Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360° Panoramic Camera Review

Introduction

The Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360° Panoramic Camera captures 24 megapixels 360-degree panorama pictures! It is also capable of recording 3.5K videos at 30fps or 2K videos at 120fps (bullet time). With its IP67 rating, it should be able to handle rain and water splashes from daily activities.

I bought the Xiaomi Mi Sphere from GearBest.com on Singles Day (11.11) for US$199.99. Along with it, I bought the Xiaomi MiJia Extendable Selfie Stick for US$9.99. Do you need the selfie stick? Read on.

The Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera is my second 360-degree camera. After taking a couple of 360-degree pictures and videos with the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360 camera, I am sold. I don’t think I can go back to the LG 360 camera.

Xiaomi Mi Sphere vs MadVenture 360

Base on my research, the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360 3.5K camera is identical to the MadVenture 360 4K camera. Again, there are people saying that the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360 camera will be receiving a new firmware to enable 4K video recording

In another words, just grab the one that meet your needs. The MadVenture has got the selfie stick and GoPro mount as part its package.

Taking a closer look at Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera

Unboxing the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360 Camera

The design on the packaging is simple – just a picture of the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera, it’s features and box contents.

Beneath the box cover is the gorgeous Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera. Its lenses are protected by clear plastic films.

You will find the following in the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera kit:

1. Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera
2. Camera pouch
3. Tripod
4. Micro-USB charging cable
5. User Manual

The Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera

The Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera has a matte black plastic body. It’s edges or body frame is made of metal. On both sides are the f/2.0 190-degree fisheye lenses. The Sony IMX 206 1/2.3-inch sensors underneath the lenses is capable of capturing 24 megapixels 360-degree panoramic images and 3.5K videos.

The Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera has a thin profile. Like any other 360-degree cameras, the fisheye lenses protrudes noticeably from the camera body.

The included tripod attaches to the camera via the standard 1/4-inch screw mount on the bottom of the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera. You can also keep the tripod legs closed to use it as a (short) selfie stick or a means to hold on to the Mi Sphere camera while taking a video.

On the top are the buttons for shutter, wireless toggle and power/mode toggle. The dots at the two ends are where the microphones are located.

The included tripod has got a wider profile than the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera. So do expect it to be captured in the 360-degree pictures or videos.

Underneath the latch on the side of camera are the microSD slot and Micro-USB charging port. It supports up to 128GB microSD cards but do make sure they are high speed (at least V30 or U3) to ensure it records videos smoothly. I am using the Samsung EVO 64GB U3 and it works fine.

On this side where the lens is, you will also find light indicators for battery charging and operating mode (picture or video).

On the bottom edge are where the tripod mount, charging contacts, buzzer and tripod lock are located.

Accessories

I also bought the Xiaomi selfie stick for the Mi Sphere camera.

The telescopic selfie stick is specifically for the Mi Sphere camera. Notice how the tripod lock, mounting screw and electrical contacts line up properly? The selfie stick can trigger the camera from the button on the selfie stick.

The mount is as thin as the Mi Sphere camera. When the selfie stick is extended, it should capture very little of the selfie stick.

The tripod locks holds the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera firmly in place. The entire set up feels very stable and the Mi Sphere Camera does not rotate (left or right) while mounted like we usually face when mounting cameras on selfie sticks.

Once you are done with the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera, you can simply pop it into the included pouch to protect it from scratches. One point to note is that the fisheye lenses have been treated and is rated 8H on the Mohs scale. Despite being so, it is best to keep it safe from elements that might accidentally scratch it. Once scratched, it might cause undesirable artifacts in your pictures.

Using the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera

Brought the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera out for a spin today. I would say the camera is considered to be portable/ pocketable. It fits into the pockets of my Bermuda shorts.

Handling the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera

With the LG 360 camera, I can quickly keep it in its hard cover and toss it into my pockets or bag. With the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera, I will need to stuff it into the pouch. Whenever I take the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera out of its pouch, I am kind of afraid that it might accidentally slip out of my hands. Luckily, it has yet to happen.

Using the Mi Sphere Camera

Operating the camera is straight forward. Powering on or off the camera is just a matter of holding down the power button. Toggling between photo or video taking just requires a press of the same button.

Pressing once on the shutter button takes the photo or video immediately while holding on it will trigger the last timer settings you used via the mobile app. Is this useful? Definitely! This way you can shift your fingers to the bottom of the camera or place the camera on some surface so that your hands won’t get captured in it.

One thing to note is that the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera is one hot camera. Literally hot! It was a little too hot to hold when I was transferring some videos to my mobile phone. It feels like holding a hot cuppa in a ceramic cup.

Using it with the selfie stick

I love using the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera with the selfie stick. The selfie stick practically disappears from view! It makes it looks like a drone is taking pictures. I also realised that the selfie stick can switch on the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera just by pressing the shutter button on the selfie stick (when the Xiaomi Mi Sphere camera is off).

When the Xiaomi Mi Sphere is powered on, a long press on the selfie stick’s shutter button will toggle the camera’s mode between Photo and Video. A single press when the camera is in either of these two modes will take a picture or start/ stop video recording.

Following on are some pictures taken with the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera.

Kwan Im Tong Hood Cho Temple (360-degree)

Mystical Garden Display at Changi Airport, Terminal 3 (Departure Hall), Singapore (360-degree)

Conclusion

For me, the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera is definitely a good 360-degree camera for the price that I purchase at. I consider it as a huge upgrade from my current LG 360 camera.

The mobile app is in English and is user friendly. One common complains I hear from other people using Xiaomi products is that the software is in Mandarin and often have unfriendly navigation or workflows. The Xiaomi Mi Sphere is also targetted at the International market so maybe that is why the mobile app is also more polished.

If you are upgrading from your LG 360 camera or looking to invest in an affordable 360-degree camera, why not consider the Xiaomi Mi Sphere 360-degree 3.5K 24MP camera? Sometimes the Xiaomi Mi Sphere Camera have discounts on GearBest.com too. So check them out.