I've been reviewing the Kandao QooCam 3 for a few weeks and it's an excellent 360-degree camera, but before I've even finished we've learned the camera is to get a more powerful bigger brother with the addendum 'Ultra' to its name.

That makes a lot of sense given that Kandao have a wealth of high-spec 360-degree camera experience, which we've seen not only in consumer cameras but in their numerous contenders for best conferencing cameras like the Kandao Meeting Pro. It also makes sense in the context of the competition; if the QooCam 3 has broadly the same specs as the Insta 360 X3 – perhaps the best-known consumer 360-degree camera – then this is a swipe at that company's prosumer option.

The QooCam 3 Ultra will be revealed at CES 2024, the massive consumer electronics show which runs January 9-14 in Las Vegas. Styled like a taller version of the square QooCam 3, it has dual 1/1.7 sensors and fish-eye lenses, four built-in microphones, and a six-axis gyroscope. In-camera live-streaming and even live stitching will be supported, suggesting Kandao are aiming to dominate a future in which streamers don't even need to point their cameras, and viewers might be using goggles.

The maximum video capture will be 8K at 30fps, while 5.7K can be recorded at 60fps. The Ultra will also support 10-bit HLG video recording, while the camera can capture stills at 96-megapixels. A DNG8 Raw+ algorithm will allow, say Kandao, "capturing enhanced panoramic photos that preserve rich image details and deliver exceptional quality."

Admittedly we'll need to reserve final judgement on the QooCam 3 Ultra until the pricing is announced. One of the big advantages of the QooCam 3 is that it is relatively affordable, which I imagine will serve to further ignite interest in the 360-camera field (personally I first got hooked before the QooCam 3 came out with the aforementioned Insta360 X3, and am still enjoying experimenting with this new way of thinking about imaging). 

For many thinking of taking the leap, a bit more resolution will make a difference (remember that the 8K is across both lenses, so once you start editing you tend to crop out detail). Will Kandao make the price as appealing as the package?

Check our guide to the best 360 cameras or if you would rather choose direction, check out the best action cameras.

The Kandao Meeting Ultra 4K is a portable conference room system in a single unit, based around a 360˚ camera and dual touchscreens. It sports a built-in Android OS so is able to run most conferencing software, while the screens mean you don't even need a monitor.

This is the ultimate extension of the still quite new product genre, a 360-degree camera to place in the middle of a huddle meeting. These devices typically incorporate speakers, microphones, and cameras, but depend on a screen and possibly a laptop to perform the last part of the equation. No longer.

There are obvious advantages. The system can – in theory, at least – be set up by anyone. With two screens it's not easy to move, but it doesn't have to be fixed to the walls either.

Specifications

Weight: 4190g
Dimensions: 266 x 156 x 327 mm (screens can fold out to 429mm)
Screen size: 15.6-inch LED x 2
Screen resolution: 1080p, 60fps
Platforms: Teams, Zoom, Tencent Meeting, Google Meet, GotoMeeting, Skype, BlueJeans, DingTalk, Slack, Polycom, StarLeaf, Cisco Webex, and more
Webcam mode: Windows 7 and up or Mac OS 10.8 and up
Camera resolution: 3840x2160 @ 30fps , MJPEG or H.264
Speaker: 10W
Connectivity: USB-C out, USB-C power in, USB-A x3, RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet (PoE capable), Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 + 5GHz), HDMI 2.1 out x 2, HDMI 2.0 in, Bluetooth 5, Kensington Lock
Memory: 64G (plus port for MicroSD card to record)

Key Features

The most striking aspect of this design must be the two opposing touchscreens, but the 360-degree camera poking out the top and the big 10W speaker and microphone system is just as significant part of this device which serves as an untethered, if not excessively portable, conferencing camera which can turn any room into a board room.

At the top end of video streaming capabilities, this device sends a 4K video feed, which it assembles using AI to detect the speaker and make them prominent (you can choose exactly how much they will dominate the screen, too).

With all the connectivity you could possibly require for network, screens, keyboards, mice – as well as apps for all the video conferencing platforms we could think of – this is a pro meeting camera tool in one. Oh, there is a remote control too.

Build and handling

The Meeting Ultra doesn't feel flimsy, and certainly not lightweight, as you pick it out of the thoughtful black foam packaging. In the box, you'll also find a remote control, a power brick, and a guide.

The system is easy to set up anywhere. It even has a tripod mount so you don't have to opt for the classic conference table or collaborative work desk arrangement (Kandao shows it set up in a lecture room this way). We opted for the classic meeting test and the first step is to position the device, plug it into the power, and get set up.

You can save yourself a few seconds typing account passwords with a USB keyboard, but the on-screen one from the Android 12 OS is fine (if you opt for a screenless alternative like the Kandao Meeting Pro a keyboard is much more useful, though even then alternatives exist).

