Nikon KeyMission 360 Action Camera

2021-09-22T10:58:39

While I am still in the process of finding the performance envelope of this, it works as a 360 degree cam just fine. I was hampered on the first outing with an older mere 2Gig MicroSD card, but it still worked fine. Pairing with the phone went smoothly (A Samsung Galaxy 7S). The manual is reasonably good, but there are a few things I will need to find out by using it since the manual does fall a little short. The unit I purchased I believe was a demo, or was one that saw little use, and the description and "What's in the box" were completely accurate. And this gives me the ability to make use of some of the odd fixturing I had been accumulating over the years. And while not for everyone, if you can find some uses for it, you will certainly find others as well.

John M.

2018-10-19T20:00:00

This is a great 360 camera. I have been very happy with the pictures and video that I am able to capture. My one frustration with the camera is the wireless connectivity for remote operation. The camera will not maintain a wireless connection with my mobile device for more than 30-60 seconds. I am using the latest firmware update for the camera v1.5 and the most recent version of the Snapbridge 360 app. I recommend the camera, but it would be great if Nikon could fix the connectivity issues as they claim.

Kacey

Originally posted at

2018-06-28T20:00:00

I was pleased this camera for about a year. Now it seems unsupported and I join the ranks of those writing about their disappointment. I checked online for reviews of 360 degree camera and almost no one even mentions the Keymission 360 any more! I used it for my field research after I first got it and I was pleased. But for the last 11 months when I really needed it again, it has failed me. The day before I departed I tested the Keymission 360 that had worked well the last time I used it (months earlier). No connectivity with my new iPhone, iPad or remote control whatsoever. So the camera is useless now except through a hard connection to my MacBook Pro. I have tried every which way from Sunday to reconnect it to my iOS devices but I'm done wasting precious time. I tried for the last time this morning. Surely a company like Nikon can fix this mess. Because Nikon doesn't seem to care, I'll move on to another device. A shame to have invested in this camera. Nikon, wake up to you customers' concerns!

Archaeology G.

Originally posted at

2017-10-26T20:00:00

When this camera works, it's great! Alas, I have had little chance to experience that. Twice the camera has failed and I've missed two opportunities to shoot season-sensitive activities (planting and harvesting). It turns on but goes straight to pairing instead of being ready to shoot. My guess is a firmware issue. First time I sent it in for warranty repair, it came back fully functional. That didn't last. It's currently back in for repair, and I am incredibly frustrated. I hope this is just a lemon and not indicative of this camera in general. For $500, I shouldn't be dealing with this garbage. Still, I cannot recommend it. Look at another product.

keysandstops

Originally posted at

2017-08-21T20:00:00

I bought the Nikon 360 for personal use and work. I have to pair it with my device every single time I want to use it. I've called customer support often and they attempt to help me pair it, but I don't have the patience to spend over an hour ever single time I want to use the camera. When I switched to a new phone the camera's app stopped pairing all together as it's not compatible with an iphone 7. The few times I've been able to use it I did like the end result. Who has an hour to turn on a camera each time? Not me. Very disappointed. I've used Nikon cameras for several years and will never buy another. I'm sick about the money I spent on this as well as the accessory package, and it's useless.

FormerNIKONuser

Originally posted at

2017-08-03T20:00:00

Just had my KeyMission less than 24 hours but it is amazing. A little learning curve, but read manual and watch some Nikon utube videos. Easy to use and takes amazing videos and pictures. The is challenging but just spend a little time and it works. Note it is not required to use camera. Watch you tube videos. I attached a screen shoot of my favorite.

Swej2006

Originally posted at

2017-07-21T20:00:00

I have had my keymission 360 for now 3 major trips, all of them involved running, swimming, and things like rock climbing. Up close can bring amazing detail and with other software, you can create some great scrapping. Pulling out pictures from a frame is only half the resolution of pictures. 8K pictures look great compared to the video. I would love to see full resolution pictures being taken every 4 seconds rather than the 4K video resolution. When Nikon gets this thing up to 16K video resolution, I expect we will be seeing some serious detail. I primarily take all my 360, view the best of the content and move it to picture or unidirectional video showing the best directions at the right time. There is great software that works with this device, just need some more resolution and to see better exposure balance between lenses. Mostly need more resolution. Again the 8K pics look night and day better than the 4K video. I cant seem to find a way to auto capture pictures at a specific rate. If its a feature, I hope I find it. I could care less that the snapbridge is garbage, I need all the battery I can get anyway. I am so glad it can run on remote USB as well as can easily swap batteries. My last event was 4hrs long, 50GB of video. I went through 4 batteries. As long as I can snapbridge in to set the settings and then put the device back to airplane mode, I am doing well.

