Guess who has jumped on the virtual reality bandwagon? Microsoft acquired Nokia's mobile division in 2013 only to write it off as a loss two years later, but that didn't make Nokia disappear. The Finnish company works on maps, networks, and projects further from its traditional line, such as OZO. It's a camera designed for filming content for virtual reality environments, and it's aimed directly at professional use.
We've said it over and over, but we won't get bored: Virtual reality needs content. There are plenty of ideas, but creating material compatible with the most popular VR headsets requires new technological tools. High-profile companies like Samsung and Google have responded to this challenge, and in recent months we've come across two very advanced camera models that combine multiple lenses to shoot in 360 degrees. Needless to say, audio is as important as video. Investing resources in three-dimensional short films is useless when stereo sound can break the whole experience on its own. Both Project Beyond and Jump suffer from audio limitations, but there's a new camera in the neighborhood, and it comes from Nokia
Right, Nokia. Its relationship with Microsoft ended in a real disaster, and it will have to wait until 2016 to sell phones under its brand again, but Nokia has decided to take a big step toward virtual reality with its brand new OZO camera. Its design reminds me partly of the Discovery One from 2001, though at a glance we can detect eight sensors accompanied by the same number of microphones. The rest of the details about OZO remain off the radar, and the next wave of information is expected on August 4. The demos seen so far were played on headsets like the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. The real-time image quality has some negative details, but Nokia has said they can be eliminated with post-processing without issue.
Who can buy this camera? Let's say the average consumer is not in Nokia's plans. If we believe the rumors, the price of the OZO will be close to $50,000. Such a number drastically limits the camera's market, but if Nokia decided to present it anyway, it must have several interested clients. Its official debut will be before the end of the year.
