As VR and 360 content are becoming mainstream, Xiaomi has finally released its very own 360 camera. Released under its Mi Jia ecosystem brand, the Panoramic Camera has two 16MP fisheye lenses that can shoot 3.5K resolution videos and 23.8MP stills.
The panoramic camera comes in a flat box design that’s 12mm thin and it comes with a wide-angle 190-degree lens on each side. It uses Sony’s IMX206 sensors with a f/2.0 aperture which is also found on Xiaomi’s Yi Action camera. Powering the device is an Ambarella A12 ISP and it is capable of shooting 360-degree videos in 3456 × 1728 resolution at 30fps or 2304 × 1152 resolution in 60fps. For steadier recording, it even has 6-axis EIS (Electronic Image Stabilisation).
Being a connected device, the Mi Jia Panaromic camera connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth or WiFi. You’ll get more controls through the app and it even has a manual exposure mode that could go as long as 8 seconds. For instant sharing, there’s also a built-in video editor where you can trim your shots, add background music and share directly to your social media feeds.
To withstand the elements, the camera even has IP67 rated dust and water resistance which is higher than Samsung Gear 360’s IP53 rating. Juicing up the camera is a rather large 1,600mAh battery which is rated to shoot 200 panorama photos or 75 minutes of HD videos with WiFi enabled on a single charge. To keep you up and going in a jiffy, it also supports Quick Charge 2.0 via microUSB.
For storage, it uses microSD card with support up to 128GB. Out of the box, a tripod is included which you can attach via a standard tripod mount at the bottom. The Mi Jia Panoramic camera is priced at 1,699 CNY which is about RM1,092. The pricing is pretty close to Samsung’s current generation Gear 360 camera (RM1,299) but Xiaomi’s offering comes with a larger battery and a higher resistance against dust and water.
