Creating a 360 virtual tour requires a lot of effort. More than that, it requires the right kind of equipment.
Have you ever wondered what kind of equipment is needed? Today, we will highlight five essential pieces of equipment you need while doing the professional 360 virtual tours.
Once you procure any of this equipment, creating a virtual tour is undoubtedly possible and easy.
1. DSLR
DSLR is one of the most vital pieces of equipment you will need while creating a professional 360 virtual tour. However, you cannot just go ahead with any DSLR.
You need a DSLR that offers you the bracketing locks option. With the help of the bracketing option, you will be able to capture multiple photos at once with different exposure settings. It means that you will be able to cherry-pick between these photos to create a professional tour as well.
Some of the other features needed in such a DSLR include:
- Compatibility with the fisheye lens
- App-based control or timer-based control
If you find these features in the DSLR, you can go ahead and purchase your professional virtual tour.
If any of the features are missing, you won’t be able to create a proper tour. So look for these essential features before choosing the DSLR.
2. Fisheye lens
You cannot create a virtual tour with the help of a standard lens. You need a special lens that goes by the name of a fisheye lens. This lens is not very expensive, but it is necessary to create a 360 virtual tour.
Before we go into the details, let us understand why this lens is required.
- The highlight of this type of lens is that it allows you to capture wide-angle photos. It also allows you to capture a 360 panorama view as well. Both these are needed when you’re creating a 360 virtual tour.
- This lens also allows you to take dozens of photos for every panorama view. It does so without distorting any of the details.
When you search for a fish lens compatible with DSLR, you will find quite a few options. You have to cherry-pick between these options to choose the best fish lens to capture amazing virtual tours.
3. Tripod head
The usual practice is to use a tripod while using a DSLR. The tripod will allow you to mount the DSLR camera easily. However, the traditional tripod head will not allow you to capture a panoramic view.
For a 360 virtual tour, you need a panoramic tripod head. This is different than the usual tripods which you usually buy. The advantage of such a tripod head is that it allows you to capture panoramic pictures rather than normal ones.
There are two types of different panoramic tripod heads that you can go with, as mentioned below:
1) Manual tripod panoramic head
As the name itself suggests, you will have to move the head manually to capture the panoramic view. For professional photographers, moving the head manually is easy.
However, if you’re new to panoramic photography or to capturing virtual tours, moving the tripod head manually is not an easy task. Nevertheless, you can take a 360 virtual tour if you’re moving the head appropriately.
2) Automatic tripod panoramic head
Such tripod heads consist of a motor. They also provide you with some control, like a remote controller that directly works with the camera. The remote control allows you to initiate the 360 virtual moves.
Apart from that, it will enable you to customize the speed of the motor as well. The slower they move, the more details will be captured. However, the slower moves mean that taking each panoramic photo will require more time as well.
When you’re dealing with an automatic tripod panoramic head, there is no room for error. That is because the entire process is automated, and therefore you will be able to take the 360 virtual photos in predictable time.
4. Tripod
Of course, to mount the camera and the tripod head, you will also need the tripod. Only when the camera is stable will you be able to capture 360 virtual views. This is where the tripod comes into the picture.
The tripod will allow you to stabilize the camera in any surroundings and on any surface as well. While choosing the tripod, you have to follow a few tips like:
- The tripod should offer a broader range of height. That way, you can customize the height of the camera easily.
- The tripod should be portable and compact once folded. It allows you to carry it around easily.
- The tripod should consist of a heavy-duty casing to not suffer from extensive wear and tear.
Once you consider these three tips while buying the tripod for capturing professional 360 virtual tours, you can easily choose the right one.
5. Carry case
When you are creating professional 360 virtual tours, you might have to travel a lot. Not always, your subject will be within the urban city limits. Many times, you might have to travel to the countryside as well.
The important point here is that you will need to carry all your equipment along with you to the site. You will be able to capture a professional virtual tour only when you can securely carry the equipment with you.
You need a carry case not just for the camera but all the other equipment as well. It is a good idea to go with the backpack, which is made explicitly for photography equipment. That will work as your carry case.
Capturing a professional 360 virtual tour is a lot of work. However, all of that work is only possible when you have the right kind of equipment. Once you follow our guide above, you will no longer struggle to choose the right equipment.
Even professional companies like The Red Marker capture multiple such professional 360 virtual tours every month and use all of this equipment to ensure that they can create virtual tours quickly.