Rylo - Action Camera

Pros Solid metal construction Removable battery Includes MicroSD card to get your started Convenient editing on smartphone App is very stable and reliable Mountable to tripod or other accessories Wireless controls for iPhone and soon for Android Extremely good video stabilization Replaceable batteries Company is aggressively updating app and camera firmware Transferring video by direct connection is fast Frontback creates videos with two perspectives 6K panoramic shots 3D positional audio 180 degree shots now an option Cons Stitching needs work for surfaces that are not clouds Exposure leans towards lighter elements leaving dark parts very dark App changes perspective at random “Follow This” option often loses track even if a face stays in view “Look Here” doesn’t have an option to pan smoothly, just a quick frame jump “Look Here” set points cannot be deleted No way to just erase all set points if you want to start over Camera gets very hot during longer recordings No separate charger for replaceable batteries No way to protect microphones from wind noise No desktop app Editing videos on smartphone is sometimes challenging due to small size Videos and pictures are very dim before import making it hard to see and choose No way to define panning causing it to cause odd spinning at times when changing view Separate iPhone and Android versions instead of just including the extra cable in one box Mount is only on case and not on device At first glance, 360-degree cameras might seem a fad or a useless technology. How many people would want to take a video or picture of everything? Surprisingly when you look further, there are more cases than one would think. The big appeal of 360-degree cameras is for the active types but there are even other cases where their use is extremely helpful one might not think of. For one, having stabilization that is rock solid because the process of stabilization means simply shifting the view is a big one. Cinema quality stabilization is actually very easy. The other is never missing a video because you didn’t turn around fast enough. The field of 360-degree cameras is still relatively new and not understood by everyone but is growing fast. The Rylo 360 is a product from a small company with some unique ideas on the concept. The first unique concept is editing videos or pictures straight from your mobile device. The Rylo 360 comes with options for Android and iOS. Other options typically require a heavy-duty computer and specialized software to even view, let alone edit, the video. Rylo seems to work some magic and make this process quick and relatively easy right off your smartphone. This is great for viewing videos in the field and even completing them. Transfers are done directly via cable and while this might seem bad at first the transfer rates are much better. This mobile based editing system, while great, isn’t without shortfalls. Viewing and editing videos on a small screen can be difficult at times as occasionally touch points are too small to accurately chose one over another in the timeline. Video might seem clear on the small screen and look blurry once shown on a larger screen. Hopefully in the future Rylo will offer a desktop option. Another limitation of this mobile only approach is features first come to iOS and then Android shortly afterwards. Also, some features aren’t possible at the current time with Android. In order to do anything with the video, the entire video has to be imported to your phones local storage. You would think this would give Android phones with an SD card slot an option but not so. Rylo support says that currently Android only allows them to transfer videos to the phone storage. Unfortunately, a lot of these same phones come with low main storage expecting you to use SD cards. If you have Android and want to use Rylo, you should get a phone with a lot of main storage, just like on an iPhone. You can also check the Rylo website to make sure your phone is compatible. To get the videos to your mobile device requires the correct cable and Rylo offers two similar but slightly different products to suit. The iOS option comes with a lightning cable and Android comes with MicroUSB and USB-C. Although it seems a bit strange to separate the two as two products instead of just adding the one extra cable to the main box and having one product they at least serve both platforms. If you switch platforms in the future, the corresponding cable is also available for purchase. Although Rylo has no direct camera mount or water resistance, the metal main body feels very sturdy. It feels like it could take a beating if needed. Lenses are not replaceable, so this could be a weak point to watch for. The camera mount comes in on the case and there is no direct mount. A slightly odd and unique design choice is the threaded portion is at the bottom of the handle and not the bottom off the body or case body. This setup might seem a bit strange, but in use it seems to work fine. There is also an option for a waterproof case for those underwater shots. So far, wind noise hasn’t been an issue but if it does there is currently no solution to correct this. The microphones are very close to the lenses, so it’s hard to imagine how they could be kept out of view. The gap between the two lenses is rather large but overall the stitching of the images is good. Stitching of clouds is excellent but certain things like faces can randomly be stitched poorly. This isn’t unique to Rylo and only happens at the stitch point so the effect on the overall finished product is minor. Future software updates could also help to improve this. Another place where Rylo stands out is video stabilization. Stabilization is nothing new, but the quality of stabilization is nearly on par with