360 Camera Mod one year later

[kingstu]

I got the 360 camera mod a year ago partly because of all the buzz about 360 cameras and wanting to see what it was all about. I liked how it was dead simple to use and took it on a trip to see if it would be more useful than the True Zoom mod. It was okay but the biggest problem was how to share the photos so that they were viewable by others.

There's limited 3rd party support to view the videos and photos but Facebook, YouTube and Google Photos are the best options. I was able to share using those methods but I wondered what the real benefit of taking 360 photos was? 360 photos capture much more around you but to view it on a phone requires scrolling around to see a 2d representation of part of the picture versus seeing everything clearly on one screen with a regular photo.

I didn't see the real benefit until I got a Daydream View VR last week. Verizon has them on sale for $30 so I decided to try it and was able to look at my 360 photos from last year and realized the real "wow" factor it adds. Looking at them again I realized the benefits of taking 3D photos and the ease of using the Mod were getting the content quickly and easily to be used at a later date.

The best camera is the one you have with you and the mod really makes taking 3D photos easy and doesn't block the main camera so you can still use it as well without taking the mod off. I will taking it on trips and taking a lot more 360 photos and videos so I can use them in VR. Using it makes me really hope that Motorola will release a VR mod that fits the z-series of phones and won't have the awkwardness of the Daydream which was made to accommodate various phone sizes with varying features.

I'm all for the 360 mod and would encourage z-owners to get it. It's only $100 new at Verizon right now also. It's not perfect but it provides a way to capture photos that are great now and into the future.

 

[thinkbui]

Is support for the first Moto Z phones dead? The 360 mod works fine with my Moto Z3, but when I connect it to my old Moto Z Force, the camera app won't start up and freezes on a black screen.

 

[kingstu]

There should be a Sept 2018 update for the Moto Z Force. There might also be an update for the 360 mod which you can update via the Moto Mods manager. (Update the 360 mod firmware using the Z3 and Moto Mods manager.) Update the Moto Z Force to the latest and you should be able to use it on it. Make sure the camera app is updated on the Z Force and if all that is done it should work.

 

[thinkbui]

The Android OS on my Moto Z, the Moto Mods Manager app on the Moto Z, and the 360 Mod firmware are already all up to date. I've also tried rebooting both the phone and the mod numerous times, but no change.

One other thing I tried was to start the camera app, then attach the mod. The splash screen for the 360 camera would show, but get stuck there for at least several minutes before a dialog box pops up saying that the camera has to reboot. During this time there's a significant heat buildup, but I'm not sure if it is coming from the phone or the mod.

 

[bill-e]

First, I just bought a new one on Amazon for $70.

Z3, Seems to work fine with it including live streaming

Next, Z Force Droid. Initially the 360 camera was not recognized. With the camera attached I held the power button until the phone rebooted, upon reboot the 360 cam was recognized and all is well.

Last, it's a little scary trying to hold the Z3 without the bumper on it from a grip perspective. Did you take a razor blade to your bumper case?