tigger

Originally posted at

2017-03-31T20:00:00

This camera broke my heart. I wish that Nikon would recall this camera and Issue a full refund. Given Nikon's reputability, I pre-ordered this camera and was terribly disappointed and frustrated. 1. I have the latest firmware installed. 2. Forget trying to pair this camera with the remote. It takes too long and is unreliable. 3. The app STILL does not work very well after several updates.- I tried changing the resolution and for some reason it does not update even though the app tells me (after logging out and logging back in) that the camera is on the desired setting. 4. The camera randomly shuts off so you never know if it is recording or not unless you're starting at the LEDs which defeats the purpose of an action camera. 5. The camera does not film clear crisp images. The clips always seem to look dull, dark an hazy even on bright and sunny days. When it's overcast, the footage looks terrible. Yes, the lens were cleaned before using. No comparison to the images that I get from other Nikon cameras. 6. The stitching needs work. There are obvious bands where the image is joined. 7. There is no easy way to hold the camera You're either pressing on the buttons or touching the lens. Please provide an easier way to grip the camera to adjust it (the selfie stick works well to move the camera around). 8. Customer service is sub-par. We all understand that customer service is a difficult job. I'd really wish that the agents stop pretending that everything's OK and stop pointing us to the manual or latest firmware. It's the camera. Given the issues mentioned above, I was hesitant to take this camera into the water. Let's assume that this camera holds up. Here are my suggestions to Nikon: 1. Recall the camera. 2. Given all the flaws, this camera is a step in the right direction so please fix the flaws and release the camera that Nikon wanted to release, a game changer. 3. Allow everyday users to participate in the testing phase so that feedback is obtained from a wider variety of users. In general, customers are always willing to support the manufacturer during the development phase to deliver a great product, one that we as consumers truly love Thank you.

YouTuberTraveler

Originally posted at

2017-03-12T20:00:00

I'm not really sure what's happening, but, I'm a mid level photographer, first time 360 camera user, for real estate virtual tours. My first shot at pairing to my iPhone 7 was complete and easy. The remote camera controls and everything are working fine. Maybe the software or firmware updates are changing things for the better? I'm not sure. But I had no problems at all and I love the results!

Realtours

Originally posted at

2017-03-11T19:00:00

Unlike many reviewers, I haven't had an problems pairing the 360 to my phone. Maybe it's because I'm using a Samsung S7 Edge, or maybe because I followed the instructions on initial pairing. Anyways, after initial pairing/re-pairing, i can turn the camera off and back on and it always reconnects to the Snapbridge 360/170 app in seconds without any glitches. I haven't used this camera a whole lot yet, but so far it works great!

NWsoul

Originally posted at

2017-03-04T19:00:00

Although it did take two attempts to pair the camera and my tablet, I have not had any problems. The video and still image quality is great. The build quality better than any of the GoPro cameras I have used. I use all 3 of the Action series at my studio and have had nothing but great results. I did struggle a little with 360° editing but it was new to me and everything new has a learning curve. Nikon's videos on their website have been helpful and as always Nikon's customer support has been helpful to both me and my employees. I think the important thing to remember if you are having trouble, use the resources Nikon has available as well as YouTube and you will find the Action series cameras to be great.

rjmclp

Originally posted at

2017-01-23T19:00:00

Out of the box with the old firmware this was probably one of my worst Nikon experiences. Firmware updates were not going as described on the Nikon documentation. A call to Nikon Support from one of my staff members was met with pure arrogance and incompetence. All we got was the same document we had found online. The rep wasn't able or was unwilling to help... Eventually the firmware update worked. Although operation was smoother, we quickly realized Nikon had quite a different philosophy and we had to forget what we had learned with competitive products. One of our difficulties in connecting was due to a setting in an android smartphone that released the WIFI connection if there was no connectivity to the internet. Once that was resolved we were good to go. I love the hardware, especially the user replaceable lens covers. It can cost you $350 to repair a scratched lens on a competitor product. The software is the true downside. Apart from being slow and clumsy, something snapbridge users are used to, there are no true photographic settings. I would love to have control over ISO and some other settings vital to a true photography experience. Stitching can also be improved. A raw file of each lens should be made available for those of us who can stitch on our own... I hope Nikon improves the software both in and out of the camera for a better and smoother user experience. I would recommend getting the wireless remote as it's much quicker and smoother than using the smartphone app.