movies. The combination of camera and software does an amazing job of making moving video look like it was shot off a stabilized crane. With the app, you can choose to have the view switch to a focal point or follow an object of your choice. When it works right, the view smoothly pans to the new focal point or follows the chosen subject beautifully. However; the process isn’t always smooth and could use some improvement. Sometimes you can tap on a point and choose to look, and the view will switch on the video in a crazy manner by bobbing or spinning around with no way to stop it and other times it just snaps to the new location as if you spliced several videos together. The follow this option is a little quirky as well. Sometimes it follows a subject perfectly even as they move away. Other times it will lose tracking while the subject is right in front of you sitting still. Both these issues are software related and can be fixed in time. When the system works, it works amazingly. When it doesn’t work, it can be a bit frustrating as there doesn’t seem to be a way to just reset a video and start over. In fact, there is a way to delete “follow this” choices but there doesn’t seem to be a way to delete look here choices. Whether a long press or short press is used on the look here point, no option comes up to remove it. Even just a remove all settings from video would be appreciated. Video and picture output is very good, particularly if you switch from normal to high on quality of the recordings. Dynamic range isn’t the greatest with metering preferring lighter areas and leaving the darks very dark. You can adjust highlights and shadows afterwards via the phone but if you have extreme differences in lights and shadows the cameras just don’t have the range to really keep enough detail. It really feels the primary focus was outdoor daytime shots and it does very good in those scenarios. Nighttime shots are lackluster so if that is your focus you may want to look elsewhere. The camera does get very warm during extended recordings but doesn’t seem to have a problem with this. Included is a 16GB MicroSD card to get you started and a single removable battery. Currently while the battery is removable the only way to charge it is in the camera. The storage and battery should work for most use cases just fine and chance are good your phone will be the limiting factor before the camera until on phone storage increases. Thankfully with swappable batteries and SD cards you still have options for the future. If you have read this far you will notice that most of the shortcomings are software related and can be fixed with future updates. The good thing and the real standout about Rylo is this new startup company is hungry for success and has rapidly evolving the process. In a short time, there have been two updates to the app and camera and another is right around the corner adding wireless controls to Android. Several complaints about Rylo early in 2018 have already been addressed as well. Some of it’s closest competitors have more experience in the market and come with their own list of shortcomings and they seem content to leave them or slowly fix them. It is highly likely that many of the quirks or complaints about the camera will be addressed in short order which can’t be said of all companies that produce such products. If it were possible the Rylo 360 would be rated 4.5 out of 5. If the software were more refined it would be a 5 out of 5. The big question is who is the Rylo 360 for? The real sweet spot seems to be outdoor active and prosumers who want to really have fun getting action shots and videos and be able to see how things come out without the need to lug around a laptop. The stabilization is just crazy good and the Rylo team is rapidly pushing refinement. Any gripes will more than likely be fixed instead of like some big companies where quirks persist even between product generations. Until then, the little quirks can still be overlooked to just have the opportunity to work with something new and refreshingly easy to work with.

======= Summary ======= The Rylo 360 Action Camera is a powerful and easy-to-use camera that will delight you with its cool 360 videos and panoramic pictures from its double 208-degree camera system. It is sleek, light, easy-to-use, and the quality of the pictures and the videos it takes are pretty good unless the lighting condition is very dim or poor. The Rylo app is simple to use and easy to edit your photos and videos with. Also appreciated are nifty accessories such as the included Everyday Case as well as the optional waterproof Adventure Case and Selfie Stick. It's a great camera system in a great package that will help you capture your special moments and outings. ** Pros ** -Nice design. -Simple operation. -360 camera works well. -Takes cool panoramic pictures. -Video stabilization works really well. -Light-weight. -The Rylo app is powerful yet simple to use. -MicroSD card upgradeable to 256GB. -Battery is easily swappable/replaceable for long videos. ** Cons ** -In poor or very dim lighting conditions, the video becomes a bit grainy and stabilization quality becomes affected. -For long recordings, extra battery packs will be needed. -Used just as a photo camera, quality isn't as good as flagship smartphones. ======= Design ======= The Rylo 360, with its anodized aluminium alloy body, looks very cool and very sleek and feels premium and nice in the hands. The buttons layout is excellently executed and everything is easy to figure out and intuitive. I thought a 360 camera would have complicated controls but fortunately that's not the case. Just hold the Shutter Button for 2 seconds to turn it on, tap the Recording Mode Selector button to choose your mode (3 different modes), then press