As I was setting up, I did feel that 15.6-inch IPS panels are surprisingly dull. Later I found you can swipe from the top of the screen to invoke Android settings and the default brightness was 84%, so there was a little room to nudge it up, and I did test in a bright room on a very bright day, but the screens could definitely have been brighter, especially when viewed off-axis.

There is a solution there too – you can plug straight into a display via HDMI which by default mirrors the main display, so if you have one in your conference room that's a great choice.

Performance

We had no problems getting set up. Once, that was, we'd come to accept we needed to download the app for the platform we needed and performed a reboot as instructed on the screen. 

Thinking about it, this is necessary so the device is up to date (unless you simply want to use it as a webcam via USB), but it still takes a while the first time and, presumably, as and when, say, Zoom updates things.

In general, there is enough processor power in what is effectively an unusually shaped Android tablet to run the software. That's also how interaction should be thought of too. The Google Meet app gave access to all my email contacts to start meetings with – the only pause (as is often the case with big tablets) was looking around the screen for the small 'send' icon! 

The 10W speaker does a decent job, while the noise canceling system was also adequate, though I didn't feel it was quite as sharp as some of Kandao's tube-like huddle cameras – the acoustics of the two displays may be the issue there!  I did spot that it seems to take a couple of moments for the audio to kick in, seemingly as the noise canceling to get its levels.

This sample clip comes in at just shy of 450MB at 4K (recorded in MP4) for the 1min 12 seconds, so you'll need a lot of storage to capture long meetings. Luckily MicroSD is not overly expensive, and of course, this isn't compulsory. Most meeting platforms like Google Meet have transcription systems built-in anyway.

We also subjected the device to 'The Granny Test,' as we did with the Kandao Meeting Pro 360, to see how the experience was in challenging conditions (there is less eating and fidgeting in real meetings than a long-distance family dinner).

To be clear, you'd normally view the other party/parties to the call biggest on the screen – and you can switch to that view in a tap – but we're trying to show how the AI decides what to send in the combined video stream.

And that is the only issue we encountered. While granny loves the opportunity to see we've not cleaned the kitchen from the 360 feed, the AI's camera's quick changing can be challenging on a lower bandwidth connection. If everyone has a decent internet connection great, but anyone with dubious rural broadband will have a worse experience than usual as the video compression effectively has to handle more movement than a static webcam. It's not the device's fault, just something to bear in mind!

Verdict

This is a device with a pretty specific purpose, and I'd say it handles that well. I tried it in the office and at home and, once set up for the network, was able to make calls.

If you're able to operate an Android tablet, then you'll be able to use this. And the best thing about it is there are no corners cut when it comes to extra functionality; need to plug into a TV? Why not two? Want to use it as a webcam? Sure... Don't like the on-screen keyboard? Plug one in!

It isn't quite perfect. Very sunny rooms would definitely benefit from brighter screens, and – despite being in English mode – we see Chinese characters when choosing standby/off. Hopefully, a software update will fix that. I can also imagine some finding the mere act of swiping off-screen and switching apps, Android style, a bit too much from a very targeted device. (In another world, DJI drone remotes do a similar thing.)

If, however, you're looking for a device you can move around a bit, or fix in a meeting room, to conduct more natural huddle meetings, then this is impressive. Almost excessive, in a good way. It overcomes the main issue of other huddle conference cameras – that the participants have to look at a screen away from the camera. Ultimately that makes interaction better. It's pricey but – if your business needs justify it – you'll know.

Note: I tested the Kandao Meeting Ultra, but there is a version, called Kandao Meeting Ultra Standard with the same spec but no touchscreens.

Just before the pandemic the technology was finally in place for smart conferencing cameras, and tall speaker-like devices with cameras atop began appearing on the tables of huddle-like meeting spaces. Kandao is amongst the names in this conference room webcam market, with its Meeting Pro 360 .

Not every space, however, needs the camera in the middle; in some rooms it makes more sense to place a wide-angle lens at one end – perhaps next to a monitor. That is the thinking behind the Kandao Meeting S – which boasts similar speaker tech as other conferencing cameras but with a single wide-angle lens.

(Incidentally, this 360˚ approach is a tech Kandao have found other uses for; check out our review of their 8K QooCam action camera)

Specifications

Output resolution: 1080P

Pick-up range: 5m (16ft)

Field of view: 180˚

Connectivity: USB-C, USB A, HDMI 1.4, RJ45, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)

Remote: Yes, Bluetooth

Size: 257 x 78 x 78 mm (10-inch tall)

Weight: 772g (1.7lb)

Key features

By taking the inner workings from a 360-degree camera – such as you might expect to see in the middle of a meeting table – but angling it sideways the Kandao 180 is essentially a conference camera designed for a meeting as small as one person per location. The AI can still track up to four people, and combine close-ups of them in a patchwork video feed. The built-in Android 10-based OS, and wand-like air mouse remote (with built-in gyro) means no additional accessories are needed to set up a meeting with the 12 major platforms, including Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Build and handling

The Meeting-S is, at first, a reassuringly solid object, with white plastic at the top, silver at the base and a most of the body formed of a speaker grille also painted white. At the bottom of the base is a tripod mount. Separating the base – also home of the connection ports – and the speaker is a color-changing LED ring that appears green once the device is ready to play, and blue when connected to the software.

