The race to perfect the 360-degree camera is on between two of the biggest names in the business, Insta360 and DJI, with both releasing their latest models this year. The DJI Osmo 360 II builds on the original’s fantastic design and looks to improve the features that matter most to all types of users. The question is, has DJI succeeded, or has it fallen behind?
In the box, you get the DJI Osmo 360 II with a battery, a protective pouch, a silicone lens cap, a lens-cleaning cloth, a USB cable and documentation. The shorter design of the 360 II mirrors its predecessor, but with one major improvement. The lenses on the 360 II can now be manually replaced if damaged, allowing users to swap them out themselves with the purchase of a lens replacement kit. The camera itself is incredibly durable and waterproof to a depth of 10 m without a dive case.
On the DJI Osmo 360 II, in addition to the front and rear lenses, there is a 2-inch 16:9 screen with two buttons that control the shutter, recording and various other functions. The sides feature waterproof doors, with one housing the 2,150 mAh battery and microSD card slot, supporting cards up to 1 TB alongside the camera’s 105 GB of internal storage. The other side houses the USB-C port and power button. On the bottom, there is a 1/4-inch thread for attaching the camera to a selfie stick or tripod, a magnetic connection for DJI’s mounting accessories and power connectors for use with DJI’s battery extension rod.
“The DJI Osmo 360 II builds on the original’s fantastic design and looks to improve the features that matter most to all types of users.”
The DJI Osmo 360 II is capable of capturing 120 MP panoramic photos and shooting panoramic video at 8K resolution and 60 fps. This resolution and frame rate also apply to its Supernight 2 video mode, DJI’s improved low-light shooting feature. The camera can also capture slow-motion footage in 4K at up to 240 fps, along with offering single-lens shooting modes capable of recording at 4K resolution.
The camera shoots in 10-bit with HDR, or you can capture more data in D-Log M 10-bit, giving you all the colour information you could want to manipulate the image in post. The DJI Osmo 360 II’s 14.5-stop dynamic range gives you fantastic exposure in low light
Stabilization is as important as it is for this type of camera; the DJI Osmo 360 II’s tech is at the top of the heap with RockSteady 3.0 and HorizonSteady, giving you the smoothest footage you can ask for without a professional gimbal. The 360 II also has pre-record capabilities, ensuring you never miss a moment capturing up to 5 minutes of video before you ever hit record.
Spotlight Follow will lock onto a target for you so you don’t have to do all the work in the app afterward, giving you a ready-to-post video right out of the camera. Audio also has you covered with 4 built-in mics to capture sound in every direction, plus the ability to connect two DJI Mics, either the Mic 2 or 3, in pairs to capture two people’s dialogue, all while capturing ambient sound on the 360 II as a backup.
Sharing and connecting to the DJI MIMO app is easier than ever with NFC connection. Uploading the footage is also as easy as possible, as the camera can upload your footage to the cloud, be it Google Drive or wherever, via wifi while it is charging. It’s a great way to ensure you have backups of everything that you shoot, all while you are asleep.
The camera quality is nothing short of great. While low-light video is really well done, the detail in the distance can still be quite grainy if you need to punch in on anything specific. Capturing the big picture, or capturing anything close up, looks great, especially with Supernight 2 activated. In the daylight, the image is near perfection.
“The DJI Osmo 360 II is capable of capturing 120 MP panoramic photos and shooting panoramic video at 8K resolution and 60 fps.”
Accessories are what make action cameras so versatile, and the DJI Osmo 360 II is no different. The camera is available in a wide range of kits, or you can purchase accessories à la carte. Whether you need a kit for motorcycling, diving or skiing, there are plenty of options available. Individually, you can also pick up selfie sticks, mounts and additional batteries to build the ultimate collection of accessories for any type of creator or adrenaline junkie.
The DJI Osmo 360 II’s base kit starts at $571 USD. While DJI still sells the original model, which is currently nearly $200 USD cheaper, some of the quality-of-life improvements found in the latest version might leave you with serious FOMO if you opt for the cheaper option. Replaceable lenses, improved image processing, higher frame rates and easier connectivity make it a significant upgrade, despite the camera not looking all that different on the surface.
While the race between these two giants for 360-degree camera supremacy is far from over, their strategies are becoming clearer, and a big part of both approaches involves borrowing ideas from each other. Insta360 has adopted a stubbier design, while DJI has introduced automatic cloud uploading and replaceable lenses. However, with this being only its second model, DJI appears to be focusing on steady improvements rather than dramatic changes as it continues to refine its design. The result is a big win for creators.
