iPhone camera accessory review

Videographers, take a short break from stitching those frames together. Want to create 360-degree panoramic videos without doing a lot of post-production work? If you said yes, check out Dot by Kogeto.

Why ?

Dot is a device that you align with your iPhone camera, and it shoots every single thing within view and enables you to create videos that can be panned all the way round. It’s basically a lens inside a plastic housing, and it snaps into place via an attached T-shaped molding, which comes in black, red, pink, and green. You use it just as you would use any ordinary lens (i.e., fit then shoot); the only difference is you must keep Dot at a specific position when you’re shooting.

What we love

Kogeto advertises Dot as “the world’s smallest panoramic video thingy,” and whether that’s true or not, you can’t deny that Dot’s a really small iPhone accessory. The housing containing the lens is about the size of a 20 cc medicine cup, so it doesn’t look ridiculous on your phone. It’s even possible to shoot other people without them noticing it—just lay your phone somewhere strategic.

Dot doesn’t require batteries, but you must use the app Looker when shooting videos; otherwise you’ll just be making a mess. Videos shot with Dot are hardly watchable until Looker processes them. The app is easy to use, but it has limitations; right now it can only create videos with a maximum playback length of three minutes and you can’t preview videos before they are processed. But Kogeto already announced that an update in the near future will correct both issues.

What we don’t love

Remember when I said Dot must be kept at a specific position when shooting? Your iPhone’s screen has to face down for you to achieve it, so it’s an awkward one. Unless you’re lying on the ground or you have eyes on your fingertips, you can’t shoot videos without recording some unwanted footage of you flipping your phone just to press the record button.

You shouldn’t edit out the unwanted footages either, as editing makes videos incompatible with Kogeto’s click-and-drag panoramic player, defeating the purpose of buying a Dot in the first place. And even if you find a way to record without shooting yourself flipping your phone, you can’t shoot videos in bright daylight because the plastic housing produces a definite glare when light hits it.

The end game

The power to create 360-degree panoramic videos is definitely exciting, and with Dot, it’s incredibly simple. Surprisingly, this fun little accessory is not just fun to use. Dot can also be invaluable to professionals in various industries, such as real estate, geology, and archeology, so a lot of people may really like it. The possibilities are endless, and if that’s more than enough reason for you to shell out $79, visit the Kogeto Store right now.