With smartphone cameras consistently escalating in quality, it’s super easy to assume most people have become reliant on their phones for photo taking. All you have to do is pull it out of your pocket and shoot. Even if some photography lovers don’t mind sticking with a camera phone, there are still plenty of limitations keeping that person from grasping the perfect moment with advanced photography or videography. One smartphone maker in particular, the iPhone, is fully aware of the restrictions that its camera has. Perhaps that is why former Apple employee Bill Banta, as well as his team of ex-Apple employees are telling us all about their new invention, the CENTR-cam. This beautifully designed, little UFO-looking panoramic camera fits in your hand, and is controlled via iOS or Android device.

The camera works by using Bluetooth LE, and Wi-Fi to link to a smartphone or tablet. It features four outward-facing HD 5 Megapixel (MP) image sensors inside the gadget, and uses footage from all four cameras to combine it into one wide, magnificent capture (at its highest, a 1,080 by 6,900 pixel count). Three microphones are also living inside the camera body for recording audio. But, the biggest deal about CENTR is its ability to record panoramic, HD videos with 4K resolution; all for up to 2 full hours, or for shooting 5 hours of 20MP time-lapse panoramic photos. The camera gets its name from the manner in which you hold the device, in the center, so that none of the cameras are masked. Perhaps not everyone in the world may favor the way it has to be held, and that is understandable. But, the company had to come up with a shape that allowed the camera to incorporate its panoramic capabilities, without disrupting the view. Besides the camera functionality specs, it also has 8GB of flash storage, and a USB 3.0 port.



The project’s Kickstarter page states that “cameras with similar capability costs over $1,000 and requires hard to use stitching software”. Get excited, because CENTR is going to retail for just $399, with only a $299 price tag if you become a backer for the CENTR campaign. CENTR’s technology has been thoroughly tested. Both beta testers and television networks have put energy into assessing the device, and can vouch for its worth. Making technology this professional, impressive and affordable means a lot for the consumer market. For under $400, anything from a professional service, to a product commercial can be done. Banta states the center of CENTR perfectly, “For people that just take pictures, it’s probably not the perfect product. It’s for people who love video and who love capturing memories and experiences through video”.