Camera Reviews / Nikon Cameras / Nikon KeyMission i Preview

30.00 Megapixels	Non-Zoom	1/2.3 inch size sensor

Nikon KeyMission 360 Review -- First Impressions

by Jeremy Gray
Preview posted: 09/19/2016

After having been announced – or more accurately teased given the lack of specific information – at CES this January, Nikon has finally taken the wraps off its KeyMission 360 action camera. Nikon has also announced two other KeyMission cameras, the KeyMission 170 and KeyMission 80, although the 360 is the only KeyMission camera that offers a full 360 degree field of view (hence the name).

Equipped with a pair of 8.2mm equivalent f/2.0 lenses and two 1/2.3-inch type 21-megapixel CMOS image sensors – one for each lens – the KeyMission 360 is Nikon's first foray into dual-lens action cameras. The Japanese company hopes that the KeyMission 360 will provide users with a distinctly immersive way to share their experiences with others.

Nikon 360 has as many lenses as it has buttons

Besides having two lenses, there is another aspect of the KeyMission 360 that is notably different from other cameras, the lack of a monitor on the body itself. If you're wondering how you are meant to view recorded content, access menus or change camera settings, Nikon has a solution but it requires you to have a compatible Android or iOS device (sorry Windows phone users, all eight of you). Once you've downloaded the Nikon SnapBridge KeyMission 360/170 app, you'll be able to have a live view of the frame, access and change camera settings and even perform simple editing and sharing of your files. One note about the live view in the app, however, is that it can only be used to view the scene before recording footage. Once the recording starts, the live view screen goes blank because the camera cannot record and display all of the data being produced by the two sensors.

On the top of the camera is a large rectangular record button which has a gripped finish and a battery level indicator. The left side of the camera has the card and battery slots and that is about all you'll find on the camera body. Excluding projections, the KeyMission 360's dimensions are approximately 2.6 x 2.5 x 2.4 inches and it weighs around seven ounces (198 grams) including the battery and microSD memory card.

Nikon aiming for ruggedness, durability with KeyMission 360

The Nikon 360 is designed to be both rugged and durable. The camera is waterproof-rated to IPX8 and can be submersed up to nearly 100 feet (30 meters). It is dust-proof as well, including an IPX6 rating for dust. While not advisable, you can also drop your KeyMission 360 and not have to worry about it breaking. At least if you drop it from 6 feet, 6 inches or less on plywood, that is. You can also safely use the KeyMission 360 in below-freezing temperatures as the camera is rated to be safely operated in temps as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit.

A pair of 21-megapixel sensors and two lenses provide 360-degree coverage

As I mentioned above, the Nikon KeyMission 360 has two 21-megapixel CMOS image sensors that are 1/2.3-inch in size. The image sensors have a native ISO range of 100-1600 and no expanded ISO settings. The two sensors combine to create 30-megapixel still images.

On the optical side of things, the built-in lenses are 1.6mm in actual focal length and due to the sensor size, the lenses have a 35mm equivalent focal length of 8.2mm. This leads to the lenses each covering 194 degrees of field of view, meaning that there is plenty of overlap with the two optics, making stitching more reliable. The lenses have a fixed aperture of f/2.0 and are fixed focus with an in-focus range of about one foot to infinity.

We will be curious to see how this camera performs, but the imaging and optical specs do look promising. As a quick note, the KeyMission 360 is only capable of recording JPEG still images as it doesn't include any RAW support.

KeyMission 360 shooting specs

The electronic shutter allows the KeyMission 360 to capture images with exposures ranging from 1 second to 1/8,000 of a second. You can utilize exposure compensation up to +/-2 EVs. Metering modes include both matrix and center-weighted. As mentioned above, changing settings such as exposure, ISO, white balance, metering mode, etc., is performed through the accompanying Nikon SnapBridge KeyMission 360/170 app rather than on the camera itself. Distinct shooting modes include superlapse, time-lapse and loop movies.

4K UHD video at 24 frames per second

4K UHD video is a big emphasis with the KeyMission 360. You can record 3840 x 2160 video at 24 frames per second. When recording 4K UHD video, the camera doesn’t utilize the Nikon 360'’s electronic vibration reduction. Electronic VR is reserved for the camera’s Full HD video recording. 1920 x 1080 video is also recorded at 24 fps as well, but you can record 1440 x 960 video at 30fps, 480 x 640 video at up to 120fps and 240 x 320 video at up to 240fps. Video files are recorded in the MOV file format with H.264 codec compression and AAC stereo via the camera’s built-in stereo mic.

Sharing and editing your KeyMission 360 footage

With built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, you can share and edit your footage right inside the connected KeyMission SnapBridge app, including uploading video content to YouTube with a single button tap, but for more serious editing and adjustments, you will need to use the new Nikon KeyMission 360/170 utility program on your Mac or PC.

Accessories aplenty from Nikon

You can deck out your KeyMission 360 camera with a wide variety of accessories directly from Nikon including a KeyMission tripod, extension arm, soft case, hard case, remote control, helmet strap, wrist mount, handlebar mount, chest mount, surfboard mount, backpack mount, suction cup mount and handy grip.

The camera itself comes with quite a bit though, so you might not find yourself wanting for any of the optional accessories. In the box with the Nikon KeyMission 360 is a base mount adapter, base mounts, silicone jacket, two lens protectors and a cardboard-style head-mounted display that can work with a compatible smartphone to provide an immersive viewing experience. The 360 includes a standard 1/4-20 tripod mount as well, allowing the camera to be used with a wide variety of other gear and accessories.

Battery life and ports

The camera records its JPEG images and MOV video files to a MicroSD/SDHC/SDXC memory card. The KeyMission 360 uses a Micro USB 2.0 interface and has a Micro HDMI (Type D) connector. Using the removable EN-EL12 lithium-ion battery pack, the KeyMission is rated for approximately 230 still shots or around 70 minutes of video recording.

Concluding thoughts on the Nikon KeyMission 360

Nikon is clearly very serious about the action camera market, releasing three new KeyMission products. The KeyMission 360 is their most premium option and the only one that offers a full 360-degree field of view. With its 4K UHD video recording capabilities and 30-megapixel still image capture, Nikon hopes to provide users with a high-quality, immersive way to share their experiences.

Pricing and availability: 360 degrees of immersion coming soon

The Nikon KeyMission 360 will be available in October 2016 for a suggested retail price around US$500.