Action cameras are a great option for capturing sport, travel and a whole host of subjects; they're small, lightweight, and in most cases designed to withstand the rough and tumble these cameras typically endure. The Kandao QooCam 3 is a 360-degree action camera that provides an alternative to the likes of Insta360 One R and X3, as well as the GoPro Max, which are all among the best 360 degree cameras currently available.

360-degree cameras are becoming increasingly common, providing users with the ability to capture 360-degree photos and videos that can be scrolled around, as well as to reframe 360-degree video into a traditional 2D perspective where you can pan, zoom and change camera direction to create the illusion of being filmed by someone else. 360-degree camera manufacturers often describe this as like having a personal camera person filming you, and in many ways it is.

The QooCam 3 fits this profile well, and while it’s not the kind of action camera you’d want to drop due to the two fisheye lenses, one on each side, it is dust and waterproof to IP68. This opens up more possibilities for a camera that can capture 360-degree photos at 62MP in JPEG and DNG formats, alongside the ability to capture up to 5.7K 30 fps 360-degree video. Low-light performance is also a key feature thanks to the 1/1.55-inch sensors and large f/1.6 apertures for each of the two fisheye lenses.

QooCam 3: Release date and price

• Launched in September 2023
• Several kit options
• Additional accessories available

The QooCam 3 was launched in September 2023, and is the second consumer 360-degree camera produced by Kandao. The QooCam 3 standalone kit includes the camera, a battery, a USB-C cable, and a soft case, and costs $349 / £278 / AU$531. The Travel Kit is the best option for most people – this includes all of the above plus an additional battery, a 64GB microSD card and a 120cm invisible selfie stick for just a bit more at $370 / £295 / AU$563. The Motorcycle Kit includes all of the above, plus a plethora of mounting accessories for $400 / £319 / AU$609.

Alongside the kits, you can also purchase additional batteries, the invisible 120cm selfie stick, and a Marsace x Kandao co-branded mini tripod. When the camera was sent to me for review it arrived with a car suction mount, which is a great accessory that works exceptionally well, but which unfortunately is not available on the Kandao website at the time of writing – hopefully it will be soon.

• Price score: 4/5

QooCam 3: Design

• Near square design
• 1.9-inch LCD screen
• Weighty at 7.76oz / 220g

The QooCam 3 is almost square at 2.8 x 3.3 x 1.0 inches / 71.5 x 82.7 x 26.6mm and weighs 7.76oz / 220g including a battery and microSD card. To say it looks familiar to the GoPro Max is an understatement, although the QooCam 3 is slightly larger and heavier. Controls are minimal, with just a power and record button on the top and a 1.9-inch rectangular touchscreen on which settings can be accessed easily by swiping from the sides and using the customizable Q menu.

The LCD screen isn’t the highest-resolution when compared to other action cameras, but it’s clear and bright enough, and provides a single camera view, which can be switched from front to back when capturing photos and videos. This is better than the phone app view, which shows a stretched-out 360-degree view and feels strange to use for composing, but the app does provide wireless control of the camera, which is useful.

Build quality is impressive, especially considering this is one of the less expensive 360-degree cameras available, and the dark grey and black body has an undoubtedly high-quality look. The two fisheye lenses are positioned on opposite sides of the camera, and as on any camera of this type feel vulnerable, but they're protected when not in use by a soft case, which can be attached to the camera even when the selfie stick is inserted into the tripod mount on the bottom of the camera. There are four microphones, one on each side of the camera, that work well to record 360-degree sound in videos.

• Design score: 4/5

QooCam 3: Features and performance

• 1/1.55 in sensors and f/1.6 apertures
• 6-axis gyro for image stabilization
• 360-degree ambisonic audio

With the ability to shoot photos and videos in several capture modes, the QooCam 3 follows a fairly standard approach to 360-degree cameras and what they’re capable of. Operation of the camera using the camera itself and the touchscreen, where you swipe from the sides of the screen to access various settings and features, is incredibly easy and intuitive, as on most modern action cameras. The phone app is just as simple and intuitive in this regard, while also providing wireless control and Live View.

