Nokia's $60,000 virtual reality camera could revolutionize filmmaking — here's how it works

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

Making movies is expensive.

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Aside from the millions of dollars spent on marketing, the filmmaking process itself is quite costly, which can be daunting for aspiring or amateur filmmakers. For example, it can easily cost over $80,000 just to get a camera that offers true film-style quality.

And even then, those expensive cameras are large, heavy, and can only film in one direction.

But entertainment is changing, and so are movies. Right now, filmmakers are rushing to make content to work with virtual reality headsets, where there's a major opportunity to make an impact due to the overall lack of content.

With three major virtual reality headsets getting ready to go mainstream next year — Samsung’s Gear VR is already sold out among the major online retailers — Nokia aims to address the lack of virtual reality content out there with a new product aimed directly at filmmakers: the Ozo camera.

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Here's how it works:

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This isn’t your dad’s camcorder. This $60,000 VR camera is meant for amateur and professional filmmakers that are serious about making virtual reality content.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

The camera itself is sleek, and it only weighs 9.3 pounds.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
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Aside from filming, you can also continuously stream from the Ozo for live broadcasts in virtual reality.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

Audio plays a key role in making immersive VR experiences. Nokia's Ozo offers 3D audio support that perfectly syncs with the 360º video so the images and sound feel real.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
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All the video and audio data from the Ozo is stored in a single video file, with only one output cable.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

Thanks to a single cartridge for power and memory, the Ozo can film and stream wirelessly anywhere.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
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Typical virtual reality cameras film all the images separately and editing software digitally stitches everything together afterwards. In other words, filmmakers don’t know how the VR experience will look until they stop shooting.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

Nokia’s Ozo overcomes this filming issue with “dynamic rendering,” which lets filmmakers wear a VR headset and watch what the Ozo is capturing in real-time, with a full 360-degree field of view.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
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Nokia says it wants to make Ozo accessible to non-filmmakers as well. It’s considering the idea of letting people rent basic Ozo cameras for quick shoots.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia

Early next year, there will be a multitude of ways to enjoy VR content, thanks to solutions from Google, Samsung, Oculus, and Sony. But Nokia’s Ozo aims to partner with everyone and support every platform and device.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
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Nokia Ozo will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2016, just in time for the arrival of several major VR headsets.

Nokia Ozo virtual reality VR camera
Nokia
Virtual reality
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