We sat down with Andy Loughlin, European Exexutive Account Manaager for JK Imaging Ltd, to discuss the new Kodak Pixpro 4KVR360 action camera.

How much demand is there for the interactive 360° video format amongst consumers? How big is the market now, and in the future?

Future Source data in 2015 says that 2-300K units were sold for 360-degree cameras. In 2018, they predict that 3.5million units will be sold, so the market is very significant indeed.

 

Who is the Kodak 4KVR360 mainly aimed at?

High-street consumers. The existing dual pro-pack 360 camera will continue (two SP360 4K cameras). This is more adaptable, as you can take it apart, so itss aimed at higher-end users.

 

When will the 4KVR360 be released?

The Kodak 4KVR360 will be available from January 2017.

 

How much will it cost?

The exact price is still to be confirmed, but the Kodak 4KVR360 will retail for around 500 £/Euros/$. It will become competitive with the Nikon Keymission 360.

 

Who are your main competitors – Nikon Key Mission? Vuze? How does your product differ?

Also Samsung Gear 360 solution, which is compatible with smartphones. They spent a lot of money on promoting the concept, which is good for Kodak and the rest of the market. We also believe that Nikon’s offering is also good for the market as a whole. And the Ricoh Theta is a very solid product.

 

How will the camera be sold? Online only?

The Kodak 4KVR360 will be available from key high street retailers in the UK, and we’re hoping that some photo independents will carry it too.

 

One lens is smaller than the other – can you explain why?

They are 197 and 235 degree lenses. This solution allows the camera to do 4K resolution in 16:9 format using one of the lenses, auto-stitched 360 4K video at 15fps in-camera, and manually stitched 4K at 24fps using the Kodak post-production software. The 4KVR360 can also record up to 27mp 360 degree stills from the two 20mp sensors in the camera.

 

How easy is it to share photos from the camera?

There’s a very easy upload process to YouTube in the Kodak software.

 

Where does the auto-stitching take place – on-camera, or in post-production? Are they technically the same?

Only 15fps in-camera, 24fps in post-production using the Kodak software. This is a limitation of the processor in the camera.

 

What accessories and mounts are included with the camera?

A simple cardboard headset is given away for free with the camera. There is no official Kodak VR headset at the moment.

The exact accessories and mounts  included in the box are still to be confirmed. Accessory packs will definitely come – waterproof housing, mounts etc.

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