The headline features of the QooCam 3 have to be the 1/1.55-inch sensors with a 2μm pixel size and 4-in-1 pixel merging, alongside the fast f/1.6 apertures. These make the camera a solid performer in low-light conditions, although with such fast apertures, shutter speeds need to be fast in brighter light, so it’s impossible to use the correct shutter speed for capturing more cinematic motion in videos. That said, even if the aperture was f/2.8 you would still have this problem, so the low-light performance is a huge bonus.

The camera uses a 6-axis gyro, which works well overall, and when I tested this while running the bobbing of the camera was minimized, although not completely eliminated. The same goes for walking, although with most action cameras you do have to walk with slightly bent knees while keeping the camera steady for the smoothest results. This is easiest when using the invisible selfie stick, which also allows you to maneuver the camera into interesting positions and apply sweeping movements for more dynamic videos.

One point to note is that image stabilization isn’t applied to the image viewed on the camera screen or in the app when connected, so this will appear unsteady during filming. Stabilization is applied during editing using the gyro data, where you can use Horizon Steady to lock the camera angle while maintaining the ability to add keyframes, or View Lock Steady to simply apply stabilization.

Sound can often be a secondary consideration for action cameras, but the QooCam 3’s four microphones capture 360-degree ambisonic audio (full-sphere surround sound) and do a reasonable job of recording sound. However, wind noise can be an issue when it’s windy or if the QooCam 3 is attached to a car using a suction mount – it has to be said that attaching the camera to a car to create faster and more dynamic timelapse videos, 360-degree videos, and reframed videos is a lot of fun.

The smartphone app and desktop app are both reasonably easy to use, but both lack the range of features and finesse of Insta360’s comparable apps for Insta360 cameras. The QooCam 3 phone app offers more functionality than the desktop version, including the ability to use templates to make faster edits, add one of five music tracks, and remove the original sound, although these options take some getting used to before you can confidently create the video effects you’re aiming for. It’s not rocket science by any means, but expect a small learning curve here – and the functionality is limited to just about what you need, rather than something slightly more impressive.

• Features and performance score: 3/5

QooCam 3: Image and video quality

• Up to 5.7K 30fps video
• 62MP 360-degree photos
• Decent low-light performance

The image quality produced by 360-degree cameras is never as good as that from standard action cameras, and the QooCam 3 is no exception here in general. It does, however, perform well in low-light conditions such as night scenes, thanks to the fast aperture. For example, when walking through Chinatown in London at night I only needed to increase the ISO to 640 while maintaining the correct 1/60 sec shutter speed for 5.7K 30fps video, and image quality was impressive.

The dual cameras on the QooCam 3 use fisheye lenses that provide a full-frame equivalent focal length of 9.36mm, with the images combined to create panoramic and 360-degree photos and videos. Camera control can be set to Auto, with control over exposure compensation and the ability to manually adjust exposure compensation and white balance, or Manual, which gives you full control over all settings except for aperture, which is fixed. Auto is best for situations where you’re moving from light to dark areas and vice versa, while Manual is generally best for everything else.

Photo modes include Standard panoramic photo (360-degree), Interval Photo, DNG8 and AEB. DNG8 is where eight DNG files are captured and merged in the RawPlus software for increased detail and lower noise with HDR results. However, when editing photos in QooCamStudio (desktop) and with the RawPlus desktop app, I didn't always feel that I knew exactly what I was doing.

For this to work, you have to merge the eight DNGs with RawPlus and export a single DNG. This can then be processed in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw, with no cropping, exported as a JPEG, and then further adjusted in terms of viewpoint in QooCamStudio, before a new JPEG can be exported at up to 4K dimensions. It’s a convoluted process, and I found a tutorial by a third party covering this after I was unable to find a guide on the Kandao website. This is a process that needs to be simplified.

QooCam 3 video

Photo editing is much easier with the QooCam 3 smartphone app, but often still leaves you wondering. That said, the 360-degree photos can be captured up to 62MP, but you have to attach the camera to the selfie stick on a mini tripod and be out of shot to avoid being photographed, or you can reframe photos into a 4K 2D photo. Video can be captured in Standard panoramic video (360-degree) and timelapse, with interval and resolution options for the latter. For video, you can capture 5.7K 30fps, 4K 60fps and 4K 30fps.