the Shutter Button again to start taking pictures or start recording your 180- or 360-degree videos. The included Everyday Case for the camera is also well-designed and highly useful. It is much easier to record videos when the Rylo camera is mounted inside the Everyday Case, especially when on the move. You just hold the comfortable and grippy handle and point the camera at something. You'll get better results if you extend the arm out a bit and start recording a couple feet away from your body. At the end of the handle, the cap can be unscrewed to reveal a hidden 1/4" mount for attachment to tripods or other camera equipment. I also appreciated the inclusion of thoughtful additions such as the carrying pouch for the camera, a loop band for the wrist, and multiple cables for both iPhones and Android phones. All in all, it is a complete and very nice package out-of-the box and ready to go. ======= Camera Performance ======= I was blown away by my 360-degree video experience~! It is so cool how the Rylo manages to stitch together smooth, seamless, and well-stabilized 360 videos from its dual-camera hardware system and the powerful software within. I tested out the Rylo extensively at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, CA on Mother's Day and it did a wonderful job capturing my family, myself, the large throngs of people, and all the colorful and varied stores and restaurants. As long as there were plenty of light, the videos came out well-stabilized, detailed, and crispy. In low-light environments, the quality became a bit hazy and a bit blurry, such as inside the dim restaurant we were eating at in Downdown Disney. The quality difference is noticeable but not drastic nor jarring. Video stabilization worked very well as well. In all the nine videos I created at Downtown Disney, there was no stuttering, no jankiness, and no sudden dizzy movements. In some of my videos, I was carrying my 3-year-old toddler in one arm and gently jogging while holding the Rylo in my other hand and everything came out smooth and nicely stabilized. Very impressive stuff. The stitching or combining of the two video streams were satisfactory most of the time and performed as expected. Once in a while, though, the stitched result came out weird with people's faces looking distorted and out of proportion. Such moments, however, were very brief and fleeting as the software algorithm later corrected them. What was not so impressive, however, was the Rylo's photo-taking ability. I used the Rylo to take several 934 x 1920 (1.8 MP) and 6000 x 3000 (18MP) pictures and most of the pictures came out soft and not very detailed, regardless of the lighting conditions. Compared to my Samsung Galaxy S9+, there is no comparison. The pictures from the Galaxy S9+ are higher quality with better details, contrast, and dynamic range. I won't hold this against the Rylo 360, however, as it is, after all, primarily a 360 video camera and the ability to take pictures as well as videos is a nice addition to have. Also, quickly being able to capture a wide panorama shot by simply tapping the shutter button is worth the compromise in photo quality, in my opinion. To sum it up, the 360 video quality and stability are superb and excellent and I was very happy to have the Rylo with me to capture my special-day family moments. I'm looking forward to future trips and outings. ======= Rylo app and software ======= Just like the camera hardware, the Rylo phone app is also very intuitively laid out and easy to use. For both photos and videos, several useful editing options are offered. For Photos, there are two main editing options called "Tune" and "Crop." Under the "Tune" option, one can adjust the photo's Light, Contrast, Highlights, and Shadows options. Under the "Crop" button, one can adjust the photo size between Portrait, Square, Native, Wide, and Cinema. For Videos, there are five main editing options called Trim, Speed, Tune, Level, and Crop. Using the Scrubber bar located beneath the video, one can edit and assign different effects to different parts of the same video file. It may sound complicated to use but it really is not. Everything is intuitive and easy to figure out after playing around with the different settings for a while. From within the Rylo app, you can also Share your photos and videos easily with others and even upload your 360 videos to Youtube. After sending my 360 videos to my Windows 10 laptop, I was able to view my 360 videos using the native Microsoft Movies & TV app. Exported videos can also be edited with software such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro. The only downside to the Rylo app from my experience was the time it took to save a video file as a 360 video file to my Galaxy's phone storage. Saving a 5-minute-long 360 video took about 15-20 minutes. I wish Rylo gave me an option to multi-select several video files and perform a batch save operation so I can start the save process and come back to my phone later. As of right now, you save the videos one at a time. The camera's firmware updates are also handled inside the Rylo app and there was an update already waiting for me after my first connection to the Rylo camera with my Galaxy S9+. Overall, the Rylo app is pretty comprehensive, powerful, and most importantly, easy and simple to use. Great job, Rylo team~! ======= So, is it any good? ======= Oh yes, I love my Rylo 360 camera~! It's just so well-made, easy to setup and use, and creating those 360 videos and panorama pictures are fun and delightful. I thought the Rylo would be a gimmicky niche product but it is not. It will definitely be coming out with me everytime I go to special events or go on trips. Capturing family members, friends, and pets is more special and fun when doing it in 360 mode.