The camera appears to be on a kind of swivel mount, but in fact the ball-like top is fixed in position. There is a white rubber visor that can be pulled down over the lens, ostensibly for privacy (though the speakers require a more manual approach). Even new from the box the tones don’t quite match; we wonder if time might make this minor imperfection more pronounced. Also rubbery are the buttons – volume on one side, mode and mute on the other, and a power button beneath the lens.

The remote Is plastic, taking two AAAs, but feels good quality. The top-right button initiates mouse mode, during which an in-built gyro allows you to use it to waft the pointer around the display.

Performance

Video is decent quality, with good white balance and color, though of course in the crop there is evidence of digital zoom. The camera prefers a well-lit room without too much imbalance – a window backlight created a halo but didn’t prevent exposure of the face.

When we first plugged the device into our M1 13in Macbook, the device didn’t seem to be recognized, though an older Intel iMac had no such issues. Eventually, though, we did manage it, though we were never quite sure what did it – a software update or just plugging the USB cable in differently. The device is extraordinarily picky about its connectors, not seeming to like any power brick other than the one in the box. When we moved the connected computer, it would often lose the video connection.

Sound quality was certainly better than laptop speakers, but a little hollow, though recipients were impressed with the mic pick up; the noise-cancelling mic does well. 

Verdict

Ultimately we struggled to get on well with the Kandao 180. That’s a shame because, on the face of it, it fills a niche compared to the 360˚ cameras (like Kandao’s own, or the Owl, for example).

What let it down for us was not the quality of the video, when working, but the sheer effort of reliably reaching that point. When we tried other power adapters, the device would boot up then crash when we turned the camera on, for example. This simply isn’t acceptable when scheduled events are going to be dependent on quick reliable setup. Even simple things, like the power switch (which requires a long press) are slightly irksome and – if you don’t entirely trust the machine to power on – worrying too.

Finally, the follow-me AI definitely preferred subjects to sit and talk – if you’re looking for something which acts like your personal camera operator the Obsbot Tiny 4K would make more sense.

All of this amounts to a good, but not great, device in a space where alternatives – likely easier ones – exist. If you’re already spending this much, it’s also wise to take a serious look at the superior 360˚ Kandao Meeting Pro which has the same software but that offers more flexibility. That said, it’s easier to know where to look if the camera is at one end of the room next to the monitor!

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The last few years have seen a rapid growth in conference room cameras, and webcams in general. It isn’t just the needs of the pandemic; even before there was a growing need for meetings to take place in more than one room at once. That does not mean, however, everyone needs to be peering down a laptop’s camera. As more participants are in the same space, creative alternatives are needed. 

The solution is a smart huddle camera that can be positioned to get a 360˚ view and use AI to keep focus on the person talking. This means a meeting can be held without the need for a conference camera operator.

Kandao are certainly not the only folk to recognize this need, so the question is: “Have they met every need you have (and, of course, where does it sit in terms of value)?” Incidentally, this 360˚ approach is a tech Kandao has found other uses for; check out our review of its 8K QooCam EGO action camera).

Specification

Output resolution: 1080P

Field of view: 360˚

Connectivity: USB-C, USB A, HDMI, RJ45, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4 & 5 GHz)

Remote: Yes, Bluetooth

Size: Outer diameter of main device: 78.2mm; Height: 282.6mm

Weight: 1350g (3lb)

Key features

The 360 Meeting Pro is an AI-based conference camera with HDMI socket and built-in Android-based OS meaning it can operate without a computer. The dual fish-eye lenses can see the entire room, and it delivers a video feed cropping in on active meeting participants. It has wired and wireless internet, and it’s also able to act as a webcam by plugging directly into a computer.

Build & handling

The Kandao Meeting Pro is certainly not light, but nor should it be; it’s designed to sit in the middle of a meeting table so you wouldn’t want it falling over as the boss slams the table and demands the deadline be met (or just puts down their coffee). There is also a tripod mount if needed. You will need to provide a display, power and an internet connection (a nice touch is PoE, so the last two need only one cable). Alternatively, the device will connect to a computer and act as a webcam, meaning this and a laptop is all you need to conference on the road.