TrolettiPhoto

Originally posted at

2017-01-10T19:00:00

Both of the lens protectors on my camera are scratched after one week of use. I don't even know when the scratches occured as it was mostly kept in the carrying case. I've had a gopro for several years and never had any problem with scratched lenses so I am not sure why these lenses scratched so easily.

Cornmen

Originally posted at

2017-01-03T19:00:00

I'm one of those early adopters who pre-ordered this camera and was utterly disappointed when I received it. I almost gave up on it, in fact. But now I'm in love with it. The video quality is outstanding. The camera size and handling is perfect. The fact that it's waterproof—even without the underwater lens protectors—is awesome. What changed? I actually used the camera. I stopped fussing with my phone and worrying about the app, and I used the camera as intended. You press record. You capture the moment. You press stop. It's that easy. The footage you capture will blow your mind. Here are some things I wish I knew sooner: 1. Before you go out shooting, use the app to set the video quality as high as you want it. For some reason, my camera was set to a lower quality video by default. 2. Don't trust the quality you see on your phone. If you use the app to review your footage, you'll think the quality is lousy. Once you get the full size file onto your computer, you'll be amazed. This is 4K. For real. 3. Don't bother transferring files to your phone. They're too big. WiFi is too slow. It's a mess. (I'd say don't bother with your phone for anything except camera settings....and as a remote control when you can't reach the camera.) 4. Use Nikon's KeyMission Utility software to edit and save your footage. It's surprisingly good. 5. Upload your clips to YouTube and use the cardboard viewer at least once. (You have to use the YouTube app, and you have to select the "Cardboard" viewing option on the video.) 6. This is a funny one, but it's a biggie. Figure out how to start and stop recording. When the camera is off, if you press Record, it makes a startup tone and immediately starts recording. When you hit Record again, the LEDs flash for a moment, which means recording is done. And it shuts off on its own. Until you get the hang of that, you'll accidentally stop recording when you think you're starting. Once you get a hang of all that, you'll love this thing. And then you'll constantly be asking yourself, "I wonder what this would be like in 360?"

kreeder

Originally posted at

2016-12-30T19:00:00

Got the key mission 360 for Christmas and was super excited that it shot 360 degrees, thought it'd be great for all the snowboarding I do. Upon trying to figure out the camera I realized it might not be all it's cracked up to be. Can't get the camera to sync to my iPhone 6s Plus, the SnapBridge app that you must use to control the camera is junk, instruction manual gives no insight, tried to call customer support but they are closed on weekends, and no case cover or protection for a camera with two lenses? Went online to find help on the Nikon website and read some forums and every single one is a single star rating followed by rants that match my exact problem. Followed by the same exact response to every complaint from a Nikon rep. "We're sorry, this update should fix these problems, follow this link to an instructional video" blah blah blah. Sorry Nikon but your "watch for the new update" response to hundreds of single star review don't cut it. FIGURE YOUR JUNK OUT. Until then don't waste 499$.

NOkon

Originally posted at

2016-12-28T19:00:00

I tend to use the camera WITHOUT the phone as I loose connectivity with the phone far to easily and With Video my Primary use it seams to lock up the camera that said when on a tripod the app can work pretty well but while using in POV snowmobiling or Skiing I find pairing Always fails sooner rather than later Turning on the camera is easier than turning it off with the app. The Camera works well regardless