This is one of those product that you wonder 'why would I need a 360 degree camera' and when you open it up and use it for the first time, you think 'why aren't all cameras 360 degree cameras'! After unboxing the camera, charging it up via the included USB charging cable, I was able to shoot straight away. There is an included and already installed 16GB micro SD card (Expandable to 128GB), which on a full charge has the capacity to hold 33 mins of 4K video at 30fps, or 5000 6K resolution photos, and can record for an hour on that charge. That in itself is impressive. You can record in 180 degree or 360 degree mode - so if you have the camera strapped to your chest, you don't have half a video that is black! The camera is easy to use with one button on top. Press for 2 seconds to turn on, or off the camera. A beep confirms if it's on and three beeps confirms if it's off. You press the button once to record and then press it again to stop recording. It's as easy as that. But, with the latest firmware upgrade that I did as soon as I plugged it in to charge, bluetooth connectivity has been opened up to add the ability to remotely start and stop your recordings, so you now don't have to go back and edit out your hand grabbing over the screen! In my experience so far, the video quality has been excellent, especially when recording outside, which is where it excels. The camera doesn't do so well inside, or in low light conditions, so just be mindful of that. There was a tweak to improve the low light recording in the last update, so it's better, but still not amazing. There is no built in flash/light for recording in dark areas. The camera has phenomenal 'Cinematic Stabilization' that really does smooth out the video incredibly. I did a walk around of my car and you can see the up and down of the motion of me walking around the car, but when you turn on image stabilization it looks like a I had an expensive gimbal with me, smoothing out my view around the car. It is really, really impressive. Developed by an ex Apple and ex Instagram employee, they understand how 'mobile' works. And that is where the camera comes into it's own. You can order an 'android' or 'Apple' version of the camera which includes a cable specifically for use to connect to your phone. This is how you interact with the camera, how you download your videos and best of all, edit and share your videos, all on the go. Because you are filming in 360, you have captured everything. Therefore, you can add edit points to your video and the image will pan to that specific point in your video and transition smoothly. This gives a polished and well finished look to your video. I walked from my front door out to my car, and recoded the whole thing. When I stopped to talk to neighbors, I was able to click on each person when the spoke and have the camera pan to them, I was able to focus on the tree in my yard and then swivel 180 degrees and focus on my car. Some really nice technology within the software of the Rylo app. Let's say you're playing with your dog in the park, you can film and choose to follow your dog with the camera and your dog will always remain as the center focus in the video. That is a really nice feature as well. Once you have finished editing your video you can save it out as a 360 video or as a cinematic video. The Camera has an aluminum body, it's a little heavier than I expected, but it does have high quality lenses, and 50% of it's size is taken up with the battery pack. Another surprising thing was just how relatively cheap the replacement batteries are, which is very encouraging too. Almost everything you need is included with the camera, the only extra thing you might want to get, for protection of your $500 camera is the waterproof case, which will substantially protect the camera. I also aim to purchase the 'selfie' stick, as the included 'everyday case' doesn't have a very long reach and you do get a good view of 'hand' in a portion of the video. So far in my limited time with the camera, I love it! It's everything and more that I wanted from an action camera and I'm really excited to continue using the camera especially on my upcoming trip to Iceland and then England. Highly recommend this camera!

The whole concept is really cool!! I got this and enjoyed using for like half day. The features are really cool and works, but the image quality itself is not so satisfying to me therefore I cannot using that footage in any of my video. It is better work with your phone and could be a best choice for those who are always on the go.

Everything I expected and researched on this camera. Love it!

Got the camera 10/15 a small fall on my wood table one of the lens shattered, i contacted the company and they stop servicing their products few days before !!!! I am very disappointed and spent tons of money for nothing !!!

