Best 360 degree cameras to buy in 2025

What is a 360 degree camera?

Consumer-grade 360 degree cameras are only slightly larger than typical action cameras, and can be identified by having two camera sensors placed one behind the other. The type of lens around the sensor is also a fish-eye which captures everything it sees from its side, and the same goes for the second camera. The video is then stitched together in the camera and that footage can be previewed by an app that’s designed to allow you to view and manipulate such footage.

Are 360 degree cameras worth it?

The main advantage of a 360 degree camera is that you don’t have to point it at a subject, you simply hit record and it captures literally everything around it. You can then zoom in and adjust the frame and export a 16:9 video or still photo from the app. The latter part is the extra effort that’s needed by the user in order to get usable media. 360 cameras are worth it if your work involves having to capture everything around you, like a brokerage firm capturing the insides of a house they want to list on the market or if you’re at a concert and want to capture the whole stadium at once.

Are 360 degree cameras waterproof?

Most of the 360 degree cameras are waterproof but there are some exceptions like the Insta360 One RS and the One RS 1-inch Edition. Due to the modular design, each individual component is not waterproof but it can survive light splashes of water when assembled.

Can you use a 360 degree camera as a standard action camera?

Some of them have a single lens mode which captures footage from just one of the sensors. In such cases, you can use a 360 camera as a standard action camera. But keep in mind that unlike a regular action cam, a 360 degree camera has a lot more exposed glass that’s rome to damage due to the concave design of the lens. I wouldn’t use it in any situation where there’s a risk of the camera falling or any debris hitting the lens directly.

What are the limitations of a 360 degree camera?

The biggest limitation of the 360 camera is the final resolution you get after reframing your shot. When a 360 camera is advertised as capable of 5K or 8K video, remember that it’s 8K 360 degree video which is very different. A typical 5K action camera, no matter how wide the lens is, will capture everything you point it at, at this resolution. But a 5K 360 camera splits this resolution between the two sensors and it’s only the total 360 video resolution that’s 5K.

This is because it has to distribute the pixels to many more directions like left, right, up and down, and not just what’s in front of it like a typical camera would. Then, once you reframe the shot and export a clip in 16:9 format, you’re only using a small portion of all the pixels, which is closer to an HD resolution. Due to this, an action camera recording 5K footage will always be sharper than a 5K 360 camera capturing the same scene. In order to reach the level of a 5K action cam, your 360 camera will need to record at 8K or above.

What are the best 360 degree cameras in 2025?

• Insta360 X4

This is currently the best consumer-grade 360 camera you can find and the main reason for that is its ability to shoot at 8K. This gives you unmatched details compared to most other 360 cameras that max out about 5K or 6K. It has a new AI chip to help process 8K footage and this also allows the camera to render higher frame rates at high resolutions compared to the X3. The candy bar shape makes it highly portable and you get removable lens guards for the lenses for added protection.

There’s a large vertical touchscreen display which lets you easily change settings and preview your footage. The camera is fully waterproof up to 33ft, which can extend to 164ft with the optional Invisible Dive Case. It has a standard tripod mount built-in or you can use the accessories and mount it to any GoPro mount. The Insta360 app is one of the best for editing all your captured footage. You can find it for roughly Rs. 50,000 on Amazon.

• GoPro Max

The GoPro Max is the follow up to the company’s debut 360 camera, the Fusion. Adhering to a similar form factor, the Max now has a built-in colour touchscreen for previewing captures and changing settings and comes with many of the rugged qualities of the Hero line of cameras. What sets the Max apart from many other 360 cameras is the six-mic array that lets you capture far richer audio from all directions. It’s also waterproof and rugged, compatible with all GoPro accessories, and can capture up to 5.6K 360 degree video. It’s usually available for under Rs. 50,000 in India.

• Insta360 One RS 1-inch Edition

If you’re looking to capture high-quality low-light 360 footage, you’ll need a larger sensor as a higher resolution alone isn’t going to help much. That’s where the Insta360 One RS 1-inch Edition comes in. This is one of the few 360 cameras to feature a 1-inch sensor, which is the same size as something you’d find in a Sony ZV-1 vlogging camera.

Naturally, the main camera module in the One RS 1-inch is much larger than the typical 360 camera, which also means there’s a lot more glass that’s prone to damage if you’re not careful. The display is much smaller compared to the X4, but the camera has a modular design which means you can detach the lens and the display cubes. This is quite a bit more expensive in India, retailing for close to Rs. 80,000.