree cameras we've taken a look at, Gear 360 is a pair of 13MP 180-degree lenses that stitch things together for a full 360-degree experience. It's spherical, about the size of a racquet ball, and has a small, included tripod that gives it the appearance of a little alien robot. While Samsung initially said it would only work with its own Galaxy phones, we have to believe that they'll open it up pretty quickly (if not immediately) at launch, given that every other 360 cam we've used isn't that limited.