At first use, it’s definitely wise to set aside a bit of time, as you’ll need to acquaint yourself with the speaker, let it check its firmware, and – if you’re using the built-in Android software – set up your conferencing apps. 12 were on offer, including Skype, Zoom, Teams. Entering passwords is achieved by waving the remote like a wand to waft a pointer over an on-screen keyboard; there is a ‘mouse’ button in the top right (it’ll be a lot easier if you have a USB mouse to hand though!).

Performance

With a maximum output of 1080P – which can include up to 5 smaller video windows – the imaging is OK but could stand to be sharper. 

Kandao say the device has omnidirectional audio range of 5.5m and facial recognition, but when we tested alone we found it didn’t always follow us at distances of around 3m, and certainly not if we weren’t talking. While technically there are no blind spots, if you are close and half-way between lenses the AI does struggle a little to join the two video feeds, especially if you get close.

The user experience is good by occasionally a little irksome. Even if you plan to use with a computer, it’s wise to use a display first and set up the device. This will give you the chance to update the firmware. We strongly recommend using a spare mouse to handle Android 10’s on-screen keyboards as, while a nice novelty, the gyro remote becomes less of a novelty and more irritating if you have long account passwords! Otherwise the controller is well-built and painless to use – handy for switching modes even when using with a computer. 

Verdict

We tested a number of rooms with different lighting, and on balance the image quality was okay, but definitely better in daylight. The cameras certainly prefer good diffuse light too, but at least dual lenses mean a room with a brighter side and a darker one is less of a problem. Blending the join between cameras isn’t perfect but does a good job.

The AI modes on offer do a good job of everything, Discussion mode (highlighting 4 most recent speakers) is good for meetings, though the Presentation mode could be quicker to follow the speaking person.

Overall it is a good-looking device, though it’d be nice to have something better as a lens cover than an easily lost piece of foam. We also didn’t love the uneven scattering of sockets, around the base, but overall it still looks reasonably chic.

Video quality was only so-so, not because the cameras weren’t performing but because of the sheer amount of visual information being crammed into 1080P. It’s also no-doubt handy for some to have features like the SD-card recording option. We only wish there was a tidier solution to the cables and that the initial setup was a little smoother.

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Do you need a compact 3D camera? While 360º cameras have mushroomed in popularity as a new kind of action camera, 3D hasn’t been so popular. In fact, aside from the Vuze XR and the Insta360 Evo the third-dimension has played second fiddle when it comes to the two-lenses-are-better-than-one brigade. 

Cue the Kandao Qoocam EGO 3D camera, a brave attempt at popularizing the flagging format that comes with bags of resolution, some deliciously high frame rates and even a a 3D viewer that magnetically attaches to the back. Is it for vloggers to create 3D videos for VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2? For families happy with an all-in-one 3D shoot-and-see solution? Or can its creations also be shared widely across social media? Here’s what you need to know about the Qoocam EGO…

Kandao QooCam EGO specifications

Aperture: f/1.8

35mm equiv. focal length: 27mm

Photo resolution: 8000x3000

Video resolution: 3840x1080@60fps

Weight: 160g (camera), 115g (viewer)

Dimensions: 94x53x22mm (camera), 97x53x48mm (viewer)

Run time: 1 hour

Key features

Forget 360º and embrace stereoscopic 180º. That’s the message behind the design of the Qoocam EGO, whose camera has two fixed focus f1.8 lenses, each with a 66º field of view and backed by 1/2-inch sensors. They record 3D side-by-side photos in 8000x3000 pixels (24 megapixels) as JPG files and 3D side-by-side widescreen 16:9 videos in 3840x1080 pixels (4.1 megapixels, but more importantly 1920x1080 full HD for each eye) and in 60 frames per second (fps) as H.264 files with a bitrate of 7.5MB/sec. That’s more detail than the majority of 360 consumer cameras, and for 3D video that’s a lot of fps. The camera also boasts a dual-channel stereo microphone and captures in AAC, but there’s no external microphone option, which will put a lot of vloggers off. 

A rather attractive feature on the Qoocam EGO is a removable battery. It’s rated at 1,340mAh and lasts about an hour, but the fact that you can keep a couple of spare in your pocket – or recharge it from a portable battery – makes it more of a serious photography product. 

It’s a shame exposure is fixed (aside from some limited compensation), but the focus needs to be manually (and constantly) changed. There are six focus options, with a clear figure on the screen for how many centimetres your subject should be from the camera to be in focus. That’s helpful, but in practice it badly needs an autofocus option. It is possible to change the shutter speed, though only slightly; ‘sport’ mode gives you a choice of 1/125 and 1/1250. There’s also a self-timer of up to five seconds. 

