Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra vs Kandao QooCam 3
In short: The Kandao QooCam 3 costs $200 less; the Kandao QooCam 3 collects light over 51 mm² per lens against 43, which is 1.2× the area; the Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra reframes to about 1.7K against 1.3K; the Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra records 10-bit colour; the Kandao QooCam 3 claims 58 min at 5.7K30 360 recording, standard settings.
| Spec | Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra | Kandao QooCam 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$549 | ~$349 |
| Year-one cost | ~$549 | ~$349 |
| Type | 360 | 360 |
| Sensor size | 2 × 1/1.7-inch | 2 × 1/1.55-inch |
| Sensor area | 43 mm² per lens | 51 mm² per lens |
| Max resolution | 8K 360 @ 30fps | 5.7K 360 @ 30fps |
| Reframed resolution | ≈1.7K (estimated) | ≈1.3K (estimated) |
| Max fps at 4K | 100 | — |
| Max fps at 1080p | — | — |
| Max bitrate | 150 Mbps | 120 Mbps |
| Colour depth | 10-bit | Not published |
| Log profile | K-Log | None |
| Stabilisation | SuperSteady 2.0 | SuperSteady |
| Horizon lock | 360° (full) | 360° (full) |
| Aperture | f/1.6 | f/1.6 |
| Waterproof | 10 m bare | 10 m bare |
| Claimed runtime | 50 min at 8K 10-bit 360 recording | 58 min at 5.7K30 360 recording, standard settings |
| Tested runtime | No third-party test collected | No third-party test collected |
| Battery | 2280 mAh | 1600 mAh |
| Cold rating | -4°F | -4°F |
| Weight | 336 g | 189 g |
| Screens | 2.19-inch rear touch | 1.9-inch rear touch |
| Mount | 1/4-20 | 1/4-20 |
| Replaceable lenses | No | No |
| GPS | Yes | No |
| Voice control | No | No |
| Storage | microSD + 128 GB internal | microSD |
| Subscription | None | None |
| Released | 2024 | 2023 |
A highlighted cell is the outright better figure in that row, and only where one direction is unambiguously better. Weight, field of view and battery capacity are left neutral because the better direction depends entirely on what you are shooting.
Strengths and drawbacks
Kandao QooCam 3 Ultra
- +F/1.6 is a full stop faster than the X6 and DJI Osmo 360, which is the cheapest way to buy low-light performance
- +10-bit with a real log profile at a price where Insta360 still publishes nothing
- +96 MP stills and 128 GB of internal storage in the same body
- +Built-in GPS, which only the GoPro MAX2 otherwise offers in this class
- −336 g — nearly double the Insta360 X6, and it is felt on any pole or helmet
- −Fifty minutes of 8K 10-bit recording is the shortest runtime in the 360 class
- −10 m bare waterproofing, half the X6's
- −Lenses are not replaceable
- −Reframing and mobile editing software lag well behind Insta360 Studio
- −A small manufacturer means firmware updates arrive slowly and accessories are hard to find
Kandao QooCam 3
- +Bigger sensors per lens than the Insta360 X3 or X4 at a similar price
- +F/1.6 lenses and DNG output make it a genuine stills camera
- +IP68 to 10 m with no housing
- +62 MP spherical photos are enough resolution for real-estate tours
- −5.7K video reframes to about 1.3K of usable 16:9
- −58 minutes of recording per charge and no internal storage
- −1.9-inch screen is small and fiddly with cold hands
- −No GPS, no log profile, and no published colour bit depth
- −2.8K single-lens mode is the lowest flat resolution of any 360 camera here