Having made a hash of its handset business several years ago after failing to keep pace with industry trends, Nokia is understandably keen to establish itself early on in other tech-related markets in which it sees potential.
With that in mind, it’s been working on the Ozo virtual-reality camera, a cool-looking compact device capable of capturing 360-degree spherical video and high-quality surround sound audio.
The Finnish company unveiled Ozo back in July but at the time did little more than show off its striking design and core functionality. But now we know more.
Let’s get the worst part out of the way first. The cost. This thing will set you back a whopping $60,000, a figure that confirms Ozo’s target customer base of TV, movie, and ad industry professionals. Moneyed professionals, that is.
Besides the camera, the kit includes a camera mount, docking station, and a digital cartridge that combines a battery with a 500GB storage module offering 45 minutes of recording. The cartridge slots into the side of the device, as shown in the image below right.
The new details were revealed during a special Ozo event held by Nokia in LA on Monday. Shipments of the camera begin in the first quarter of 2016, though to secure early delivery you’ll need to place an order now, together with a $5,000 down payment.
Ozo, which tips the scales at 4.2kg (9.3lbs), features eight 2K x 2K sensors and the same number of microphones spread evenly around the device. Video is captured at 30 fps, while each f/2.4 lens offers a 195-degree angle of view.
The result, Nokia says, is content offering a genuine 360-degree field of view, with rich surround-sound audio to help enhance the experience. Impressively, the device is able to create fully stitched feeds in real time, giving users the chance to show VR livestreams. Of course, such broadcasts can also be saved to Ozo’s removable storage module for later viewing.
From what we know so far, Ozo certainly looks to be an exciting prospect for content creators which, like Nokia, are aiming to make an impact early on in a space that’s gaining increasing attention. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing what the pros come up with using Ozo as their main VR camera device.