Build and handling

The Qoocam EGO is impressively designed, but it has a slow user interface. Measuring 94x53x22mm and weighing 160g, the main camera unit – available in both black and white – feels solid in the hand. The 2.54-inch touchscreen (1600x1440 pixels, 2.3 megapixels) dominates the rear of the product and proved responsive during our review. On one side is a battery compartment, which houses the battery and a microSD card of up to 256GB capacity. There’s no onboard storage on the Qoocam EGO (it doesn’t actually work at all without a microSD card installed). On the bottom is a standard 1/4-20 tripod thread. 

The red viewer, which measures 97x53x48mm and weighs 115g, is equally as well designed. It attaches to the rear of the camera using magnets and clips. When you watch your 3D photos and videos back the viewer gives you 37 pixels per degree (PPD), which is pretty good for 3D. It’s more than that achieved by the Oculus Quest 2, which boasts just under 20 PPD. 

The camera is easy to use; you just tweak the focus and shoot while remembering to keep your subject(s) the same distance from the camera at all times (if you don’t you’ll get a blurry image). After you’re done you can attach the viewer and watch it back. However, it’s slow going. Switching between 3D photo and 3D video mode takes about four seconds. Doing anything takes about four seconds. This is not a good camera for spontaneous moments. 

For editing you need the Qoocam app, which allows basic edits and also supplies a few templates and novelty after-effects (it also works as a remote trigger if you have the camera on a tripod). For viewing you can physically transfer the microSD card to a VR headset (which some have) for viewing (as 3D footage, not as tracked VR content), and upload 3D videos to YouTube, though they do get horribly compressed. Or you can extract the files from the microSD card and edit them on a computer.  

We found it a pain to link the app to the camera largely because you need to scroll through its settings and attach it to a smartphone’s hotspot rather than simply attaching your smartphone to the camera’s WiFi network. 

Performance

The Qoocam EGO takes excellent 3D photos and widescreen video that look authentic and accurate. It is, after all, using two lenses – this is not fake 3D. In terms of sharpness and resolution they're more impressive than most 360º cameras including high-end options like the Ricoh Theta X, Insta360 One X2 and GoPro Max. 

The only caveats are that the videos are relatively low bitrate and that you do have to fiddle with the focus. That has consequences if you’re going to be shooting a lot of scenes with different depths. It’s good to have control over focus, but you have to become completely obsessed with it while shooting. The best way to do that is to choose a scene to record, adjust the focus, then check it by attaching the red viewer to show you a live view of the 3D effect. It’s a painstaking process, but at least you can see exactly what your video is going to look like and, most importantly, whether you’re too close or too far from objects. 

Playback is easy if it’s only you that wants to view it. You simply take the red viewer and let it magnetically attach to the camera’s touchscreen. The magnets are there to guide you in rather than firmly grip the viewer; it’s the clips on the side of the viewer that actually keep it in place. You then simply look through the viewer to see your creations in 3D. 

The point of the Qoocam EGO’s viewer boasting 37 PPD is to create a more immersive experience and avoid the ‘screen door effect’ where the pixel grid is visible while viewing. You don’t get that while using the viewer, through which the 3D footage looks excellent; vibrantly colored, highly detailed, clean and comfortable to watch. However, it would be nice if the 3D video could be captured in a higher bitrate and 3D photos in a raw format for easier post-processing. 

Video samples shot with the Kandao QooCam EGO

Kandao QooCam EGO: Verdict

We live in a 3D world, but until the metaverse and/or VR properly takes hold we’re stuck with 2D social media. Superbly designed and with an excellent build quality, the Qoocam EGO has a slow user interface and requires the user to become obsessed with focus, but it’s capable of producing fine-looking 3D photos and video. We’re just not sure what to do with them. 

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Kandao is a pioneering company primarily focused in the field of VR technology and and conference room webcams. But it has just announced the QooCam EGO - which could be its most futuristic and most popular product to date.

This tiny 3D camera is a VR alternative that will allow users to snap, view, edit and share 3D captured content instantly. Excitingly, this device will be the first of its kind and Kandao are offering an exclusive discount for those who sign up for its crowdfunding campaign. 

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The very first viewer-integrated 3D camera, the QooCam EGO allows users to re-live every moment as if for the first time, through an incredibly immersive instantaneous experience combining VR technology with photography. The cam boasts a 3D viewer of up to 37 pixels per degree (PPD) that is double that of existing VR headsets, promoting a smooth and clear viewing experience in ultra-realistic 3D. 

The device is soon to launch on Kickstarter, on 08 February to be exact, and with the previous campaign reaching 1 million dollars the company are confident that its QooCam EGO, as a revolutionary product, will do much better. 

Unlike other devices that use methods to split one image into two in order to render a fake 3D effect, the QooCam EGO has two individual lenses, to achieve true authentic stereo 3D.

