GoPro has announced the GoPro Fusion, a new camera that captures full spherical video that can be used in VR apps as well as in standard video. Featuring one spherical lens on the front and another on the back, the Fusion splices the footage together for 360-degree video capture.
It’s like having a camera team with you when you shoot capturing your primary and b-roll footage
The Fusion shoots in 5.2K and comes with a feature that the company is calling OverCapture, which lets you choose your composition after recording.
This means that with the Fusion, you don't have to think about which way to point your GoPro at the time because it's already pointing in all the directions.
Jess Foley, GoPro senior product manager of spherical solutions explains: "Thanks to Fusion, our users will be able to record their moments in all directions and then go back and choose the composition they want.
"This is referred to as OverCapture or reframing. It’s like having a camera team with you when you shoot capturing your primary and b-roll footage. From there, you have the flexibility in post-production to pick and share all sides of your story in conventional HD."
“Fusion is just that, the ability to capture every angle simultaneously… as though you had six GoPro cameras fused into one,” added GoPro founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman. “Whether filming for VR or traditional fixed-perspective content, Fusion represents the state-of-the-art in versatile spherical capture.”
Currently, if you want to fuse six GoPro cameras to shoot spherical video, GoPro's solution is the GoPro Omni. However, the Omni only works with Hero 4 Black cameras (not Hero 5) and costs $5,000. We're assuming the Fusion will be both smaller and cheaper.
GoPro Fusion specs
All we know at this stage is that the new GoPro camera shoots in 5.2K resolution at 30 frames per second, and that it will be compatible with a "broad range" of GoPro’s mounts. We'll update this section as we find out more.
GoPro's 360-degree video, featuring JT Holmes and Jeb Corliss
GoPro Fusion price and release date
The Fusion will be on sale in the coming months for $699. UK and EU pricing was not announced.
GoPro is first making the camera available to "a selection of pilot partners — including brands, agencies and content professionals" and then the company plans a "limited commercial release" of Fusion by the end of 2017.