To capture smooth, professional-looking 360° video, it helps to think of your workflow in three stages: preparation, capture, and review. What you do before hitting “record” often determines how your footage turns out.
1. Before Recording: Set Yourself Up for Success
The quality of your video depends heavily on what happens before the first frame.
Keep Your Lenses Spotless
This is the single most important and most commonly overlooked step. 360 cameras use large, curved lenses that easily pick up dust, fingerprints, and smudges; all of which will show up clearly in your video. Always wipe each lens with a microfiber cloth and lens-safe cleaner before every shoot.
Check for Firmware Updates
Manufacturers frequently release updates that improve image stabilization, fix bugs, and add new features such as HDR recording. Take a minute to confirm your camera is running the latest firmware.
Use the Right SD Card
High-resolution 360 footage (like 5.7K) requires fast write speeds. A slower SD card can cause dropped frames or corrupted clips. Use a card rated V30 or U3 or higher, per your camera’s specs.
Charge and Carry Spares
Start with a full battery and keep backups handy. Running out of power halfway through a recording session can mean lost time or incomplete documentation.
Plan and Prep Your Route
If you’re doing a walkthrough or site capture, preview the path in advance.
Remove tripping hazards or clutter.
Open doors along the route so you don’t have to stop mid-shot.
Let others on-site know you’ll be recording to avoid interruptions.
2. While Recording: Capture Smoothly and Confidently
Mounting the Camera
For hands-free documentation on a job site, a helmet mount provides a stable, first-person perspective that keeps your view consistent and realistic.
Movement and Framing
Walk at a steady pace and avoid sudden turns or jerky motions. Keep in mind that 360 cameras use two lenses to create a single image—where those two views meet is the stitch line. Try not to position key details (like a wall or object you’re inspecting) directly along that line.
Lighting Considerations
Lighting makes or breaks image quality. Grainy or noisy footage typically happens in low-light conditions.
Turn on all available lights when indoors.
Bring portable lights if needed to brighten dark or enclosed areas.
Good lighting helps the camera maintain a lower ISO and results in crisp, detailed imagery.