The 3D cam uses this stereo 3D technology to mimic the distance between human eyes, paired with a detachable magnetic 3D viewer that allows consumers to see their 3D content instantaneously. The QooCam EGO can record video at dual 1920 x 1080p at 60fps, providing ultra-smooth 3D playback by mimicking the focal effect of human eyes to deliver incredible depth and realism. 

Small enough to fit in a pocket and weighing just 160g, the QooCam EGO is one of the smallest 3D cameras in existence, with the advantage of its detachable, portable viewer. 

This device will travel easily making it perfect for any adventure or holiday, also conveniently cloud storage capable so forgetting the SD card won't ruin your trip. A powerful companion app allows for smart editing of your captures and unique 3D effect templates can be applied to the captures to create content that can be shared instantly with friends and family using seamless connection through the cam's built-in Wi-Fi features and settings controlled using its 2.54" touch screen. 

QooCam EGO will not require storage and post-processing systems in the same way that other 3D systems do. Instead, the innovative detachable magnetic 3D viewer immerses users into the scene when viewed through the full HD display. 

Kandao's CEO has shared that " Our mission is to enable photographers and content creators to present their work in the most vivid way possible. QooCam EGO unlocks a new dimension in visual storytelling. 3D is the coolest way to vlog, allowing you to immerse your audience in captivating stories. With smart editing and unique 3D effects, our App unleashes your creativity even further.” 

All images and videos captured using the cam can be recorded from a first-person perspective, making this device ideal for vloggers. This headset-free VR alternative records footage that is compatible with YouTube and most major 3D TVs and headsets, meaning subscribers can also enjoy your content in 3D when uploaded. The applications of 3D filming and photography are limitless, ever wanted to view an interaction with your pet recorded in 3D? Now you can!  

Kandao says it will continue to develop distinguished software and hardware, similarly to the integration of Snap-View-Edit-Share features that make the QooCam EGO an impressive portable and affordable alternative to a VR headset, that can be used to create your own eye-catching social content instead of viewing other channels. 

Special pricing and incentives are being offered for early adopters of this product ahead of its kickstarter launch. The MSRP price will be $369 (Approximately £273 / AU$515), whereas super early bird prices for those who register will be $269 (Approximately £199 / AU$375.80) with free shipping. 

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Are you vlogging in the round? While some wonder what the 360º format is actually for, the Kandao QooCam Fun goes for the jugular with a simple to use and thoroughly affordable warts-and-all camera that clips on to a smartphone. Vlogging cameras are everywhere – it’s one of the biggest trends in cameras of 2020 – but do you need a 360º solution?

Armed with two fisheye lenses that together capture in something like 4K resolution, and promising plug-and-play usability, the Kandao QooCam Fun is here to convince you that you need to add creativity to your vlogging. However, the format – and this product – is still as much about ‘film everything, re-frame later’ as it is about virtual reality.

It’s a camera that comes with some pedigree. Earlier this year KanDao issued its QooCam 8K 360º camera whose wraparound 7680x3840 pixel images impressed, and is one of the best 360 cameras around. Will the QooCam Fun’s 3840x1920 pixels struggle in comparison? This is 4K stretched over two wide-angle lenses, remember; that’s hardly cutting edge in terms of sharpness.

Either way, we’re expecting a big improvement when compared to similar, yet older clip-on 360º cameras like the Insta360 Nano and Insta360 Nano S.

Kandao QooCam Fun: specifications

At 82x42x27mm and weighing 67g, the QooCam Fun is a pocket-sized affair. It comprises two ultra-wide-angle fisheye lenses, each with a 200º field of view, f1.87 aperture and a fixed 1.02mm focal length. Each one captures a 1920x1920 pixel Full HD image. It’s got a built-in battery with a 920mAh capacity, which keeps going for about 80 minutes. That’s despite it physically attaching to the USB-C port of any Android phone. We’re not sure why it can’t just piggy-back the smartphone’s battery. 

There’s no microSD card slot, but its built-in storage initially hosts all photos and videos prior to them being edited via the app and ultimately either downloaded to the phone or uploaded to YouTube etc.

Nor is there a built-in screen, the QooCam Fun entirely relying on its host smartphone’s screen for real-time framing, reviewing, editing and playback of photos and videos.

Kandao QooCam Fun: key features

The headline feature on the QooCam Fun is ‘SuperVlog’ mode, which essentially allows you to create a flat 16:9 video from one or both of its lenses without having to do much editing. A lot of its other features will be familiar to anyone who’s used a 360º camera before; you can take 360º photos and videos and re-cast them later as either content to be viewed with VR headset or as ‘flat’ videos with 360º-like effects such as ‘little planet’ and ‘hyperspace tunnel’. It can output video and photos in landscape 4:3, 16:9 or portrait 9:16 aspect ratios.

