There's certainly a limited market for the Go360 – it's more or less a single purpose device. But what it delivers is unique enough to make it a great idea.
Effectively, it lets you stick two GoPro cameras on your helmet, which are trained firmly on you at all times but free to rotate around you. You can lock the rotation with a simple knob, or let the device spin.
The footage … well, see for yourself!
In practical terms, the audio from both cameras is more or less useless – the Go360 groans and squeaks as it turns, and those sounds are transmitted up the poles to the GoPro microphones.
It's also, as you can see, quite a cumbersome rig. You need to be sure you've got headspace wherever you use it – so it's a line/ball call whether you'd take it out on a busy road.
Having personally smashed some three GoPro cameras in my video making days, I'd also be a bit wary about using it for anything too strenuous – it takes ripping motorcycle footage, for example, but one heavy dirt bike jump landing and you'd have to ask how long the mount will last. That's not to say the Go360 looks or feels poorly built – but you can really feel the weight of those GoPros on either side of your head, and you're acutely aware that if anything snaps, each of those cameras is worth upwards of 300 bucks.
You've also got to experiment a bit with exactly how quick you spin the thing around … getting a nice smooth rotation can take some pretty delicate touch from your talent.
If the standard 50 cm each side doesn't suit your creative goals, you can add extra 50 cm segments or cut the tube down to a size you're more comfortable with. All our footage was shot with a standard 50cm per side length.
At AU$299.00 from Go360's Australian website, this jigger has been fun to use, it's delivered unique footage we'd have been unable to get any other way, and it's been reliable so far, wet or dry.
But as I, our esteemed editor Noel and the rest of the goons who appeared in the video above can attest, you do have to be prepared to look like a tool while you're filming. Luckily that's not a problem for this lot.
Here's a slightly more serious video shot by the Go360 guys.
