Nokia OZO VR camera

Nokia announced a new VR camera that they’re calling ‘OZO’. The camera, built specifically for the professional market, shoots 3D 360 degree video and captures surround sound audio simultaneously. Nokia is touting Ozo’s ability to instantly preview the footage without the need for stitching as a key differentiator.

The new heading aims toward rebuilding the company’s IP portfolio and a focus on innovative digital media, starting first into the growing VR industry with the Ozo VR camera.

Ozo is a custom built camera that the company says is designed specifically for professional VR filmmakers. The fairly compact device features eight cameras with synchronized global shutters and eight integrated microphones which gather directional audio while filming. Road to VR has exclusive early shots of the camera, which looks like an elegant alien hood ornament.

The Nokia OZO boasts a total of eight lenses, each in front of a 2K x 2K sensor. Those cover a 360° x 180° viewing angle and produce a 3D image at 30fps with a 10 stop dynamic range and base sensitivity of ISO 400. There are eight mics to capture multi-directional sound too with 64dB S/N and 120dB max SPL.

The camera records 8 channels of raw video and audio to a 500GB SSD. The final video can be composed at 8K x 4K resolution at 10-bit color depth. The camera has built-in Wi-Fi for wireless control, though that works only with OS X 10.10 Yosemite. The whole thing weighs 4.2kg (9.3lbs) with battery.

While the company isn’t yet delving into detail about Ozo’s specs, they are touting an instant preview feature as a major differentiator to other VR camera solutions. The real time preview allows filmmakers to see through the camera’s lenses, with a VR headset in 3D with head tracking, instantly, without sending the data to a render farm to be stitched together after capture. Filmmakers can also monitor each individual camera stream or pan around the spherical composition on a monitor.

The encoded footage for final playback can also be played without the need for stitching using Nokia’s own software, though content creators can stitch the footage optionally and distribute it without restrictions.

The camera became available for pre-order, though it's really not a consumer product – at least not the kind of consumer that doesn’t have $60,000 to spend on a VR camera.

Watch Nokia Technologies Team Talks OZO Design