Are you an adventure junkie searching for a compact camera that is tough enough for your adventures or an enthusiast looking to up your photo and video game? You may want to consider springing for a 360 camera. This type of camera allows the user to capture full 360-degree panoramas in a single shot, offering more capabilities than the traditional action camera.
Right now, Best Buy is offering the GoPro Fusion for only $300. This action cam model retails at $600 on the official GoPro website, so getting it for half off is definitely a steal. Those with a Best Buy Credit Card may opt to split that figure across a six-month period, which boils down to just $50 per month.
The Fusion boasts a different shape compared to its Hero siblings. It’s wrapped in the same grippy, soft-to-touch material and finished in a two-tone matte gray. It also has the signature two-button interface and front LCD display but there’s no monitor or touchscreen. Part of its slightly larger size is to accommodate a bigger battery which GoPro claims can run up to 75 minutes of continuous 5.2K video recording.
Instead of a single forward-facing lens, the Fusion uses ultra-wide-angle lenses to capture a full 360 spherical image of everything around it. It does an excellent job of blending exposures from both hemispheres, although there can be varying brightness levels from one scene to the next in some conditions. Image quality is sufficient for mobile-friendly services, but playback on large screens may show imperfections such as low sharpness and blurred details.
What makes this camera most exciting is the OverCapture feature — GoPro’s tool that allows you to pull a fixed-frame video from anywhere within the 360-degree source clip. You can frame a shot after shooting it, giving you the freedom of generating complex camera moves for fascinating footage.
It’s also waterproof which is mostly for protection on wet adventures like surfing or rafting. Actual filming underwater doesn’t work well on 360 content — the water acts as a lens which will result in the hemispheres not stitching together beautifully.
From attractive design to powerful features, the GoPro Fusion got a lot of things right. Despite a few shortcomings, it remains a 360 camera that’s hard to beat. Snag one for yourself on Best Buy for only $300– that’s 50% less than its regular price of $600.
Looking for more great stuff? Find action camera deals and other Prime Day deals on our curated deals page.