This product is more difficult to describe than to use and way more fun to play with than to write about. Operation is dead simple. One button on the side to changes modes and one button on the top turns the unit on and off and starts and ends the recording. That’s it. It comes with an everyday carrying case with in integrated handle for effortless operation. The camera is well made, sturdy and water resistant. Outside the case, the camera fits nicely in the palm of your hand. The anodized aluminum feels great, and Its tiny. Most of the time, I used the everyday case and handle because it offers the easiest way to use the camera. Remember, you are shooting at up to a full 360-degree perspective. It also comes with a soft carrying bag to protect and clean the dual lenses when you in use. You use the supplied USB cable to transfer the recorded videos to your smartphone: either iPhone or Android. My sample had both cables included. I use a Pixel 2 android phone and downloaded the free Rylo app from Play Store. There is a second cable for charging the Rylo. Charging was quick, and a full battery charge should give 60 minutes of shooting. The unit comes with a 16GB micro SD, which can be expanded up to 128GB. Think of any action sequence you may want to film: a bike ride, a hike, a ride in gyroplane—anything, and this camera is equipped to capture it with a 360-degree field of view. It works best in outdoors where there is plenty of light. And the resolution is a very good 1080p. Indoor shots may show some grain. If you are shooting in 360, one camera shoots 180 degrees, and the other shoots the remaining 180. The software automatically stitches the two outputs together. You must transfer the video to your smartphone to use the editing features on the Rylo app. This is where the magic happens. Yes, you can cut and trim shots with the software, to give the sequence you want to use, but the most amazing feature is picking where in the 360-degree field of view you want to show. As you view the video, you can choose the perspective for example: 20 degrees off center at 45 degrees in elevation. Or you can select a figure, like a dog running beside you, and the software will follow it and you can frame your video around solely to track the canine and keep it in the shot until the end. Or, if you want, you can set the camera to shoot only in 180-degree perspective. All the features are present, but with 50 per cent of the field of view if you don’t need all 360 degrees for your shot. I have found myself using the 180 setting more often than the 360 to get the initial feel of using the camera. Video resolution is at 1080p. The digital stabilization is simply out of this world. You can be running along, filming the action with camera in hand and the video will be as smooth as silk with this feature activated. Its operation is flawless, and the smoothness of the video breathtaking. The camera can also be used for still captures. I have not played much with that feature. I would suspect the standard user buys this unit for action video and not for stills. Nevertheless, I can certainly see why this feature could be needed when a still shot subject requires immediate capture. And the still can offer one heck of a panoramic shot! The video is beautiful and detailed, with only a hint of artifacts showing up occasionally in my shots- not enough to deter my enthusiasm for the product. I simply have not seen any video action camera that can do all this diminutive camera does and with such aplomb. The potential creative adjustments to the final video are limited only by your imagination. If you are in the market for an action video camera that is portable and that you can take with you to capture 360-degree action, the Rylo may be the only camera on your list. I highly recommend it.

This is a on a whole other level of photography. The Rylo 360 Action Camera is the new hotness. I've used this little camera for only a few days and I already know I want everything I film to be done in 360 degrees. You are able to share your world from everyone's perspective. When you say look around, it means just that. If you've got access to a VR device, you are truly in for a treat. I've made workout videos that invite people online right into my garage gym like never before. Just imagine, going on a bike ride and filming every single thing to allow all who see it an opportunity to view that same experience from a different perspective every time they watch it. I could go on and on about this camera. Let me give you some specs. The Rylo 360 has dual wide-angle lenses capable of shooting gorgeous 4K 360 degree spherical and 180 degree, body cam style videos and 6K panorama photos. It has an aluminum alloy body. An OLED status display and it has expandable memory( It comes with a 16 GB micro SD card installed). In the box, you will get the camera, a battery pack, USB charging cable, micro USB and USB type-C sync cables, a 16 GB Micro SD Card and a protective pouch. I can't say enough, how awesome this tech is. It can bring friends and family to gatherings they weren't able to attend in real time and allows them the chance to experience it 1st hand. That's just amazing. You're able to link it to your mobile device to share with the world , using social media. I thought the sound quality was more than equate, for the size. I thought it wouldn't be that good, but I was pleasantly surprised. The best way to get best use out of the camera is picking up the "Everyday case" . It's pretty much a small selfie stick which makes for wider shots. There's also a weather proof case for those less than dry adventures. These are sold separately. That brings me to my main issue with this device. The Rylo 360 Action Camera is going to set you back roughly $500 smackeroos. That's some change for something so small. Then the cases start at $30. And I definitely recommend picking up at the very least, the Everyday case. It also has a couple features, such as remote shooting, using your i-phone only , at the moment. There is an update coming for android devices , which I currently use. This is not a deal breaker, by any means. If you are looking for an amazing piece of tech to take your photos and videos to the next level, look no further than the Rylo 360 Action Camera. I would have given it a full 5 stars, if only the android features were fully available. I'm going on record and saying 5 stars for IOS users. Be the 1st on your block to show your block in a viewing angle that is as good and in some ways better than Google Earth. I definitely recommend this camera to anyone with the change to spare. You'll love it. I have to say, this would make for a great graduation gift.....Just saying. Enjoy.