Its wraparound 4K resolution means 3840x1920 pixel videos at 30 frames per second (fps), which is far from the cutting edge, and maximum 4320x2160 pixel (9.3 megapixel) photos. However, what we’re more interested in is the quality of its image stabilization, which is called SuperSteady. For handheld vlog shooting that’s arguably way more important than resolution. The QooCam Fun also includes both ‘360 Live’ and ‘Vlog Live’ options.

Within the excellent QooCam app there’s a bunch of ‘SmartClip’ templates that appear to be designed mostly for the QooCam 8K and its selfie stick, though some of them – such as ‘hyperlapse’ and ‘inception’ – can be used to make a vlog look more distinctive and creative. Each one comes with a short tutorial, but it’s worth having a play with them before you go out shooting since some can only be used to capture 10-second videos.

Kandao QooCam Fun: build and handling

A small, solid and well made product despite being lightweight, the QooCam Fun can only be used when attached to a smartphone’s USB-C slot. On one side is a small microphone and USB-C for refueling the QooCam Fun itself, while on the other is another microphone and the on/off switch. A U-shaped silicone rubber hood drapes over the gadget to keep the fisheye lenses free from scratches, which is a nice touch. If we were being really fussy we’d ask for a 1/4-inch thread somewhere on the QooCam Fun so it could also be attached to a tripod or a selfie stick. That’s particularly relevant given KanDao’s plethora of selfie stick-powered ‘SmartClip’ templates.

Dock the QooCam Fun to the bottom of a smartphone and switch it on and immediately the Qoocam app starts-up, automatically re-orientating through 180º. All good, but operating your phone upside down does take a little getting used to.

One advantage of being physically attached to a phone is that there’s no need to worry about hooking-up via WiFi and/or Bluetooth, which has hamstrung the usability of many a 360º camera. So too the Qoocam app, which has been greatly improved since we last used it; it seems faster, more fluid and bug-free. That said, if you’re going to film long videos then prepare to wait a long time for them to process in the app and export to a phone after editing. 

Kandao QooCam Fun: performance

Sample video: Super Vlog mode

Sample video: KanDao Qoocam Fun 4K flat video 'little planet' tunnel mode

Sample video: KanDao Qoocam Fun 4K hyperlapse video

The QooCam Fun is all about low cost, not top quality, and we know the QooCam Fun’s 360º photos and videos are going to look soft; this is an entry-level camera for exploring the 360º format, and not about cutting-edge cinematography. In use that’s exactly the case, with videos appearing rather soft when stretched through an unforgiving 360º sphere. Meanwhile, SuperSteady helps produce fluid-looking videos while you’re walking around. It also helps to make-up for the slightly jumpy 30 fps of its video. The microphones are excellent, producing superbly crisp sound, though there’s a brightness issue indoors in that the join between the two lenses is detectable. 

Having a one-touch ‘SuperVlog’ mode is great, but creating a cutdown 16:9 version of a 360º video is something that’s easy to do from any pre-recorded footage. Besides, your smartphone can probably already make a better quality 16:9 video. SuperVlog’ could be useful for easily and quickly recording a piece to camera without having to indulge in any post-production, but the QooCam Fun should really be used only for creating in 360º.

Something we were disappointed about was manual controls, which are lacking on the QooCam Fun, which allows exposure compensation on photos and videos, but nothing else. 

Kandao QooCam Fun: verdict

While not being a patch on the QooCam 8K in terms of image sharpness, the QooCam Fun lives up to its name. It’s so easy to use, can be used discreetly, and has lots of options for re-framing and re-casting footage, so much so that its dedicated ‘Super Vlog’ mode looks a little gimmicky. After all, 16:9 cut-downs from 360º footage is something 360º cameras have been doing for years. There are virtually no manual tweaks possible and everything is locked to a smartphone; you can’t export directly to a desktop, only Qoocam’s app. That might annoy some, but the QooCam app impresses and, besides, the photos and videos the QooCam Fun produces are colorful and creative. It’s hardly at the vanguard of creative filmmaking, but the QooCam Fun is a great value and fuss-free way to explore to 360º format whether you’re a vlogger or not.

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The 8K era has arrived! Or has it? With the arrival of Kandao’s QooCam 8K camera you would be forgiven for wondering if your action camera is now badly out of date, but before you go into a pixel-induced panic, know this; it’s only a 360 camera. 

You see, the QooCam 8K is equipped with two fisheye lenses that together produce a wraparound panoramic image that measures 7680x3840 pixels. Yes, that’s 8K, but also consider that it translates to 29.4 megapixels through 360º.

Packed with a massive 1/1.7’’ CMOS sensor, 8K is a huge leap for the 360º format, but it’s a timely one, and should mean that – finally – 360º footage can be safely cut-down and re-framed without a ghastly loss of resolution.

