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Canon is leading the field in virtual reality (VR) cameras and systems. With their stereoscopic dual fisheye lens and hybrid mirrorless camera bodies, you can produce high-grade 8K RAW VR videos at a relatively low cost.
It’s all very impressive, but Canon isn’t stopping there. They are pushing the boundaries and offering customers more exciting VR180 cameras and systems for lower prices without skimping on quality. DIYP talked to Mark from Canon to find out more.
Last year, Canon introduced the Wall-E-like RF 5.2mm dual fish-eye lens, and most of us were baffled. While there was some VR 180 video chat, it was not really clear what was this $1,999.00 lens for? Also, why has Canon spent a huge budget developing this? Similarly, when Canon launched the EOS R5 ($3,899.00) and Canon EOS R5C ($3,999.00) camera bodies, they proudly announced that they shot 8K RAW video.
Why do we even need 8K RAW video, we asked? Most of us don’t have computers powerful enough to edit it, and our videos are mostly consumed on social media on mobile phones anyway. What was the point? Of course, most of us hadn’t even considered shooting VR 180 at this point, of course.
What is the internet for if it’s not for making cat videos? Well, this one could be the most expensive cat video ever if you take into account how much the camera and lens cost to shoot it. Of course, it’s not just any old cat video, this one is a virtual reality (VR) 180-degree immersive, meditative experience.
Canon’s latest masterpiece is a collaboration between Canon, renowned feline photographer Andrew Marttila, and accomplished VR content creators Hugh Hou and Keely Turner.
Canon has been showing off a new camera at Photonext 2023 in Yokohama, Japan. The camera has no name or model number yet, and Pronews reports it to be a concept prototype. The concept, though, is intriguing coming from a company like Canon. Intriguing because it’s a concept that’s been released before and didn’t really seem to take off.
It’s a 180º and 360º hybrid camera aimed at the consumer market. In its folded state, it’s a standard 360º 2D camera with its lenses back-to-back. Unfolded, it places its lenses side-by-side to shoot 180º 3D VR content. While the overall form factor appears very different, it sounds very similar to the Insta360 EVO.
In January, Google unveiled a pair of 3D 180 VR cameras by Yi and Lenovo for their VR180 app. Today, Lenovo’s Mirage camera is officially available for purchase. It would only cost $299 for those who are willing to experiment creating content with this new technology.
Well, this is pretty cool, a pair of new 3D 180° VR cameras, developed in partnership with Google for their VR180 app. They’re kicking the new VR180 platform with two offerings from Lenovo and YI Technology. While the hardware is similar to a 360° camera, the configuration makes the final result very different. Instead of having one lens facing forward and one facing back, two stare in the same direction side-by-side.
This setup allows for 180-degree stereoscopic 3D video or stills when viewed back on Google Cardboard or a VR headset. The first camera is the Lenovo Mirage, which has a pair of 13 megapixel fisheye lenses with 4K sensors. Likewise, the YI VR180 also houses a pair of lenses and sensors, but is capable of 16.6MP images and 5.7K video.
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe
Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.
John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
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