Hi,
can anyone help me to find 360 camera for good quality pictures and videos. i have samsung gear 360 2017, but i didnt like the quality
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Hey @RenyMathew ,
Please note that I have moved your topic to the Photography board. You will get more views and opinions from the people that are interested in the 360 Photography.
Unfortunately I am not a great photographer myself, but I know a particular Local Guide that is a great photographer @LucioV .
Lucio do you mind sharing some opinions?
On second thought by searching the Community I found a great topic here. It may come as helpful.
Thanks!
Georges
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thank you george
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@RenyMathew if you are looking at “one-click” camera type operation, Im fairly impressed by the ThetaV but if you really want the best one-click i would take a look at the Garmin VIRB, its got higher resolution, but more importantly it have a build in GPS and you will not need to open your smartphone connection to record location data. I find that to be a rather important feature.
For paying clients I generally shoot with a m43 camera (GX8 in 3 shot HDR mode turn off auto-registration) with a LensBaby fisheye, shooting 3 shots for easy stitching. simply because it provide a much higher quality file than the single shot cameras.
I have a Panono on order, but from what I see its best suited for shooting in areas without close up details… when everything is said and done, its very hard to stitch images with nodal-point error and even throwing bunches of cameras on a unit still have a off-set error where objects of different distance cross… you see little of this in the forest, but if you are in a restaurant with a table and candle light at 0.5m then the offset error for either background or front will be significant, so I don’t feel i would rely on the Panono exclusively… but its probably a great tool along with the m43 camera for areas that it excels at. its got rather low dynamic range so for commercial use, probably plan to shoot it in HDR mode and punch up the contrast in post as required.
So there you got it. if you are looking at one camera, take a long look at the VIRB, and depending how you feel about the price, dial back requirements, looking at the Mi and the Theta, and probably plan on getting a DSLR type rig for commercial shoots, once you get paying clients. just my 2 cents, your mileage may vary.
Bo
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@BoLorentzen : - thank you very much for detailed explanation.
i have Samsung Gear 360 for one click :), for commercial i just bought DSLR (Nikon 7200) with Sigma fish eye lens, Nodal Ninja Pano Head. i hope i this will be ok for shooting high quality pictures
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@RenyMathew the Nikon DSLR with the Nodal Ninja is a perfect setup. 
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This question may be solved, but I know there are many people out there who can’t afford a costly set of DSLR and panoramic head. DSLR cameras are mostly used by professionals and profit-driven 360 photo studios. There is an ideal solution for casual users that are oft-overlooked: action cameras. These pocketables have been used by hobbyists for some time now. Instead of the limited scope of average consumer cameras, action cameras come with fish-eye lens. While the camera and its lens aren’t half as high class as DSLR, but its diminutive size makes traveling a joy instead of a chore. Just watch this video to see the possibilities. Here’s a recent shoot I did with GoPro Hero. And here’s a photo you wouldn’t dare to shoot with an expensive DSLR. Why? Look down.
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For me, I prefer the Theta cameras (I use a Theta S) for 360° photography on Google Maps (even with clients).
The workflow is so much faster (fast setup/shooting, automatic stitching) and HDR is decent.
Really the only things that slows me down is the getting the camera level (Theta does not automatically correct the horizon) and sometimes connecting to the camera via Android device (Theta’s app has connection issues).
As long as your client knows the quality of the images you’ll provide them in the end, they don’t seem to mind that they are not super sharp. I’ve had no complaints and get repeat clients and/or recommended to other businesses because they’re decent quality and my process is fast.
I personally wouldn’t bother investing in a new DSLR, fisheye lens, and a special rig just to take this kind of photography if you intend to make money at this.
I’m probably the busiest 360° photographers in my area with lots of opportunities near me and I couldn’t see myself getting any or much return on that investment.
But if you have the camera, tripod, and lens already and you’re super fast at stitching/post-processing then maybe it’s worth it to buy the rig.
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Russell, I’m glad you brought up the Ricoh camera. I have one myself, which I’ve used regularly for more than a year. For me, the advantage of a 360 camera is to go where a tripod and human feet doesn’t, such as hanging off a balcony/ rooftop, inside closed gates, up in the sky, etc. However, as a high quality camera, as per the title of this thread, the Ricoh Theta, despite its current revision, doesn’t quite cut it as a competent 360 camera. Its main issue is in chromatic aberration and blurry between the lenses. Unlike the Samsung Gear 360, it’s great in low light. And unlike the LG, which has been inundated with praises from online critics, its color fringing and noise isn’t half as bad. Despite all that, the camera’s resolution leaves much to be desired. People who view the photos on a phone’s 6" display may not see the low res problem, but the problem is there. All they need is to put on their VR goggles, or see them on their desktop PC. Technically, visual quality is probably negligible for commercial usage, as clients simply want the world to know that the place exists, and the layout of the place. Still, there are others (like me) who strive for higher quality for the sake of beauty or impermanence of the place. One such example: Lee Plaza in Detroit. To date, no one has taken any high quality 360 photo or video of this historic building.