snowmotion

Originally posted at

2016-12-27T19:00:00

Where to begin... Like others, I spent a long time trying to connect it to an iPhone 6 Plus that was updated to the latest OS. The app is so slow that I kept thinking it was freezing. Sometimes it would eventually come back to life, but many times I had to force quit the app and start over. Pros: 1. Seems to be relatively easy to download images, but it does ask you every time if you want to connect to WiFi saying it's faster than Bluetooth which is annoying - just connect to WiFi automatically or come up with a better way. Plus, it never takes me to the WiFi settings screen in the iPhone Settings menu, it takes me to another screen instead. Just poor user-interface from that standpoint. SOME of the many Fixes needed: 1. App is very slow when on the "Camera" tab at the bottom. Pretty much every button on the app takes way longer than it seems it should to complete a task. 2. The app asks you to connect to wifi multiple times for various tasks and offers a pop up that takes you to the iPhone Settings app/tool, but not the wifi section of the Settings app (instead it takes you to the SnapBridge 360 permissions section meaning you have to do an extra step of backing out into settings, scrolling up to Wifi, moving into the wifi section, and then selecting the camera's wifi). And then, after all that, it doesn't offer to take you back to the app (other camera apps do this, so it feels user "unfriendly" as it is now. 3. Time lapse- I like the function for movie mode, but once I start it, it seems there is now way to stop it through the remote/phone/app. It may be possible, but again, the app basically freezes up when doing anything of significance in the Camera tab so I had to manually stop it. What is really disappointing is that, at least through the app, it doesn't appear that I can shoot a time lapse in the STILL photos section, only in movie mode. What if I want to use the STILL images taken in time lapse as individual still images? Why can't this be done? I also own the Ricoh Theta S (a far superior camera and much better value, in my opinion). I use the Theta S on a drone to take aerial still 360 images and was hoping to do that with this camera, but that may not be possible. Surely that will be on the short list soon. I hope. Big miss, if not, IMO. 4. Someone on the development team needs to go through and audit the menus, warnings, etc. some don't make sense, many just make a statement and have a Yes/No button at the bottom, but aren't really asking you anything. For example, I just saw one while attempting a time lapse shoot that said, "Shooting may end before the timer expires if the battery does not have enough charge." The options in given are "Yes" or "No" - WTF? Also, I never saw an option for a timer. It seems like whoever designed this user-interface wasn't on the same team with the tech-people building it out. The right hand didn't seem to talk to the left when doing the design. 5. Turning the camera on REQUIRES that you start a video or a photo. Being able to just hit a shutter button from the off position is nice in an urgent "can't miss this shot" scenario, but since that doesn't happen very often (especially with a 360 camera), it just adds one extra shot every time I turn the camera on (which is often since it auto shuts off so frequently). 6. The camera settings are slim. Tried in the "remote photography" section of the "Camera" tab and the camera won't let you access that without connecting to the camera's wifi. Meaning if you just want to adjust settings (from timelpse to regular mode, for instance) even if you're not intending to remotely shoot/trigger the camera, you still have to go through the annoying steps of backing out of the app, connecting to wifi (after it brings you to the wrong settings screen), and going back in. Seems like settings could be adjusted over the already-connected Bluetooth connection. Ever heard of the K.I.S.S. principle? 7. The camera shuts off on its normal auto timeout/shutdown while downloading images/video to my iPhone. One would think it could be intelligent enough to know that it is sending photos to a device and not shut off mid-way through. Seriously, people, who designed this APP? It needs a MAJOR overhaul. 8. When downloading images, there is no detailed status as to how much time is left or even a progress bar, it just says (2/5 downloaded). And when selecting images to download, the button at the bottom that must be pressed to initiate the download could be a little more obvious that it's a "press-able" button. I think the camera looks cool. I think it's a great design. The app is AWFUL. I am still confused, however, that after having the camera out for a couple of months now and I have seen poor review after poor review after poor review, how has Nikon not updated the app yet? I have been a loyal Nikon customer for more than a decade and just want it to work well and easily like my other Nikon devices. It's like this thing is from another planet. Please, please, please update the software so this $500 paperweight can actually start being used to its full potential.

