Nikon has finally narrowed down upon a launch date of the KeyMission 360 camera. The first 360 camera by Nikon has been long awaited, but numerous delays have halted its commercial release. Talking to Mr. Kazuo Ninomiya, Managing Director at Nikon India, he said, "Yes, we are possibly (launching it) around October 2016."
The Nikon KeyMission 360 is a rugged action camera. First unveiled by Nikon at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016, the camera is aimed at being a competitor to GoPro’s high resolution durable cameras. The KeyMission 360 can shoot up to 4K resolution videos, making use of two image sensors and two ultra wide angle lenses on either ends. The camera is waterproof by up to 100 feet, and shockproof (including ground impact, dust and snow) by up to 6.6 feet. The output media is stitched into one video or still image file, which makes it an ideal camera for 360-degree image and video enthusiasts. The KeyMission 360 also comes with inbuilt WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC, making it one of the most exciting 360 cameras to have been unveiled in recent times. No information has been given to indicate what its official price might be.
Mr. Ninomiya stated that while an official confirmation is yet to be given, the launch will happen globally in October 2016. Multiple reasons, including the devastating earthquake in Japan had led to a delay in the camera’s potential global launch. The earthquake had also led to a delay in the launch of the Nikon D5 and D500, although the DSLRs have been introduced in India as well as global markets since then.
Nikon is acknowledging the development of the Indian markets in terms of imaging habits, and would hope that the KeyMission 360 fares well among 360 and VR enthusiasts, publishers and professionals alike. One of the first commercially available 360 cameras happened to be the Ricoh Theta series, and while it is a novel first attempt, it leaves out much to be ironed out. Out here, we have our fingers crossed for the KeyMission 360, and cannot wait to try it out!