To elucidate on the subject of quality, here are a few of my examples. This is an earlier photo shot on Theta S (with hours of Photoshop to fix the color fringing and blurriness). This OTOH is a different bridge shot on a $77 camera, Xiaomi Yi. Both photos took the same amount of time to make them presentable. I’ve dropped the Yi action camera more times than I can remember. I’m glad I’ve never dropped the Theta even once, or my heart would jump out of my throat.
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@Gamera Yeah, I’ve been hearing about the Yi cameras for a while now and definitely interested in their products. But I’m actually waiting to see how these 180° VR cameras are going to turn out (I think Yi is releasing one soon) and if Google will support these images (though probably videos) on Google Maps.
Also, I agree that Theta’s current cameras are terrible on VR headsets (I use Daydream with a Pixel) but VR hasn’t really taken off either. I agree that the main audience is just looking at these 360° photos on their phones and for that the Theta (and even Yi) resolution is not great, but fine for now.
I love 360° photography, but you probably know as well as I do that even the best 360° photo/video doesn’t feel as immersive as a decent Cardboard Camera app photo (which are free to create on any Android phone).
That’s why my last 360° camera purchase was the Rylo. I didn’t buy it for high resolution 360° photos (or even videos). I bought it because it’s an amazing compact action camera that I can shoot crazy steady video footage without lugging an expensive stablizer with me (as long as I’m not shooting that footage in a low light situation, Rylo is not good for that at all).
DSLRs are still good for a few things that smart phones and specialized cameras can’t touch yet, but that list is small and getting smaller quickly. It’s just getting harder and harder to recommend a DSLR to anyone who’s not already a professional sports/wedding/nature photographer.
And when VR type cameras like those 180° ones I talked about earlier arrive, as far as I can tell, those DSLR manufacturers don’t have an answer for that.
I totally respect your opinion on trying to get high resolution 360° photos of historical places (or any place really), but we’re moving into a world of ½ second Instagram views, AI enhanced photography, and super easy to shoot VR images/videos.
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GoPro Fusion might be best
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Thanks for joining the discussion, ITMayeen. GoPro Fusion has a photo resolution similar to Ricoh Theta (S, SC, and V): 5760x2880. To give you an example, this is shot with Fusion. This is shot with Ricoh Theta S. The Theta can give you much more vibrant colors and cleaner image in HDR mode. Obviously the HDR mode is turned off by the user to avoid ghosting.
Of all the current 360 cameras I’ve seen on Google Maps, I’d say there is no good or even competent one at this point. I’ve looked at 2 models of Samsung, 3 Ricohs, an Insta360, Xiaomi, you name it. If you simply want to experiment with a 360 camera, you could pick any one at a bargain bin. The only way to get a decent picture without breaking the bank, read the TL;DR text I wrote above. If you can’t afford the time, by all means, get the cheap 360 camera. But please try to at least use it with a monopod with stand, instead of holding it up like you’re Ultraman.
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@ITMayeen I agree with @Gamera .
If you’re interested in 360 photography, go with something newer but don’t spend much money on it (even look for refurbished cameras for further discounts).
Also, word of warning, it’s probably best to stay away from anything that says GoPro on it for a while. That company is tanking hard so they may not be able to support you if something happens with the camera in the future.
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yes i sorry for that.you right @Gamera . we also think about best produce.
Samsung makes good 360 cams
No apology is needed, ITMayeen. This is the internet, not a police state.
Whatever 360 camera you choose, it’s still a much better option than using the Street View app on your phone. Despite its low resolution photo mode, GoPro Sphere is a great camera for video.
It’s sad that after all these years since the flurry of 360 cameras flooded the market, people around the world still haven’t found a use for them. I’d love to see more adventurers who frequently upload to YouTube ditch their traditional cameras, and learn to upload 360 videos instead. There’s this recent cheesy Korean scary movie called Gonjiam, where a group of paranormal fans rehash what we’ve basically went through in Blair Witch (2016), albeit with a slew of high-tech gadgets, among them is a 360 camera. I may be wrong, but to date I haven’t seen any Hollywood movie using a 360 camera for a movie plot. They really should. Because seriously, this to me is far more engrossing than any recent Hollywood horror flicks.
@Irene_45 : thanks for chiming in. Again, read my comments on Gear 360 on page 1. The title of this discussion is “best 360 camera for photos and video”. While your emotional attachment to certain brands may be strong, but I hope with a title like that, you should see that we aren’t here to shill for any company. Let the quality speak for itself.
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i am amature photographer and very neonatal photographer in street view photography , presently using street view App of google for 360 photography …planning to buy some 360 cam for initial practice …can you suggest me which one is good
Hey @Dr-arya ,
This topic has been discussed before. I would like to ask you to search the community before posting.
I will move your topic here - best 360 camera for photos and video. Please feel free to browse the topic and ask questions.
Hi @RenyMathew the current supported list of cameras is at https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6281877
Note I removed the solution from one of these posts as this isn’t a one answer fits all question. All the answers are equally valid in their own way.
Regards Paul
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