Trying 360 photography is a lot easier than you think. In fact its easier than ordinary photography because you don't even need to think where you're pointing the camera.
For those of you asking where the fun in that is, hold on – there is a lot more creativity available – you just need to be open to thinking in a slightly different way. You'll be fine. I believe in you! But a lot of people are put off by the idea of having to invest in a new piece of camera equipment and, right now, that is much of a worry than ever with some spectacular deals this Black Friday.
The thing is, it has been a very busy few months in the 360 camera world, with three companies all releasing major products within a very short space of time. They are the DJI Osmo 360, the GoPro Max 2, and the Insta360 X4 Air.
The latter is especially interesting for those looking to keep costs down because it's the first lower-price version of a previous model – at least in name; there was an X4 (not Air) that was slightly bigger and lacked some of the same features.
What's really interesting though, is that even though this camera has just come out, Insta360 has bowed to the pressure of the season and made a massive price cut – at least for direct sales.
It's also possible to pick up great prices on the company's other 360 cameras through Amazon or other retailers. The Insta360 X4 (without 'Air' at the end) was the first mainstream consumer 360 camera with 8K resolution, and this feature is more significant than any other upgrade that others have offered since. Because it's now effectively an older model – with the X5 or the X4 Air as the newer ones – it can be found for some pretty interesting prices despire being well equipped.
Insta360 has been established in the field for a few years now, and has also built a good range of software. Software is important because it allows you to 'point the camera' after the fact. If, for example, you want to export your video in a traditional format
But they are not the only company that has done so. GoPro has spent some years selling a 360 camera called the Max, and in the last year announced a minor update, commonly called the 2025 edition, and finally – just a few weeks ago – an all-new Max 2 which is also 8K. There isn't a lot of discounting to be found yet, as you might expect, for a brand new top-of-the-line product, but I've still seen $50 off at Amazon:
The other big name in the action camera space, DJI, also took 2025 to throw its hat into the 360 camera ring with its own all-new camera, the Osmo 360, which has also been discounted impressively for a few months.
DJI's own software isn't quite as mature, but works on phones and on Mac and PC and is able to identify and track subjects so it covers all the key bases, while the camera features impressive image sensors that achieve some of the highest image resolutions.
So, in essence, what I'm saying is that I'm the expert here and I love this tech but there has never been a better time to get in at the top end – with the kind of resolution that you won't need to replace with a new model anytime soon.
You might also like
Check my guide to the best 360 cameras to see where all these models sit.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