Zach

Originally posted at

2016-12-24T19:00:00

this is a big piece of shame for Nikon, the quality of pictures and video is far away of the price, I updated firmware to latest version, a little improvement but not enough; the app fos IOS is terrible, bad quality conection; you can not change anything on settings camera without the app , if you walk away 6 steps from camera the conection is lost my bigest regret had bought this camera

GCGMexico

Originally posted at

2016-12-20T19:00:00

I waited for along to have Nikonkeymissio 360. Its one if the best action camer with single click 360 videos and photographs. In beginning i had a problem witn ios after updating its awesome. I also upgrade firmware too

Syasir

Originally posted at

2016-12-11T19:00:00

Camera: 1. KeyMission 360 doesn't know which out of 2 cameras is the front. 2. KeyMission 360 doesn't know which is up. 3. Beeps when recording, doesn't beep when you turn it off. (no one should take off mask in a paintball game), Should have different beeps: on, off, not sync'd. 4. had it on airplane mode off, and i thought it was recording. it's hard to take off your helmet to see if the camera is on or off. Software (computer): 1. Not intuitive. 2. Does show which camera is front or back 3. No orientation setting 4. I don't think my vid is 4k, even though i recorded in 4K. 5. Need to tell us when is the the next rev of software. Software (android): 1. Don't work. 2. Bluetooth can see the tablet to camera, software can't link to the camera.

ActionCamSD

Originally posted at

2016-12-09T19:00:00

I would strongly suggest not purchasing this camera. The software is bad. The camera user interface is awful. I held out for this camera instead of getting the Samsung 360 and I realize that I have made a terrible mistake. The reason I held out for this camera is Nikons reputation and the fact that it can be used with a remote. Too bad it takes an hour to connect the remote and disconnects randomly. I can't even return it because Nikon does not accept returns...

Luke

Originally posted at

2016-12-04T19:00:00

underwater is a joke, it is either 360 and blurry with stock lens, or only part of the screen (no 360) with the water lenses which block the field of view the gyroscope and accelerometer are used for stabilization/correction which renders any video shot with massive acceleration/speed to be swervey and unwatchable, with no way to turn this off (in-car during cornering, motorcycle, surfing, etc)

SammyH

Originally posted at

2016-12-02T19:00:00

DO NOT BUY! THIS PRODUCT FEELS LIKE IT'S IN BETA MODE. This is not the quality that is expected from Nikon. It is shameful that a company as reputable as Nikon would release an unfinished product. If updates to both SnapBridge and the camera do not arrive very soon I'm going to return this product. For Shame!

Child

Originally posted at

2016-12-01T19:00:00

I am terribly disappointed after such a long wait for the 360 Keymission. Nikon rarely releases a bad product but this is terrible. This is my second 360 Keymission because the first one did not synch. The second replacement synchs but the software that is supposed to work with the iPhone is very poor. Who ever designed/tested the blue tooth and then connection to the wifi evidently did not think about jumping in and out of the application. Picture quality compared to my mini Gx Pxx minus the 360 ability is only on par. I have not tested it underwater because I am still trying to produce quality image. For the price a big fail. Sorry Nikon. Rating connectivity 2/10 Picture quality 4/10 Usability 3/10. If the wifi keeps dropping I will probably have to return for a third replacement. Disappointed expensive mistake!

RKCSNAPS

Originally posted at

2016-12-01T19:00:00

As a lifelong Nikon buyer, I was very disappointed by the video and still image quality of the KeyMission 360. It is hard to believe that Nikon would put this product on the market. - The image stitching is better on much less expensive products and the optical quality is not as good as it needs to be to be called a Nikon product. - The exposures between the two lenses can vary greatly so that there is a dramatic difference between the two half-scenes. Nikon has failed to compensate for this. - Even with Active D-Lighting enabled, the contrast in sunny scenes is so great that the light areas are completely blown out and lack detail. - As everyone else has already mentioned - the software. Not up to standard.

