In a previous post, we spoke about the advantages of traveling with a trusty 360 camera. There’s no dispute, that 360 photos and videos are booming across the internet. We will, without a doubt, be seeing a lot more 360 content on travel websites, travel agencies, travel blogs and all things travel, adventure and discovery. So let’s assume you’re looking for a 360 camera that will suit your next travel adventure. As promised, we at 360Stories have compiled a list of the best options out there, and explain why they work so well.

Camera Features

Before we dive in, let’s take a quick review of the qualities you’re going to be looking for in a 360 camera on the go. What features do you need? For one thing, you’re not going to want anything complicated or time-consuming to set up. You’re traveling, in a rush going from one place to another, in the always-very-limited time you’re given, so settling down to set up your rig just to capture that perfect moment is not an option.

Unless you’re a pro, you’re also not going to want anything too complicated to use. The more opportunities to fiddle with settings, the more opportunities for making mistakes and getting a bad result. Finally, let’s face it, you want to save your money for the actual process of traveling, right? So, let’s assume that you don’t want to spend thousands of dollars. What you’ll probably be looking forward to is a portable, affordable, entry-level 360-degree camera.

Size and Weight

Ditch the bulk. Honestly, no one wants to carry a big heavy camera around with them during their travels. That’s why you’re going to want a 360-degree camera that’s super portable, lightweight, compact that packs a punch for its size.

Battery and Memory

A travel photographer’s worst nightmare? Low battery and low memory. You travel so far, you see this amazing picturesque scene and grab your camera only to find that you’ve totally run out of memory or ...gasp… the battery is dying! Battery life is a priority feature you want to keep your eye out for, and you’ll want a camera that can support SD cards so that memory doesn’t become a problem.

Image Quality

You want to capture something in 360 degrees, of course, that’s great, but it’s no good if the final image looks horrible. You want beautiful, colorful, quality 360 shots that stitch together well. In short, you want a high-quality image.

Compatible with selfie sticks/tripods

You’re going to want to get shots of hard to reach places, or semi-aerial views, or get yourself in the frame, of course, so a lightweight tripod or at the very least a selfie stick will be your travel buddy for sure, and you’ll need to be certain that these cameras are compatible.

Luckily there are a lot really cool, portable cameras on the market that don’t necessarily break bank. So, which 360-degree camera is the best for travel? Here are our top 3!

Samsung Gear 360  

Starting at the top, we have the Samsung Gear 360. This camera shoots really high quality (4K) video as well as 30 megapixel photos in 360. It already comes with a mini tripod, which is always a plus. It is arguably the best out there when it comes to quality, so that’s something to keep in mind when you are shopping for your perfect camera. It also has a huge memory capacity, which is not something other cameras can boast of. Two very good reasons why we think this camera would be the perfect accessory to take with you on your next vacation. The stitching is great, the photos are great, the videos are great, and it has the best edge-to-edge consistency in sharpness. It will require some editing on your part, so don’t expect to start sharing until you get it on your computer or your S7 series phone app, either in the hotel or at home.

Insta360 ONE

Size, size, size, size, size. I cannot emphasize the size of this handy camera. It can fit in your pocket easily, and the last thing you’ll be worrying about is losing any precious space in your luggage. This camera has two fisheye lenses that capture a full 360 photo and video when put together. One nifty feature this particular camera has is the ability to live stream 360 video to Facebook or YouTube, so if social media is an important factor for your traveling, this is the 360-degree camera for you. That’s right, you will be able to engage with your audiences live while you’re abroad, and they will be able to see exactly (if not more than) what you see! Don’t let the size fool you, the photo taking quality is pretty good. Plus it has the ever-important added option of adding to its memory with a MicroSD card. When it comes to travel, this 360 camera is hard to beat.

Ricoh Theta S  

Compatible with both iPhones and Androids, one of the best 360 cameras when it comes to size, affordability and quality is the Ricoh Theta. Great quality images, especially in low light, this 360-degree camera is also compact and great for traveling. Transfer your images onto your camera and share it on your social networks and let your followers experience the fun. The great thing about Ricoh Theta is that is’ so simple to use, it’s your go-to point and shoot 360 camera. Because it’s so slim, the images stitch seamlessly. In fact, it is said to have the best stitching among all the other 360 cameras! People really boast about how it can capture a beautiful sunset or a night sky, so that is something to keep in mind especially if you plan on taking a trip to visit the Northern Lights.

There you have it folks, our compilation of the top three 360 degree cameras for your next travel adventure! Do some further research to see which camera caters to your specific needs, of course, but in our humble opinion, if you choose one of the above, you can’t go wrong. Also, feel free to browse through our website for some 360 photos and videos from across the world in order to get inspired for your own 360 degree capturing adventures.