Vecnos Iqui camera review

Our Verdict

The Vecnos Iqui makes taking 360 photos easy, but its app needs some more features.

For

Sleek design
Easy to apply
Takes good photos for the toll

Against

App needs more features

Tom's Guide Verdict

The Vecnos Iqui makes taking 360 photos easy, simply its app needs some more features.

Pros

+
Sleek design
+
Piece of cake to use
+
Takes adept photos for the cost

Cons

-
App needs more than features

Iqui photographic camera: Specs

Photo resolution: 5760 ten 2880
Video resolution: 3840 x 1920/30fps
Internal storage: 14.4GB
Battery: 720mAh (approx. 100 photos, 30 mins video)
Size: 5.5 inches (length), 0.75 inches (diameter)
Weight: ii.1 ounces

The Vecnos Iqui photographic camera is meant to brand taking — and more importantly, sharing — 360 photos and video a lot easier. This pen-shaped camera slips in and out of your pocket and is gear up to snap a movie in seconds.

Merely taking a photograph is merely the first step; Iqui'southward app then takes your photograph and turns it into a mini-movie, which you lot tin can and then share with the rest of the earth. Will the Iqui be the one to popularize 360 cameras with the masses? Read the rest of our Vecnos Iqui camera review to encounter if it has the potential to be ane of the best 360 cameras.

Vecnos Iqui camera review: Price and availability

The Iqui camera went on sale in October 2020 for $299. It's bachelor at Vecnos.com as well as Amazon.

Vecnos Iqui camera review: Design

While the category is however relatively new, 360 cameras have started to settle into one of 2 designs: One that resembles traditional activity cameras, or a stick-manner shape that lends itself to being carried in your pocket, and taken out when the moment strikes.

The pen-shaped Iqui is definitely in the latter camp, though it has a unique design that'due south a throwback to when companies were still figuring out how consumers were going to use 360 cameras.

The Iqui is the size of a highlighter pen, only with a bit more heft. At one end are 4 cameras (three arrayed around the sides, and one on the tip). Farther down is a power button, a shutter button, and a third push that lets y'all select between photo and video modes. At that place's no removable storage, and the camera charges by docking into a proprietary USB-powered cradle.

Its pen-shaped pattern made information technology easy to slip into my pocket and comport around without noticing it — it'south a lot more than slender than the Insta360 Ane X2 — but if you're planning to exercise and then, be sure to utilize the included cloth bag; the photographic camera picked upwards a few scuff marks from where it rubbed against my keys.

Taking a photo with the Iqui is as simple as turning it on and pressing the shutter. The camera turned on in less than a second, and was fix to shoot.

Vecnos Iqui camera review: Photo quality

In terms of overall photograph and video quality, the Iqui falls beneath that of other 360 cameras, only co-ordinate to the company, information technology wasn't intended to compete with those devices. Rather, information technology's meant more than for social-media types who want to put upwardly something online quickly.

A photograph taken on a sunny day was clear and bright with bright colors; the maroon of my hat was well-baked, and was starting time nicely against the blue sky and my greenish jacket. Photos taken on overcast days exhibited more graininess, and there was a lack of particular in shadows.

Vecnos Iqui camera review: App

Like the photographic camera itself, the Iquispin app is relatively elementary. Upon opening it, you're presented with a showcase of example photos to provide some inspiration. The only other tabs on the folio are for Create and My Folio. Create allows yous to have 360 photos on your phone — any 360 photos, non merely ones from the Iqui — and add filters and effects.

My Folio is where yous connect to the Iqui camera, add watermarks, and detect answers to questions you may have.

Back to the Create tab: After yous've uploaded a photograph or video, you have the option to create ten-second "movies," where the app will rotate the image to prove everyone or everything in information technology.

There are a number of templates, which are organized past the number of people in your photograph: There are four templates for selfie photos, six for small groups, and four for large groups.

Each template has a item theme, such every bit Mystical Place, Twinkling Stars, and Sparkling Planet, and rotates and zooms the camera view in a different manner. All templates let y'all add animations, such as hearts, confetti, and balloons, to requite information technology a more than fun vibe.

Additionally, yous tin can apply filters to your images; as of this writing, there were 14 from which to choose, which isn't a lot compared to other apps like Instagram, merely it's something. I do wish there were a way to manually adapt lighting effects and such.

Once you choose the template and whatever animations, the app then lets you lot salve and share the completed video to the social media account of your selection. Yet, that'southward about the extent of what you can practise with your photos and video.

"Motion" stills export equally MP4 videos at 720p. If yous want an unadulterated re-create of your photos or videos, they're stored to your telephone.

I tested the Iquispin app on both a Samsung Galaxy and an iPhone; this app, which is available for both Android and iOS users, as well lets yous control the camera remotely. However, at that place'south merely a large Record push; you tin't preview what y'all're shooting. Then again, since information technology takes 360 images, it's less of a concern.

To connect the camera to your phone, y'all just hold the Iqui near your telephone while the app is open; a prompt will announced on your phone'southward brandish to connect the two. This was a pretty seamless process, and took only a few seconds.

Vecnos Iqui photographic camera review: Verdict

The Vecnos Iqui camera is a pretty expert device for its intended audience. The Iqui's blueprint makes it one of the easiest 360 cameras to comport around, and the photos aren't half bad — then long as there's enough of light.

Where Vecnos volition need to practise more than work, though, is with its app. While I get that the company is trying to keep things simple, once y'all've gone through its limited pick of templates, you might go bored. Past comparison, Insta360 has a much more than sophisticated app for its 360 cameras, which allows for much more creativity, such as being able to manually choose what you want as the focus of the video.

The Iqui 360 camera is dead simple to apply, but its app needs more Instagram-way filters and features if it wants to entreatment to that market place.

Michael A. Prospero is the deputy editor at Tom'due south Guide overseeing the home, smart home, drones, and fitness/wearables categories, as well as all ownership guides and other evergreen content. When he's non testing out the latest running spotter, skiing or preparation for a marathon, he'southward probably using the latest sous vide automobile or some other cooking gadget.