Rating: Apparently the associated app doesn’t upload from outside USA yet
We noticed this product being mentioned by the Sunday Times as a Top Gadget of the week. It’s the GoPano Micro kit for the Apple 4 or 4S. What’s it do? Simple, it enables owners of those two Apple smartphone models to shoot video in 360 degrees. GoMo News was a little puzzled because this device appears to have been on sale for some time in the USA. However, it doesn’t seem to have been available legally in the UK until this week. We suspect it has something to do with the associated app not being able to upload to the GoPano web site from outside the USA. Apparently it will be in much demand from estate agents when it does ship in the UK, because they love to show houses in a 360 degrees format.How does it work? Well it’s similar to the iPhone SLR Mount from Photojojo which we wrote about here and let’s you fit standard SLR lenses to an iPhone 4.
With the GoPano Micro kit, there’s a jacket that fits over the handset itself. In this you fit the GoPano gadget itself which looks like a funnel.
Inside the funnel are the mirrors that rotate. You’ll also need the GoPano iPhone app itself which is free and currently available via the iTunes App Store in the UK.
For the best results it is highly advisable to get yourself a tripod to avoid shake. GoPano doesn’t seem to sell one. Perhaps you could try Photojojo?
There’s a really good example of what a 360 degrees video looks like on the GoPano web site here.
The video plays within a normal browser and you just mouse lick on the video to look to the left or look to the right.
Once the app supports uploading from the UK, you will be able to share the videos you’ve shot using GoPano on the likes of YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.
Finally, there’s the small question of price. The Sunday Times lists the kit as cost £90. However, there’s one being auctioned on eBay UK right now and the present bid is £55.
Try looking on the Eyesee360 web site www.eyesee360.com later in the week to see if it gives the UK pricing.
Hello Tony,
I work as the Product Manager at EyeSee360 (manufacturers of the GoPano Micro). I read this article about the GoPano micro today, thanks for the interest.
I would like to clarify a few things in this article -
On where it says- ” However, it doesn’t seem to have been available legally in the UK until this week” – We do ship to the UK and anywhere in the world if you place an order on our online store http://store.gopano.com and we can ship anywhere you like.
And in a few weeks from today the GoPano micro will be available in major retail stores in the UK. You can shoot 360° videos, upload them, etc pretty much anywhere in the world.
On “Inside the funnel are the mirrors that rotate” – There are no rotating mirrors inside the gopano micro. There is two mirrors inside the GoPano – the main mirror projects the 360° image on to secondary mirror which the camera sees. The app on the phone coverts this 360° image into an interactive video.
Oops. Getting the rotating mirrors bit wrong is the most embarrassing. Thanks for the update.
With regard to getting a tripod for your iPhone 4, Amey tells us that,”I used the ‘Glif tripod’ with the GoPano Micro. You can use it with other tripods without attaching the Gopano Micro’s bottom case. In some cases, our customers have found unique ways to mount the micro on tripod mounts somehow…check some videos on http://www.gopano.com