Looking for a 360 camera then the Xiaomi Mijia 3.5K Panorama camera is probably the best one out there. Don’t go by what I say see for yourself. Here is the Xiaomi Mijia 360 camera review, it’s not available in India, but you can easily get it for under Rs. 16,000.
The Xiaomi Mijia is a 360 degree action camera that can shoot high quality videos in 3.5K resolution. It is using Ambarella A12 chipset and packed with dual IMX 206 lens (16MP), with f/2.0 aperture and can capture 360 degree panoramic shots.
The biggest challenge with 360 cameras is the way it stitches the images / videos, if the process is not perfect it spoils the fun and makes the whole thing useless. The stitching on this Mijia is just amazing, when I upload some videos shot in 360 you will know.
For now this is just part of the review wherein I will be covering the unboxing and give you details about this product, feature and what you need to do to get 360 videos working in YouTube and Facebook.
The box pack is pretty small, I was expecting something big, but that is good specially when importing. Inside the box you will get the 360 camera, warranty card / user manual in Chinese, mini tripod / hand stand and pouch to carry the camera / protect the camera when not in use.
Xiaomi Mijia 3.5K 360 camera specifications
Chipset : Ambarella A12
Sensors : Dual IMX 206, 16MP
Lens : Dual 190 degree wide angle with f/2.0, 360 panoramic view, reduces blind area
Shooting Modes : Flat, Sphere, Planet
Stabilizer : 6 axis anti-shaking
Features : Time Lapse, Slow motion, loop recording, Manual
Storage : micro SD max 128GB
Other : IP67 water and dust resistant
App support : Android / iOS
Battery : 1600 mAh, takes about 2 hours to charge (QC 2.0) and on full charge gives around 70 to 80 minutes of shooting time in max revolution i.e. 3.5K (with WiFi on)
Xiaomi Mijia Performance
This Xiaomi Mijia 360 camera is compact and built / finishing is quite premium, looks good, feels good and comes with minimal controls. For fine controls you will need to use the App. Camera is using a metal frame.
In the user manual there is QR code scan it and you will be able to download the Mi Sphere Camera app. This app connects with the Mijia camera via WiFi. There are many options you can check the video review.
You can even set the timer for example once you press the record button after 10 seconds the recording will start. This camera can shoot videos in max 3456 x 1728 pixels resolution at 30fps, also can shoot on 2301 x 1152 at 60 fps. For still photos it can shoot in max 6912 x 3456 pixels resolution.
The power button can also be used to switch between still / video mode. Now the 360 still photos will work on Facebook, you just need to upload it. But for 360 videos you need to inject meta data for it work on Facebook as well as on YouTube.
How to make sure that 360 videos shot with Xiaomi Mijia works on Facebook / YouTube?
Once you shoot the video with the Xiaomi Mijia camera you can download that on your phone and then in more setting you can enable Gyro Calibration for smoother shot (if required), in more setting option itself there is export to phone use it.
Once the file is created you need to add meta data for the 360 video to work. You need to download a app you can find the link on this page https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/6178631?hl=en
Here is the direct link https://github.com/google/spatial-media/releases/tag/v2.0
Download, install and then run, open the file you created on your phone (the exported one) and choose the first option, that’s it, the new file will be created upload that on YouTube / Facebook – it will be a 360 video.
Performance
The Camera heats up quickly. Also since you cannot use this like a other cameras better use the tripod as a stick or as a stand. Battery life is as mentioned 70 to 80 minutes which is decent enough. There is no screen on the camera and you can view the content on App however it is very slow, hence makes sense to just use the camera for shooting. If you wish to record time-lapse you need to use the App + smartphone to setup / start and stop.
Verdict
I have already tested this camera and have checked the sample / uploaded on YouTube, but I want to do something different, so wait for the seconds part of this review, that will be in 360 video that I will upload on YouTube. It will be just 360 recording, and that video will give you a better idea how the quality is and how the 360 videos looks like.
Since I know the quality, its awesome, hence the rating in advance. But I would suggest you watch the 360 video that I will upload soon. You can subscribe to my channel on YouTube.
Rating 4.5 out of 5
Where to buy?
This Xiaomi Mijia is not available in India, you can buy from GearBest for $249.99 (use coupon : MIJIA35K) that will come to about Rs. 15,999. The box is small, choose Priority line shipping and you will get it most likely without any custom duty.