Image quality overall is good, and sits within the norm for this type of camera, but photos and videos have an over-sharpened appearance, and there’s no control over the sharpening level in the camera settings; this would be a useful addition via a firmware update. Over three weeks of using and testing the camera, three firmware updates were delivered, so Kandao is working hard to improve what is already a solid yet imperfect 360-degree camera. With a handful of upgrades in terms of the apps and the camera firmware, the QooCam 3 could be greatly improved to make it a highly competitive option, because the hardware is solid.

QooCam 3 360-degree video

• Image and video quality: 3.5/5

QooCam 3: Test scorecard

Should I buy the QooCam 3?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

QooCam 3: Also consider

If our QooCam 3 review has inspired you to think about other options, here are two more 360-degree cameras to consider…

How I tested the Kandao QooCam 3

The QooCam 3 was tested over several weeks in a variety of environments and light conditions, including being attached to a car. This provided enough time to fully explore what the camera is capable of in terms of capture options, editing options, output quality using both the smartphone and desktop apps, and, importantly, overall ease of use while considering the learning curve of the apps.

With nearly 30 years of photographic experience and 15 years working as a photography journalist, I’ve covered almost every conceivable subject and used many of the cameras and lenses that have been released in that time. As a working photographer, I’m also aware of the factors that are most important to photographers, and aim to test cameras and lenses in a way that reflects this.

• Shoot great 360-degree video
• The best action cameras of 2023

First tested November 2023.

Two-minute review

The Insta360 Ace Pro is Insta360’s first out and out wide-angle action camera – and the brand has absolutely nailed it, creating one of the best action cameras to market. Insta360 isn't new to this field though, with a range of 360-degree cameras that includes the low-light champion the Insta360 One R 1-inch, plus mobile gimbals.

The Ace Pro rivals the likes of the GoPro Hero 12 Black and the DJI Action 4, but it is the first of its kind to offer 8K video. Take that, GoPro and DJI. You also get 48MP stills – both of which are probably larger than most people will need. However, the quality of the output is generally great, with the HDR Photo mode particularly good at capturing detail in highlights. 

The highest resolution 8K video is available at 24fps only, so there's definitely room for higher frame rates to be added in future versions of this camera. However, slow motion 4K video is possible up to 120fps.

Insta360 is a long-time partner of Leica, which has engineered the Ace Pro's 1/1.3-inch sensor, and this partnership seems to be paying off. The sensor, backed by the camera's AI-boosted chip, does a great job of capturing excellent video and photo quality, even under more demanding lighting scenarios such as low light and highlights. 

The magnetic mounting system and wide range of mounts makes this camera a highly versatile option for all types of creatives. The multi mount is particularly useful, enabling the camera to be mounted on a tripod or carried around on a selfie-stick, and Insta360 provides mounts that would work with all types of action sports, including cycling, diving, and surfing. 

I really enjoyed the camera, from the excellent build quality to the impressive output of the video and photo. Insta360 has made a great camera, and it’s hard to see what it can improve on in future releases – perhaps slow motion 8K recording? 

It's a pricier alternative to the Hero 12 Black and the Action 4, but there are a number of specs that make the Ace Pro stand out and justify the higher price. The first is the 8K recording functionality. To achieve this inside such a small camera body is to push the boundaries of what was previously possible.

The 1/1.3-inch sensor is another spec that's worth noting. This is bigger than the Hero 12 Black's sensor and the same size as the Action 4's, although not as big as the Osmo Pocket 3. 

There's also a 2.4-inch flip screen that is the largest available on the market, compared to 2.25-inch for the Action 4 and 2.27-inch for the Hero 12 Black. The screens of those cameras are fixed, too, while the Ace Pro's can flip up for selfies.

Overall, Insta360 has done a breathtaking job of pushing the boundaries of what it's possible to pack into a small-form action camera.

Insta360 Ace Pro: release date and price

• Available to buy now for $449.99 / £429 / AU$729
• Mounts available from $14.99 / £15.99 / AU$29
• Cheaper 'Ace' version of the camera costs $379 / £359.99 / $AU609

The Insta360 Ace Pro is available now, with the lowest-priced Standard Combo package costing $449.99 / £429 / AU$729, which is a little pricier than the GoPro Hero 12 Black, which retails at $400 / £400 / AU$650, or the Hero 11 Black at $350 / £350 / AU$579.

