GoPro[1] has long been a dominant player in the action camera space, but of late, the company has been struggling[2] with poor sales and has also dropped out of the drone market[3]. VR is a new vertical for GoPro, and it’s betting big[4] on the Fusion, its new 360-degree camera. The Fusion went on sale internationally late last year, and although GoPro is yet to make it available via retail channels in India like its other cameras, you can get a unit shipped here. Priced at $700 (roughly Rs. 44,600), which doesn’t include the cost of shipping, is the Go Pro Fusion worth the steep price? Find out in our review.
GoPro Fusion design and build quality
The design of the Fusion is quite different from what we're using to seeing with the company’s Hero line of cameras. For starters, it’s a bigger than the typical rectangular GoPro Hero models, and is heavier. The entire body has a rubberised finish so it should be able to handle minor falls. It's also waterproof up to 4.88m (16 feet). There is an 18-megapixel sensor with a fish-eye lens on both the front and the back of the Fusion for capturing 360-degree footage. These lenses bulge outwards and don’t have any scratch protection so you’ll need to be very careful while handling the camera. GoPro ships a carry case with the Fusion for this very reason.
There’s a small backlit display on the front which shows you the current shooting mode, battery level, number of remaining shots, and other details. It isn't a touchscreen, which is a bit of a step back from the Hero6[5]. This means you’ll have to navigate the menus with the Mode and Shutter buttons on...