This guide will walk you through the three key phases of capture to ensure your footage is clear and stable.
1. Before You Record: Preparation is Key
Your results are often decided before you even press the record button.
- Clean Your Lenses: This is the most critical and most forgotten step. 360 cameras have large, exposed "fisheye" lenses. A single smudge, dust particle, or fingerprint will be visible and can ruin a shot. Use a microfiber cloth and lens-safe cleaning solution.
- Update Your Firmware: Camera manufacturers release updates that improve stabilization, add features (like HDR modes), and fix bugs. Always check for and install the latest firmware on your camera.
- Use a High-Speed SD Card: 360 video (especially at 5.7K) writes a massive amount of data. A slow or low-quality SD card can cause dropped frames, artifacts, or recording failure. Use a card rated V30 or U3 at a minimum, as recommended by the camera manufacturer.
- Charge Your Battery: Have a fully charged battery and bring spares. Running out of power mid-capture is disruptive, especially if you're documenting a long path.
- Plan Your Path (for Walkthroughs): Before documenting the job site, walk the path first.
- Clear Obstacles: Move any debris or tools that could make you trip.
- Open Doors: Prop open all doors along your route so you don't have to stop, put the camera down, and open them, which creates a jarring edit.
- Notify People: Let others on-site know you are recording to minimize walking in front of the camera.
2. During Capture:
Mounting
- Helmet Mount: For hands-free, job-site documentation, a helmet mount is the standard. It provides a consistent "first-person" view of the project.
- Keep it Vertical: Hold the monopod as straight up and down as possible to make the stick "disappear" into the camera's stitch line.
Movement
- Walk Smoothly: Walk at a steady, consistent pace. A heel-to-toe "ninja walk" can help reduce jarring bounces.
- Mind the Stitch Line: A 360 camera has two lenses. The line where the two images meet is the "stitch line." Avoid placing the key subjects (like a wet wall) directly on this line, as it can cause slight distortion.
Lighting
- Light is Everything: Video quality is light quality. A "noisy" or "grainy" video is almost always caused by a lack of light (which forces the camera to use a high ISO).
Turn on all lights when indoors or provide additional lighthing for enclosed, dark spaces.