Vecnos launches ultra-slim 360-degree camera IQUI designed for easy shooting and sharing

Elegant, pen-sized camera from team that created first consumer 360-degree camera

Vecnos Inc., the visual revolution company spun out of Ricoh Company, Ltd., today announced the availability and specifications of its ultra-slim, 360-degree IQUI (pronounced ee:kwee) camera. Designed for use with the previously launched IQUISPIN app, IQUI makes shooting and sharing 360-degree content fun and easy.

The new IQUI camera and IQUISPIN app provide a completely new experience for consumers, making creation of and sharing one-of-a-kind 360 images a snap. The camera-app duo overcome the significant limitations associated with sharing 360-degree photos over social media, as most social platforms lack support for the 360-degree file format. In addition to controlling the IQUI camera, the IQUISPIN app—available for iOS and Android devices—cleverly converts 360-degree still pictures shot with the camera into a several-second MP4 video clip with a small file size that can be easily shared on any social media platform, as well as email and text.

Elegantly Designed, Simple to Use

The IQUI camera’s elegant design enables convenient, everyday shooting of 360-degree photos and short videos of up to 30 seconds, which capture the entire scene around a photographer—up, down and all around. Its slim, pen-shaped body is highly portable, fitting easily in a pocket or purse and then quickly retrievable for taking shots whenever inspiration strikes. Camera operation couldn’t be simpler – IQUI has just three buttons: power, shutter and a mode button to switch photo or video. One press of the power button turns the camera on rapidly, ready to shoot in full auto mode.

A proprietary quad-lens optical system, with three side lenses and one top lens, delivers high-quality image capture and makes it possible for IQUI to be significantly smaller than any other 360-degree camera on the market.

Vecnos CEO Shu Ubukata, who led the team that developed the world’s first consumer 360-degree camera at Ricoh, designed the IQUI camera to be a new kind of imaging device for a new generation of visual creators. He said: “IQUI is the first 360-degree camera to achieve this level of compactness, while maintaining a high standard of visual quality and excellent usability. Our goal is for this revolutionary product to bring the fun and inspiration of 360-degree photography to a wider range of consumers.”

Easy & fun results with the IQUISPIN App – IQUI exclusive effects and filters

IQUISPIN also makes it easier to share 360-degree photos^*1 by transforming them into an MP4 mini video that are easy to share via social media platforms, email and text. These mini videos can be customised with a wide range of fun and engaging motions and effects that enable creators to express even more creativity in their 360-degree content. Viewers feel as if they are moving through the image thanks to a wide range of dynamic motions that pan the point of view around the entire photo, spinning it at speed, shifting from a close-up on a friend then zooming out to a tiny planet, etc. Effects are applied on top of the moving photo, creating an appearance of space filled by 3D items such as exploding fireworks and fluttering cherry blossoms.

Starting October 1^st 2020, the IQUISPIN app provides exclusive functions only to IQUI camera owners: special effects, filters, and the ability to remove the IQUISPIN watermark. In addition, the new filter function will be available to all IQUISPIN users, allowing them to customise the colour palette, brightness, contrast, etc. of their photos.

With IQUISPIN, users can easily connect an IQUI camera to a smartphone to operate IQUI remotely and sync data. IQUISPIN’s automatic image syncing enables a seamless workflow for viewing and editing photos on smartphones by automatically forwarding photos and videos from the IQUI camera to the user’s smartphone when connected to IQUI’s Wi-Fi.

he IQUI camera’s simple operation combined with the IQUISPIN app’s unique enhancement capabilities will add a new dimension to how memories are captured and shared,” commented Ed Lee, founder and principal analyst at Rise Above Research. “The ability to readily share the IQUISPIN images over any social media network is especially important for gaining widespread adoption,” he added.

Availability

Starting October 15th, in the UK, IQUI will be available online at amazon.co.uk, at £299. Simultaneously, IQUI will be made available in the US, Germany, France, and Japan on amazon.com in addition to e-commerce sales in China. The champagne-gold camera comes with a USB connector, stand, USB-C cable, and soft case. A protective battery charger case (BCC-1) providing over two full back-up charges with convenient pop-out design will be available in November at £89.