MaineMan

Originally posted at

2016-11-27T19:00:00

I'm experimenting with and learning about the Keymission 360 on a research trip in China. The camera is making me "see" the country differently. I had a little trouble with the first iteration of the iOS app, but the current version is much more robust and does what it's supposed to when it's supposed to. The results are excellent. It's the first time I've used a 360 camera and I'm figuring out where it best serves its purpose. I'm posting the images I like on my Facebook page and my friends are all enjoying them. Indoors with some exposure compensation the results are terrific for documenting spaces inside interesting buildings. My first successful image was of Ash Cave, Ohio and it did an amazing job capturing both the sounds and the spaciousness of the immense geological feature. In the wide open outdoors I'm finding it best to use on overcast days so the sun doesn't burn out part of the image although evening shots are quite acceptable. For capturing huge spaces like The Bund in Shanghai, or archaeological sites (I'm an archaeologist) the camera provides a perspective for my friends, colleagues and students that they otherwise would not have. The audio has been picking up bird calls in the background and I've been narrating some walk-about videos. My voice comes through clearly, at least out in the country. I still haven't tried out all the capabilities of the camera, but over the next few days I hope to do more. I wish I could prepare for a shot on the iPhone app with fewer steps but if I leave the app running and the camera on when I think I'm going to get a series of shots, it saves a lot of effort. So far the battery life has been good for a days worth of shooting. And speaking of being overseas, the size of the Keymission 360 has been a real plus. It doesn't take up any room at all. The camera does what I had hoped it would.

Archaeologist

Originally posted at

2016-11-24T19:00:00

Nikon has done a great job with the KeyMission 360. Not only is the hardware itself incredibly solid/rugged but the quality of the images and videos is right on part with what you would expect from Nikon. This is definitely the highest quality you are going in the consumer affordable price range today. Is it a perfect package? No, and early adopters should not expect that. The apps (both mobile and desktop) are very basic but I haven't experienced any bugs and they both do what they need to. I expect that Nikon will continue to update these. Keep it up Nikon!

AndyVR

Originally posted at

2016-11-23T19:00:00

Let me start off on a good note. I love Nikon cameras, my current ones, and past purchased. Except of course for the Keymission 360. A year ago I was getting into 360 still photography because of an app I love dearly, which has built in photostitching using the phones camera. I wanted to go to the next level and invest in a 360 camera that would allow me to take nicer photos more quickly. I almost bought a competitors 360 camera, until I found out my favorite camera company was getting in the 360 game. I was so stoked! It was going to have Bluetooth and wifi(which my favorite app can use the cameras wifi to upload the photos instantly). This was going to be amazing I thought. All the demo videos had me hooked. I kept my eye hooked on the Nikon site waiting for the USA release date. Finally the day arrived. I could finally pre-order the camera. I jumped the gun and did it. $500 dollar stayed in limbo for about a month in my account. Finally the deduction and email was sent to expect my new "awesome" camera in the mail with-in two weeks. Yes, bragging rights where mine to give. Finally all my waiting was over. I received my camera, happily opened it up, and started to read the manual. (Here is where is all goes down hill) Downloaded the snap-bridge app, and spent days trying to connect the camera. Gave up and started using the manual buttons. Camera will let you know its powering on with the usual Nikon startup sound, but will not let you know when it powers itself off(I guess sleep mode of some sort). I lost about a hour of hiking video, due to the camera turning itself off strapped to my back, with "NO" indication it was doing this. I uploaded my footage and stills, to find out my new "4k" camera took horrible video and stills(very grainy and blurry). I was mind blown at this point. My phone takes crisper photos then this. I was heartbroken at this point. On top of that the wifi will not work with my favorite app, due to snap-bridge having to be running to access the cameras built in wifi. More or less a lesson well learned. Do not buy anything until others go through the heartaches and write a true review. Do not buy this camera until it has been fixed.

tbrmarvin

Originally posted at

2016-11-21T08:15:55

I was super excited for this camera and have been waiting for months for it to come out. I pre-ordered it and it arrived about 2 weeks ago. While the idea is great (360, shockproof, waterproof, etc), the app for the phone is terrible! It loses connection to the camera after every picture and takes forever for the photos to download off the camera and to the phone. Additionally, it took me about 45 minutes and a lot of google searches to figure out how to connect the two together. I am returning this product today because connection issues aside, the battery only lasts about 10 minutes. I was at a party the other night using my new camera and literally within 10 minutes, i went from 100% battery to 10% and i only took about 3 pictures and 1, 30-60 second video. Again I am returning this product and I guess I'll wait until Nikon gets their act together before buying a 360 camera from them again. (side note -- every other camera I've ever owned has been a Nikon. This is the first time I've felt betrayed by the quality)

davalt10

2016-11-19T19:07:36

Video quality is so so. Nothing to write home about. Stitch lines could be blurry. App is confusing. Desktop is much better after an upgrade. Lacks 360 meta data

ERIC H.