360-Degree Cameras Are Transforming Our View Of The World
The Faroe Islands, that remote corner of Denmark parked out in Icelandic waters, with a population much the same as Leamington Spa, has not been mapped by Google Street View yet.
The islanders are feeling left out.
In fact, they are so miffed they have started to create their own version, called Sheep View, by strapping a 360 degree camera to the back of a sheep and having it film as it wanders the island’s remote byways.
The result is a splendid, tongue-in-cheek website that promotes the islands and gives Google an elbow in the ribs.
Take a look at www.visitfaroeislands.com/sheepview360/.
They probably got the idea from another un-ewe-usual lamb-poon-ing site www.googlesheepview.com Here, a pair of Dutchmen, Ding Ren and Mike Karabinos, run an archive of screen captures of the sheep accidentally caught by Google Street View’s 360 degree cameras on their travels around the world.
It was Google Street View that showed what the 360 degree camera can do.
Now they are affordable, their use is exploding.
From the entry level, cheap and cheerful China Cube 360 is available at just £50.
More serious models, such as the Samsung Gear 360, Ricoh Theta S and LG Cam 360, are typically available at between £200 and £300.
However, before you get inspired by the Faroes and say to yourself, “I know, I can create something different using a 360 camera on the cat,” check out https://goo.gl/ooeUgt for a feline eye view of a Japanese shopping centre.
Pack one in your camera bag for your summer travels, though, and you should not look sheepish when it comes to sharing the panoramic holiday snaps.