Does the arrival of the QooCam 8K mean that videographers can go ahead and capture in 360º without worrying about softness and stitching errors? Add 4K video at 120 frames per second (fps) for 360º slo-mo – another first – an OLED touchscreen, and an external microphone input, and the QooCam 8K looks to be irresistible for creative filmmakers. So, is it?

Design & handling

At 144x56x23mm and weighing 228g, the QooCam 8K is not small. Nor is it quiet, audibly humming when switched-on. 

With two fisheye lenses at the top, there’s a built-in 3,000mAh battery and a microSD card slot (as well as 64GB of built-in storage – a rarity on 360º shooters), while on one side there’s a great-looking 2.4-inch colour OLED touchscreen. 

This is handy as it enables real-time framing and reviewing of photos and videos – it can also be hooked-up to a phone via WiFi.

It’s undercarriage isn’t quite flat enough for the QooCam 8K to stand unaided, which is a shame, though it has a standard 1/4-inch diameter tripod thread. That will fit any small tripod, but also QooCam’s selfie stick ($35/£30), which is worth investigating; it extends to a choice of three different lengths and is auto-edited out of all videos and photos. This feature really brings alive the QooCam 8K for vloggers after more resolution.

Key features

The chief feature is that 8K resolution, of course, which is all down to its massive 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor. As well as ensuring 7680x3840 pixels for 8K video, it also means near-30MP photos in Jpeg or the raw DNG format. 

The only 360º camera available capable of 4K 120fps for slo-mo, it’s got loads of manual settings – performed via the excellent OLED touchscreen or the app – and it captures in 8-bit MP4 (H.264) and 10-bit ProRes formats... So far, so ‘prosumer’. 

For the less demanding user, it’s also got a bunch of ‘SmartClip’ templates including ‘Orbiting Hyperlapse’, ‘Walking Planet’ and ‘Rabbit Hole’, though they’re mostly rather consumer-grade. 

More importantly, it’s got a 4K ExpressEdit mode which means you can edit videos in 4K on virtually any phone. 

Performance

There’s so much to like about the QooCam 8K, though mostly it’s about hardware, not software.

With touchscreen panning on a large OLED screen, the QooCam 8K certainly has one-up on the GoPro Max, but it’s a victory mostly based on resolution.

8K is a huge advance on the 5.7K found on other 360º cameras and the video coming out of the QooCam 8K is peerless...

When put in 8K 30fps mode, there’s no comparison to what comes out of all other 360º cameras, and that extra resolution means that 360º videos cut-down to widescreen look so much sharper than on other 360º cameras.

The 4K 120 fps mode for slo-mo is excellent, though the effect is tricky to reverse. 

Photos captured outdoors by the QooCam 8K are clean and detailed throughout the panorama, with no over-exposed areas and plenty of dynamic range amid strong, vibrant colour.

QooCam promises APS-C-level photos, and we concur; these are the best-looking photos we’ve seen on a 360º camera. Perhaps that’s not saying much, but we were impressed. 

The QooCam 8K is not without faults; the auto-removal of the ‘invisible’ selfie stick leaves a visible mark on the video, which is a shame. 

The weight of the camera means that the selfie stick is, in practice, slightly tricky to use for vlogging without having an odd-looking outstretched arm on the finished video (it’s too heavy to hold for long if you try to keep your hand by your side). 

• Read more: The best selfie sticks

Although, for the most part, the app is excellent and has plenty of clever editing options, such as ‘SmartTrack, we had a few issues with the ‘SmartClip’ templates, which aren’t very smart. 

They don’t much act like templates and using them tends to crash the app. Its bare-bones free desktop software isn’t up to much, either. 

Granted, it also has a short battery life (about an hour), it’s not natively waterproof, and it’s rather loud when it’s switched on, but the QooCam 8K easily makes up for those shortcomings.

With some excellent ‘SuperSteady’ motion stabilization, easy sharing options, and that great-looking OLED screen for framing and composing, the arrival of the QooCam 8K is sure to change the 360º market forever.

• Read more: The best 360º cameras

Verdict

Is the QooCam 8K the best-ever 360º camera? No doubt about that. A massive CMOS sensor, 10-bit color and, of course, that 8K resolution make sure of that.

When it comes to the quality of its photos and videos, the QooCam 8K is peerless in the 360º market. Photos have plenty of color and contrast like nothing we’ve seen before from a camera like this. 

The ability to spit-out a great-looking photo from a 360º video is welcome, while the detail, sharpness and smoothness of video – whether in 360º or cut-down to widescreen – itself makes the QooCam 8K a giant leap forward for creative filmmakers.

Read more: 

• The best 360º cameras
• The best action cameras
• The best selfie cameras
• The best selfie sticks
• The best camera phones 
• The best travel cameras