A new state-of-the-art offering from UK-based manufacturer, Meta Camera Limited, follows in the footsteps of its previously launched workhorse cameras – the Meta One, and the Meta Two, and this latest one is titled, you guessed it! The Meta Three. Could Meta Three be the next best camera for live streaming?
Not to be confused with the rebranded name for Facebook, Meta is primarily a camera focussed company, but is also rumored to be working on innovative projects such a dual-camera smartwatch that could rival the likes of the Apple Watch series.
On the market priced at a staggering $42,000/£35,000 (+VAT), this custom-built Meta Three camera is described by the company as the VR industry’s best kept secret. Meta's website states that it is pioneering in fields of immersive technology, specializing in the creation and support of large scale VR and 360 productions.
Aside from boasting a sharp 12.5K resolution on an equirectangular projection at 30 frames per second, the Meta Three is also fitted with four back-illuminated Super 35mm, dual native ISO, 6k sensors – which in simple terms means that this camera can perform well in low light situations, with great detail and a high noise floor.
The camera lens array is also described as being low parallax, meaning that the formation of its four 6K sensor lenses are beautifully stitched together in a close proximity, with great overlap, covering the full 360 by 180 degree sphere.
Parallax is also a photographic and videography term used to describe the visual effect when the camera is recording motion, but with the foreground and background appearing to move at different speeds. This effect can vary with either the background moving faster than the central subject, or vice versa.
The test footage above was shot by the company using the Meta Three, and shows a car with the 360 camera rigged to it, driving through some London Broadwalk roads. When adjusting the quality to 8K when watching the video on YouTube, the quality and sharpness of this camera really impresses.
The Meta Three can live stream footage in 8k resolution, through its HDMI or ethernet port, with the help of third party software and online platforms to stream the content to. The Meta Three is also super controllable, with settings such as focus and aperture adjustable digitally and on the fly via the Meta Controller, which is a companion feature of the camera for PC and Mac.
The Meta Controller can allow for granular remote control over the camera, and can also be used to monitor things like battery percentage, camera temperature, and to quickly adjust settings through saved shortcuts. The Meta Three can also record footage in the ProRes 422 format, as well as shooting a high bitrate of h265.
Other great features of the Meta Three include synchronized sensors, a great dynamic range, electronic focus and aperture control, extensive connectivity, easy post-production, serial command control, silent running, and options for further camera syncing via its sync port.
There are a whole host of other awesome features of this 360 Meta Three camera, probably too many to list in great detail in this article, but luckily the Meta website has all the information you could possibly need about its latest camera products, and encourages potential customers to contact its team directly for more information or with intent to purchase.
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