Master your DSLR: 360° imaging & VR
GET THE BIG PICTURE ON IMMERSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO.
WHETHER IT HAS the legs to go the distance and be seen as another creative way to get your pictures and films out there, or it’s destined to be a short-lived phase in the history of photography, there’s no doubt that ‘immersive’ imaging is currently a hot topic. Everyone’s jumping on the 360° and virtual reality (VR) bandwagon, from Google and Facebook to Nikon and the BBC.
But you actually don’t need the backing of a corporation with deep pockets to give it a go. While immersive imaging might once have required expensive camera rigs and a pain staking development process, it can now be realised using nothing more than a smartphone and a viewer made from cardboard.
The terms ‘360’ and ‘VR’ are often used interchangeably, but there are some clear distinctions. For a start, ‘true’ VR has nothing to do with photography at all: rather, it involves a computer-generated virtual environment that you can traipse around in and interact with while wearing a VR headset. It’s all about the end-user experience and the hardware required to make it happen.
The reverse is true of 360° photography. While you can look all around an environment and move through it, you’re not free to wander off where you like. You’re essentially along for the ride, only able to view a scene from the camera’s perspective, whether it’s locked to the spot on a tripod or skimming through the air on a skydiver’s wrist. It’s all about the way that a scene has been shot rather than how you view it. There isn’t a requirement for specialist hardware to see a 360° photo or video — you can simply drag the image around on your smartphone, tablet or computer to be able to view the scene all around, above and below the camera’s position, just like you can with Google Street View.
That being said, you can use a VR headset to view 360° photos and videos, too — and it’s this crossover with VR that’s the main reason both technologies are talked about in the same breath. Not only does a VR headset help to block out the outside world, but a 360° photo or video that’s been optimised for VR creates a 3D effect that ensures the experience is more
immersive, especially when coupled with a set of headphones for listening to any spatial audio effects that may be present.
There are essentially three ways to record 360° photos and videos: on a smartphone, using an app such as 360 Panorama or Cardboard Camera; with a dedicated 360° camera like Nikon’s KeyMission 360; or for the optimum quality, with a digital SLR. Each approach has its own pros and cons.
For fun factor and speed, a smartphone and app is the way to go. The drawback is that you have to move the phone full circle to create your 360° image, which can lead to some odd joins when the camera stitches the ends of your panorama together.
Creating a spherical 360 is even harder, so usually you’ll be limited to just a straight horizontal panorama with little in the way of vertical picture detail.
A 360° camera is the next step up in convenience, enabling you to record a photo or video with a single button press. Some cameras do this using two sensors mounted on each side of the camera body, each lens capturing a view of approximately 180° vertically and horizontally before they’re stitched together to create a spherical image. Not all ‘360’ cameras are capable of producing a full 360° vertically, though, so check the small print before you buy.
Finally, if you’ve got the time, you can shoot a 360° panorama with a ‘proper’ camera like an SLR. While this process takes longer than with a smartphone or dedicated 360° camera, the quality of the end result is worth it.
A 360° CAMERA IS A STEP UP IN CONVENIENCE, ENABLING YOU TO RECORD A PHOTO WITH A SINGLE BUTTON PRESS.