Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Photography
  3. News

GoPro’s wacky 16-Camera VR rig goes on sale for $15,000

By
GoPro Spherical: New York City VR Shot on Odyssey
At its I/O developer conference back in May, Google, you may recall, showed off an outlandish bit of kit designed to capture real-world 360-degree/3D video content for virtual reality.

The striking though somewhat unwieldy rig, which DT managed to see up close, comprises 16 GoPro cameras fixed to a tripod-mounted wheel. The mass of captured footage is processed by software offered as part of Google’s VR “Jump” platform, which can then be viewed via an Android handset slotted into the Mountain View company’s Cardboard 3D viewer.

Recommended Videos

Having tinkered with its design, GoPro has now put its multi-camera “Odyssey” kit on sale, though you’ll have to convince the company you’re a professional content creator to have any chance of getting your hands on it. Oh, and give them $15,000, too.

Related

Your hefty cash outlay will get you 16 Hero4 Black cameras and “BacPac” connectivity mounts, the Odyssey panoramic capture rig, 16 MicroSD memory cards, all the necessary accessories and cables, and a robust Pelican case for safe transportation. The entire kit tips the scales at 14.5Ibs (6.6kg).

GoPro_Odyssey1
GoPro

Also part of the package is Google’s powerful stitching software that cleverly weaves together all the captured footage into one seamless, immersive video.

GoPro says it has a limited number of Odyssey units available, and is asking interested professional content creators in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, and several other countries to get in touch via an online form on its website.

Highlighting the potential of Odyssey and Jump, the company released a two-minute video (above) shot and processed entirely with all the gear, though you’ll want to strap on your VR headset to get the full effect.

A growing interest in VR is pushing an increasing number of companies to explore ways to create effective and immersive content for the platform. Nokia, for example, recently announced details of Ozo, an advanced spherical camera set for launch later this year. Also aimed at media professionals, Ozo captures footage via eight cameras and mics spread evenly around cantaloupe-sized globe.

Ozo looks a lot easier on the eye than GoPro’s gear, and is clearly more mobile, but we’re keen to see VR content from not just these but all the competing offerings before making any final judgments.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
The 5 best new GoPro Hero 10 Black features I love to use
GoPro Hero 10 Firmware V1.2.

When I reviewed the GoPro Hero 10 Black in September, I couldn’t help but heap praise on it. Though it’s clearly an evolutionary update to the Hero 9, the Hero 10 goes far enough to offer very real advantages over its predecessor. Between its 5.3K 60 frames per second, upgraded image stabilization, and impressive cloud storage integration, it’s certainly the most powerful action camera available right now.

However, GoPro hasn’t rested on its laurels over the past several months. Over that time, they’ve offered major firmware upgrades and even a post-launch hardware upgrade. With the Hero 10 so dramatically changed since its original launch, it’s worth taking a look at to see what else you can expect from the camera here at the tail end of 2021.
Max Superview
The GoPro Hero 10 features a 4:3 format sensor, but most video these days is displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. That typically means either cropping the image or putting up with black bars on the side of the display. GoPro’s Superview mode stretches the edges of the image so that you can take advantage of the entire 4:3 sensor area, but display it on a 16:9 screen at the cost of a fisheye effect.

Read more
GoPro boosts Hero 10 performance with new firmware and Enduro battery
GoPro Hero 10 Front Screen.

One of my few complaints when reviewing the GoPro Hero 10 Black was its somewhat fleeting battery life, and though I haven’t personally encountered the issue, many users have reported problems limiting recording times due to overheating. GoPro seems to have heard that message loud and clear, as they have announced a major firmware update for the camera that aims to solve the problems as well as a brand new Enduro battery.

The firmware (which will be available by the end of October) introduces three new video performance modes designed to maximize the Hero 10’s performance in different scenarios. Maximum video performance mode prioritizes high resolution, frame rate, and image quality. Extended battery mode limits resolution and frame rate to maximize recording times and battery life, while tripod/stationary video mode provides high performance when the camera is stationary, and there isn’t any airflow to cool the camera.

Read more
GoPro drops teaser video for Hero10 camera ahead of Thursday’s reveal
watch gopros teaser video for the new hero10 action camera gopro hero 10

GoPro is set to reveal the latest iteration of its popular action camera on Thursday, September 16.

The California-based company has just dropped a slick teaser video (below) for the Hero10 Black. The 57-second production, titled A New Era of GoPro, shows a slew of beautifully cinematic and highly dramatic action shots (you wouldn’t really expect anything less) as GoPro attempts to create a buzz around its latest product release.

Read more