The one unexpected entrant to the 360-degree camera space this past week at CES was Nikon with their KeyMission 360 action camera.
Not only is this the company’s first ever action camera, but a 360-degree video camera that shoots in 4K. The KeyMission 360 is part of a new “family” of action cameras expected to be unveiled over time according to Nikon representatives.
The KeyMission 360 camera comes in a fairly small looking square shape. With a total of two lenses, one on the front and one on the back, the rugged 360 camera touts being waterproof up to 100ft as well as dust and shockproof. The camera was also displayed along with accessories such as a rubber guard cover, a remote, and GroPro like mounting brackets with a suction cup, handle, or helmet strap.
Other than having the KeyMission 360 camera on display at CES, details around pricing, availability, and battery life were not shared during the conference.
The community did however get a first look at sample footage that Nikon uploaded to YouTube of the KeyMission 360 in action. Nikon showed off 3 sample videos filmed in rugged conditions featuring climbers, mountain bikers, and kayakers. Although Nikon could have put more effort into shooting better sample footage, the videos show what an average consumer could capture with the new camera.
For the most part, GoPro has dominated the action camera space. It has become very apparent that GoPro is also dominating the 360-degree camera space, as serious 360 creators are relying heavily on GoPro Hero 360 camera arrays. During CES, GoPro showed off their latest iteration of their 6 camera 360 rig that is set to become available sometime this year (shown below).