To extend your mounting options you can get the Standard Mount for $14.99 / £15.99 / AU$29, and the Vertical-Horizontal Mount for $19.99 / £19.99 / AU$39.

To get waterproofing down to 16m rather than the standard 10m you can buy the Dive Case for $59.99 / £59.99 / AU$109.

An extra battery to extend shooting times costs $34.99 / £35.99 / AU$65, and if you're needing to charge your batteries quickly then the Fast Charge Hub is a great option, and costs $49.99 / £51.99 / AU$89.

The Insta360 Ace Pro doesn't come with GPS as standard, but if you pair it with the GPS Preview Remote you can track your location. The remote can be worn on your wrist or mounted on your bike, for example. It costs $149.99 / £149.99 / AU$269.

If you want a cheaper alternative to the Pro version there's an Insta360 Ace which retails at $379 / £359.99 / $AU609.

• Price score: 4/5

Insta360 Ace Pro: design

• Easy magnetic mount
• Versatile multi mount
• 2.4-inch flip screen for selfies

The Ace Pro is really nicely engineered, from quality materials. As soon as you take it out the box you can tell that it's both heavier and bigger than other cameras on the market, such as the Hero 12 Black. It weighs in at 179.8g, compared to 154g for the Hero 12 Black and 145g for the Action 4.

The benefit of this is that it feels more substantial in the hand, while still feeling very much like an action camera. It also allows for much better heat dissipation, something that is the single biggest problem facing action camera designers. If you want a smaller Insta360 camera the brand does offer smaller consumer alternatives. 

One area where the Ace Pro diverges from other action cameras, in a good way, is in the implementation of its screens. I find DJI and GoPro screens often a little unresponsive, and their front screens never seem to deliver what's required when shooting in selfie-mode. The Ace Pro, on the other hand, includes a fantastic 2.4-inch rear flip screen that hinges from the top. The screen is big and responsive, and the hinge is perfectly engineered, enabling the screen to perch securely at any angle. I love it.

In terms of mounting, you have a plethora of options available to you. The camera itself has a magnetic plate at the base to allow for a super-quick snapping of the camera onto different mounts. It follows the Action 4 in this regard, and has left behind the Hero 12 Black, which will hopefully introduce this functionality next time round. Action cameras have to be versatile, and quick to get up and running, and the magnetic mount on the Insta360 Ace Pro enables exactly that.

The standard mount is ideal for cycling, for either mounting the camera onto a helmet or handlebars. It’s lightweight, and includes a quarter-inch screw hole. There's also a quick-release mount, which hooks into the camera and is removable using the quick-release buttons. Unfortunately, I found that the camera didn’t hook into the prongs first time every time, and at times it took a little fiddling to ensure that both prongs were clicked in, which isn't ideal.

The multi mount is a stroke of genius though, serving a whole host of different shooting scenarios. It can serve as a standard tripod, as a selfie-stick of sorts, or just as something to carry the camera around with when you're shooting on the go.

Insta360 has also included a really nice front display, which isn't a touchscreen but updates you on some of the key settings. It’s a nice feature, but I couldn’t really find a use case for it; if I was shooting in selfie mode then I had the settings displayed on the flipped screen anyway.

I personally found the record button too hard to press, which made it difficult to begin recording or take a photo without dislodging the location of the camera in my hand and introducing a wobble into the start of the video. A more responsive button would easily overcome this. 

The camera contains all the ports you would expect, including a USB-C port, microSD slot, and a battery cavity. These are all behind flaps which I found a little fiddly to open and close. The flap to the power port/microSD port also only just opens wide enough to allow the power cable in, while the microSD port is also right next to the power cable, which makes it tricky to remove or insert the SD card while charging.

• Design score: 4.5/5

Insta360 Ace Pro: features and performance

• Excellent FlowState stabilization and Horizon Lock
• Decent waterproofing up to 33ft / 10m
• Handy voice and gesture controls

The Insta360 Ace Pro has been co-engineered with Leica, which means it has a great sensor – it's actually the same size sensor as in the Osmo Action 4 at 1/1.3-inches, and is bigger than the Hero 12 Black's. It does, however, fall short of the new 1-inch sensor in the DJI Osmo Pocket 3; given this camera's larger camera body, I wonder if this bigger sensor will be introduced in a future Ace Pro camera.

