The Best 360 Cameras for 2024

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As the name implies, a 360-degree camera captures the entire world around it. They were a hot ticket item for a short time, with dozens of models available, including add-ons for trendy smartphones.

The height of the 360-degree phase has passed, but there are still quality options on the market. The use case has shifted, too—in the early days it was all about delivering spherical video for viewing on VR headsets, which have since found a niche for gaming, not media consumption.

Today, creators reach to 360-degree video cameras to gets shots they can't get with a single-lens model. Software pulls out, warps, and reframes dual-lens footage so it can cut right in with 16:9 footage.

Most action cameras use just one lens to record video, but 360-degree cameras use a matched pair to capture literally everything around them. These types of recordings can give viewers a sense of space when they view it in a VR headset, while creators can crop, zoom, and pan through footage in the editing room to get shots and camera moves that simply aren’t possible with a regular video camera. The best models, like the Editors' Choice-winning Insta360 X4, even have an app to reframe footage. Meanwhile, real estate photographers might find Ricoh Theta cameras a good fit since they can create virtual tours of properties via a companion app. Whatever your needs, make sure to check out all of our picks below for 360-degree video and photography, along with some buying advice for the category.