Buzz
I never truly understood the appeal of 360-degree cameras until I tried one. A friend brought his new Gear 360 to a dinner gathering, captured an epic shot of the group toasting at the table, and I was instantly hooked. Within a week, I had my own, and since then, it’s been by my side for every vacation and interesting event I’ve attended.
There’s something incredibly special about preserving every detail of the world around you in a single frame. Even better, when paired with a VR headset, your friends can step right into your photo and experience the scene from all angles. But getting that perfect 360 shot isn’t as easy as just pressing the shutter. Here’s what I’ve picked up along the way.
Set a Timer
The true magic of 360-degree cameras is how they capture everything in every direction. If you’re the one taking the picture, it’s highly likely that “everything” will include you too. If you’d rather not have every photo filled with an image of you holding your camera (no judgment if that’s your style!), the timer is a game changer. A quick 5 or 10-second countdown gives you enough time to tuck the camera away and make it look like you’re the life of the party—rather than the person glued to their phone.
Use a Tripod
A tripod can be a game-changer when it comes to capturing 360 photos. Samsung’s Gear 360 comes with a small tripod, but you’ll get much better results with a selfie stick or a collapsible tripod like this one. Why? Because 360 cameras shoot two 180-degree photos and stitch them together. While the top part of the stitch usually looks great, things can get messy at the bottom. Since the camera is spherical, it tends to edit itself out of the shot, but if it’s too low, it might miss some of what’s below, creating a weird effect. A tripod ensures that you capture everything you need, and it’s super useful for the next tip...
Choose the Right Height
On my first major trip with my 360 camera, I shot several videos holding the camera by my side, resulting in a bunch of videos where my face took up a huge chunk of the frame. Not ideal. After figuring that out, I switched to using a tripod, but mine was too short, so I ended up taking shots just a few feet above the ground. That didn’t seem like a big issue since it was 360 degrees, right? Wrong. Very wrong.
When you shoot from the floor, the viewer later on will feel like they’re sitting on the ground too, which feels awkward and isn’t the vibe you’re going for. The best approach is to get the camera to eye level (about five to six feet). That way, your viewer will feel like they’re just another person in the scene, not an awkward observer.
This is especially important if you’re taking a photo or video you plan to view later using a 360 headset. If you don’t have a tall tripod and are okay with sacrificing a bit of style to get the perfect shot, try balancing a small tripod on top of your head. The end result will have the viewer essentially replacing you in the scene.
Stay Still
It might be tempting to move around with a 360 camera, but the reality is that moving videos can be disorienting for viewers. The reason is similar to why you should use a tripod: unless you have a professional steady-cam rig, it’s almost impossible to keep things smooth. As you walk and breathe, your camera will naturally shift up and down. This isn’t a big deal for regular videos, but for 360 footage, it’s important to remember that viewers want to look around. If you're walking forward while they’re trying to look left, you're probably making them dizzy—and they’ll miss what they want to see. For smoother videos, shoot from a stationary spot. Trust me, it’s worth it.