The 1/1.3-inch sensor alongside the f/2.6 aperture facilitates impressive low-light performance – more about that later. The 5nm AI chip enables a strong level of noise reduction, which is perfect in those night-time scenes where you can’t get rid of all the noise in-camera. The AI on the chip also means it better handles the opposite extreme, where there are bright light sources in the shot, something that's difficult for any camera to handle, let alone a small action camera. 

The stabilization in the camera centers around FlowState and Horizon Lock, features that are well implemented in pretty much all other action cameras. FlowState, Insta360’s proprietary algorithm, is tried and tested on its other cameras and works well. Horizon Lock does exactly that, and is ideally suited to when the camera is rotated a lot through the shot. 

The video resolution allows for up to 8K at 24 frames per second. This is an industry-leading resolution, with the Hero 12 Black topping out at 5.3K and the Action 4 at 4K. Not many users will need 8K in this type of camera, or have the display to watch it on, but if it's something that's important to your workflow then the Insta360 Ace Pro delivers. 

The camera contains a neat little feature, although not unique, called ‘Photo Grab’, which enables the capturing of 12MP photos mid-video. We’ll look at the quality of the video and photo from this camera later.

The camera is waterproof down to 10m, which will be sufficient for most cases, but if you find yourself shooting at a greater depth the dive case that's available separately allows you to use the camera to depths of to 16m. 

One feature I particularly love is the gesture control. With a simple raising of the palm the camera will start recording video, after a three-second countdown so you can get set up. And if you show the 'peace' sign a photo will be taken after three seconds. I like these types of features, as they minimize the interaction required with the actual camera. 

• Performance score: 4.5/5

Insta360 Ace Pro: image and video quality

• Max photo resolution: 48MP (8064 x 6048)
• Video: 8K 24fps / 4K 120fps / 1080 240fps
• Active HDR

The results produced by the Insta360 Ace Pro are noticeably impressive. Where do we start? How about low-light performance? This is where so many action cameras, over the years, have tripped up. If the lighting conditions are ideal then it's no problem, but creators don’t want to be limited by their tech. 

The image quality across all resolutions is really nice including the 8K option. Colors are represented with clarity and vibrancy giving a punchy image that pops off the screen. Low-lighting conditions are also handled well, with only a small amount of noise noticeable during testing. The AI-boosted chip helps to clear away more of the noise that can’t be removed by the 1/1.3-inch sensor, and this low-light performance is replicated across video and photo. 

The other scenarios these types of cameras often struggle with is highlights. The Ace Pro contains HDR technology when shooting video, and also includes a separate HDR photo mode. The Active HDR in video mode delivers fairly good results, although there is still some detail lost, especially in the highlights. 

The HDR photo mode on the other hand does a much better job of capturing those details. When taking a photo of an overcast sky, for example, the image had definition in the clouds, where the video captured turned the sky completely white. 

Color replication across all modes is excellent, with little to no correction required to replicate real-life colors. GoPro and DJI cameras often struggle with this, so I was pleased to see the Insta360 Ace Pro doing such a good job. This color replication is also noticeable with faces and skin tones which, again, are captured accurately. 

Unfortunately, there isn’t log capture functionality like the GP-Log in the GoPro Hero 12 Black. This limits your color-editing options in post, and it would be a fantastic additional feature to really take this camera to the next level. 

• Image and video quality score: 4.5/5

Should I buy the Insta360 Ace Pro?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Insta360 Ace Pro: Also consider

Testing scorecard

How I tested the Insta360 Ace Pro

I used the Insta360 Ace Pro as both an action camera and a vlogging camera. Taking it out and about enabled me to properly test all of its features, including its video and photo quality as well as its stabilization. 

Taking the Ace Pro out on my bike provided a great opportunity to see how the camera would cope working at speed and under changing lighting conditions.

Having tested other action cameras I was able to make informed comparisons between the Ace Pro and other popular models.

First reviewed November 2023