200
NIKON
KEYMISSION 360
$599 estimated average street priceType: Compact 4K and Full HD video
actioncam with stills capture function.
Twin lens configuration for shooting
Virtual Reality (VR) video footage.
Lens: Dual 1.6mm f2.0 (8.2 mm equivalent
in 35mm) fish-eyes. Seven elements in
seven groups. 180 degrees angle-of-view
for each lens.
Focusing: Fixed range, 30 cm to infinity.
Sensor: Dual 21.14 million pixels (total)
back-illuminated 1/2.3-inch (7.7 mm)
CMOS. 23.9 million pixels (effective) for
still images. Sensitivity range is equiva-
lent to ISO 100 to 1600.
Still Capture: JPEGs at 7744x3872 or
3872x1936 pixels.
Video Recording: Ultra HD 4K = 3840x2160
pixels at 24 fps progressive scan and
16:9 aspect ratio (60 Mbps). Full HD
= 1920x1080 pixels at 24 fps progres-
sive scan and 16:9 aspect ratio. HD =
1280x960 pixels at 25 fps progressive
scan and 4:3 aspect ratio. MOV format
with MPEG 4 AVC/H .264 compression.
Stereo sound recording with wind-cut
filter. Switchable between PAL and
NTSC TV standards.
Recording Media: microSD/SDHC/SDXC
memory cards. Minimum Class 10
speed required (UHS Speed Class 3
for 4K recording).
Exposure Control: Matrix or centre-weight-
ed average metering with programmed
auto exposure. +/-2.0 EV compensation.
Sensor shutter with 10-1/8000 second
speed range.
White Balance: Auto correction with
four presets for daylight, cloudy, tungsten
and fluorescent.
Interfaces: miniUSB 2.0, micro HDMI
(Type D).
Features: 360-degree video shooting
using two lenses and sensors set at 180
degrees to each other with automatic
stitching, weatherised body (dustproof
and waterproofed for depths down to
20 metres), shock-proofing for drops of
up to two metres, insulation for subzero
shooting down to -10 degrees Celsius,
electronic image stabilisation, time-
lapse and ‘Superlapse’ movie recording,
three picture presets (Standard, Vivid,
Monochrome), ‘Active D-Lighting’ dynamic
range expansion processing, underwater
shooting mode, lens protection domes,
dual-delay self-timer (two or ten seconds),
built-in WiFi with NFC connectivity,
SnapBridge (WiFi/Bluetooth) compliant.
Silicone jacket, underwater lens protec-
tors (extends allowable depth to 30
metres), dedicated USB cable and a range
of camera mounts supplied. Optional
remote controller available.
Power: One 3.7 volt, 1050 mAh recharge-
able lithium-ion battery pack (EN-EL12
type). Recharged in-camera via USB port.
Dimensions (WxHxD): 65.7x60.6x 61.1 mm
Weight: 198 grams (with battery pack and
memory card).
Price: $599. Estimated average
street price.
Information: Visit the website at
http://www.mynikonlife.com.auVITAL STATISTICSShutter button is located on the camera’s side. Pressing it
automatically switches the KM 360 to stills mode.Compartment for the battery and memory card also houses the USB
and HDMI ports plus – not visible, but behind the partially extracted
microSD card – a switch to put the camera into airplane mode.Battery/card compartment
is sealed by a very
substantial rubber gasket
when closed and locked.25
because then you’re only looking
at the one image and the oddities
can be quite noticeable. That said,
the overall quality of the stills is
exceptionally good, particularly in
terms of sharpness and the fi les are
typically in the region of 15 MB in
size so you can do quite a lot with
them. Given the potential variations
in the scene, the exposure control
does a pretty capable job and, in
the Vivid picture mode, the colours
look great (otherwise they can be
a bit muted).The KM 360 may be a very
small camera, but it generates very
big fi les, especially when recording
4K video so don’t skimp on your
microSD cards... we reckon that
one second of 360-degree 4K
video generates at least 10 MB
of data, probably quite a bit more
with highly-detailed subjects.
How do you view 360-degree
video footage? There are
several options. Uploaded to
YouTube, 360-degree videos are
automatically confi gured so youcan then watch them on a VR
headset. Alternatively, Nikon’s
KeyMission 360/170 Utility – as
well as the SnapBridge 360/170
app – allows for viewing on a
smartphone and a nifty build-it-
yourself cardboard head-mounted
viewer is supplied with the camera
for just this purpose. If you
become addicted – and that’s a
big possibility –you can invest in a
proper VR headset. The KeyMission
360/170 Utility also allows you
to view 360-degree footage on
your computer’s monitor and
provides some basic editing tools.
Stills uploaded to Facebook are
also automatically confi gured for
360-degree viewing so you can
move around the image by simply
swiping in any direction. Cool!THE VERDICT
There were plenty of quizzical
looks when Nikon announced
the KeyMission 360 which, you’ll
remember, was well ahead of the
other two models.
Not only was it an actioncam,
but it recorded 360-degree images
and clips. Whaaaaat?
Now it’s starting to make more
sense, not only because there’s
a full program of KeyMission
cameras, but because the 360
is something quite different and
makes it much easier – not to
mention much cheaper – to do
something that was previously
more challenging technically. Of
course, not everybody wants to
shoot 360-degree video – which
is perhaps why Nikon missed an
opportunity with not enabling
the KM 360 to also function
as a normal actioncam using
one lens – but it’s undoubtedly
great fun and very entertaining,
particularly when viewing extreme
action sequences... you really are
right there. The SnapBridge side of
things needs refi ning – it seems
unnecessarily temperamental – and
it’s more of an issue here because
it’s such an essential element of
the product.
It’s hard to see how Nikon could
have done anything any different
here, but the various connection
hissy-fi ts can be frustrating.
However, it’s not often that a
whole new way of seeing things
comes along and what’s more
one that’s very affordable and
largely delivers its rewards with
the minimum of hassles. Sample
some KeyMission 360 footage and,
guaranteed, you’ll want one.ON TRIAL NIKON KEYMISSION 360
CamMayJune17_018-025 NikonActionCams.indd 25 13/04/2017 9:56 AM