Nikon KeyMission 360 review

Consumer 360-degree photography is still a young market, but it’s one where several camera manufacturers have released products in hopes of establishing footholds. The Nikon KeyMission 360 has a lot of promise, but interacting with it is stepping into a sphere of frustration. During my recent sunset photo shoot, I watched the light ebb away as I repeatedly tried to connect to the camera from an Android phone and use its Remote Photography mode. When I did manage to make a connection, the live view gave little indication of what the final output would actually be.

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Nikon’s first stab at a VR-ready camera is a strong contender, but it doesn’t exactly shake up the market. A lack of detailed manual controls and a finicky app make for a disappointing end game: it feels like an experimental effort rather than a serious foray into the 360-degree camera revolution.

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The Nikon KeyMission 360 offers the most streamlined workflow for dual-lens, fully spherical 360-degree video footage to date. There's no need to spend hours converting footage into a usable format, as you have to do with Samsung Gear 360, nor do you have to deal with low-res footage like you get with the Gigabyte Jolt Duo. It's also a go-anywhere camera, as it's waterproof without the need for an external housing and can survive drops from moderate heights. But, as we've seen with other dual-lens solutions, seam lines are visible when items get too close to any side of the camera that doesn't sport its own lens. If you're an early adopter, the KeyMission 360 delivers the best user experience from the models we've tested, and its video quality is right up there with the Gear 360.

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The KeyMission 360 feels like a first-generation device. There's a raft of flaws, from accidental recordings, an unreliable app to a puzzling approach to still image capture. Video quality is also only so-so. In the end, it’s hard to look past the KeyMission 360’s shortcomings, especially for the price. Right now, I feel like there's still no truly compelling reason to spend above and beyond the more entry-level 360 camera offerings, which is a real shame.

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Should you get a 360 camera? Yes, especially if you are in your comfort zone and/or getting bored by photography. You can simply get some unique shots really quickly. I could easily see it being used to capture a new perspective for weddings, landscape, travel, etc. What about the Nikon KeyMission 360? The camera is unique in its own right: it is smaller than most 360 devices, and is shock and water proof. It is also incredibly easy to use, fast, and responsive.

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The Nikon KeyMission 360 is one of the first all-in-one solutions to provide 360x360 VR video at 4K, that can be used with any Android or iOS smartphone. As the camera is from Nikon, the KeyMission 360 is very easy to use, with a reasonably easy to use smartphone app, as well as a fairly functional (but basic) desktop app. The camera automatically stitches the video together in camera, so you don't need to worry about stitching or audio issues in comparison to multi-camera setups.

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The Nikon KeyMission 360 is the perfect camera for sports enthusiasts who want to make eye popping videos that are sure to capture the attention of anyone who looks. For the very first time, you’ll be able to strap on your action cam assured that, no matter what happens, you’ll capture the entire thing on video.

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Nikon is clearly very serious about the action camera market, releasing three new KeyMission products. The KeyMission 360 is their most premium option and the only one that offers a full 360-degree field of view. With its 4K UHD video recording capabilities and 30-megapixel still image capture, Nikon hopes to provide users with a high-quality, immersive way to share their experiences.

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