OZO represents Nokia’s first steps into areas of technology it has never worked with before. After selling its smartphone business to Microsoft and consumer maps software to a group of German car manufacturers, Nokia is now beginning to reinvent itself with some innovative new products.
The company unveiled OZO back in July, claiming the camera is intended to “advance the next wave of innovation in VR by putting powerful tools in the hands of professionals.” OZO’s spherical body houses eight individual camera lenses and microphones, letting it record 360-degree stereoscopic 3D video and sound.
Virtual reality headsets such as the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus are beginning to take shape but so far have yet to really extend beyond gaming. Part of this is down to a lack of content: it’s relatively easy to code a 3D world but less so to capture real surroundings. This is where OZO steps in, opening the door to immersive TV and films in the future.
OZO’s cameras record at 30 frames-per-second and use 2Kx2K sensors. They are controlled wirelessly and store footage to a 500GB solid-state drive. The sphere-shaped innovator is designed to be compatible with traditional production processes and includes a standard tripod mount and conventional video output format.
Nokia is now calling OZO “the world’s first professional virtual reality camera” and has given it a price tag to match that accolade. Studios looking to test-drive VR content will need to find $60,000 and a $5,000 deposit to pay upfront. Accessory options include an extra storage cartridge, for an additional $5,000, and optional docking station for $1,500.
With every box ticked, the cost of getting started with OZO begins to head towards $70,000. With every box ticked, the cost of getting started with OZO begins to head towards $70,000. Pre-orders will begin shipping from the first quarter of 2016 once final testing is completed. The cameras are built in Finland, Nokia’s home country.
You’re unlikely to be watching VR movies for some time to come but technologies like OZO could be the beginning of a future revolution in how we consume media. Nokia sees it as a “completely new category” and one it wants to be a part of from day one. At OZO’s unveiling in June, the company said the camera is just one of a “planned portfolio” of digital media products.
