Table of Contents
- What Is a 360 Camera?
- How 360 Imaging Works
- 5 Best 360 Cameras for Real Estate Virtual Tours
- 360 Camera FAQ
- Create Your Virtual House Tour With PhotoUp!
Are you looking for the best 360 camera for real estate virtual tours? Then, this article is for you!
As real estate professionals, we understand the importance of giving your potential buyers a proper perspective on the home. To do this effectively, you need to invest in a great 360-degree camera to help you record all angles of any given scene.
With the help of virtual tours, people can get an immersive experience of the property directly from their laptops or mobile phones.
It’s truly revolutionizing how people shop around for homes – so join us as we explore some of the most reliable options available today!
What Is a 360 Camera?
A 360 camera is a device with 180-degree forward- and rear-facing lenses that capture everything around itself at once.
To sell a listing fast and for a higher price, real estate photographers and agents need to offer their clients the most captivating experiences.
With 360 cameras, they can create interactive immersive media that provides a unique point of view. From sweeping landscapes down to every last detail of a property photo– these images let viewers explore homes like they were touring them in person.
How 360 Imaging Works
360 cameras place you in the center of a sphere and use extremely wide-angle lenses to capture everything around that point.
Then, the merging of two hemispherical images produces expansive visuals that viewers can explore as if they are actually in the room.
The sensors are ordinary ‘flat’ types, but the key is in the lenses, which are extreme fisheyes capable of capturing a 180-degree view, placed back to back.
By incorporating this enhanced visual media, real estate photographers and agents can create interactive experiences for prospective buyers – from virtual house tours to VR headsets – providing innovative ways to take them inside properties without ever having to leave their homes.
5 Best 360 Cameras for Real Estate Virtual Tours
To make navigating the jungle of 360 cameras a bit easier, we have listed our top 5 recommendations for the best options available.
Let’s dive in!
1. Kodak Orbit360
The Kodak Orbit360 is the ideal 360 camera for real estate professionals working on a tight budget.
This tiny cube-shaped camera fits easily into pockets or in the palm of your hand – making it an incredibly portable option to capture stunning 4K VR videos with incredible detail.
Plus, you can enjoy seamless editing features like live stitching that allow quick video creation within no time. And it comes with a tripod and multiple mounts too.
This makes it one of the best 360 VR cameras in its segment and perfect for beginners. While it’s not specifically made for real estate, you can use it for that purpose too.
With this piece of tech, taking virtual tours has never been easier – just make sure to bring the OrBit along wherever work takes you.
The only downside is that the camera doesn’t perform well in low light conditions and comes with a bit of a steep learning curve.
Features
- Dual 20MP CMOS Sensors
- Three Multi-View Angles: 360º Shperical / VR Mode, 197º 4K Ultra Wide Mode, 235º Dome Mode
- YouTube™ and Facebook™ 360º Photos & Videos
- Mac or PC Desktop Editing Software (included with purchase)
- Supports Micro SD Card up to 256GB
- FREE iOS™/ANDROID™ App for wireless control
Price: Starting at $199.99
2. Ricoh Theta SC2
If you’re a fan of 360-degree real estate photography, then the Ricoh Theta SC2 4K Spherical VR Camera could be just what you need.
Its sleek, portable, and lightweight design means you can take it with you wherever you go, making it the ideal camera for capturing panoramic views on the move, even for beginners.
With its high-speed interface-compatible image sensor, the Theta SC2 is capable of recording 4K video. Additionally, the camera is equipped with a shake correction function to ensure your footage is stable and smooth. It also allows for up to 3 minutes of recording time.
The Ricoh Theta SC2 boasts a dedicated night mode, which enables it to capture stunning virtual tours under artificial lighting conditions. It’s no surprise that this feature has earned the camera high praise from users who have reported great results in projects such as 3D house tours and interior design.
Its only downside is the HDR camera, which can make the exposure too blown out if the lighting from, for example, a bright sky is too bright.
Features
- Power Bank
- 4K Video
- Face Detection
- Night View
- Bluetooth Connection
- TL-1 Lens Cap and Lens Pen Bundle
Price: $329.99
The Ultimate All-in-One
Real Estate Photographer Business Platform
Grow a successful real estate photography business with PhotoUp.
3. Insta360 X3 360-Degree Camera
The Insta360 X3 is easily one of the most versatile 360 cameras out there. The sheer amount of features coupled with the camera’s superb image quality makes it well worth its asking price.
Not only can you use the Ricoh Theta SC2 to capture 360-degree photos and videos, but you can also use it to record from a single lens if you prefer.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a top-notch 360-degree camera for real estate tours and more, the Insta360 X3 is an excellent option to consider. Its standout feature is its roomy display, which makes framing shots and vlogging much easier.
Features
- Dual 1/2″ 48MP Sensors
- 4K Single-Lens Mode
- 64GB microSD Card and 1x Lens Cap
- Ability to Record Time-Lapses in 8K Resolution
- 72MP Photo Mode
- 360 Horizon Lock
- Impossible Third Person View: Option to Hide the Selfie Stick for a Floating View
- Waterproof
If you’re in the market for a versatile camera, the Insta360 X3 is a great choice that can handle a range of use cases. While it may not be designed specifically for real estate photography, it can certainly get the job done.
However, it’s worth noting that the battery life is rated at only 75 minutes, so if you’re working on a lengthy project, you may find the device to be somewhat limiting.
Price: $496
4. Pergear Trisio Lite 2 8K Virtual Tour Camera
Pergear manufactures one of the most affordable and underappreciated 360 cameras available in the market.
Based on numerous reviews, their Trisio Lite 2 camera is acclaimed as the top-notch professional 360 degree camera for conducting real estate virtual tours. And the credit goes to the camera’s 8K resolution and Pergear’s advanced processing algorithms.
At first glance, the Pergear Trisio Lite 2 may appear unremarkable. Its outdated appearance, lack of display, and bulky frame do not inspire confidence.
However, the real magic lies beneath the surface, thanks to Pergear’s exceptional processing algorithms for real estate photography.
Features
- 8GB of Onboard Storage
- Commercial Lens and Noderotate Technology
- Any Scene Full-scene Adaptive Imaging System
- 200 Minutes of Runtime Battery
- APP Remote Controlling for One-click Shooting & Automatic Splicing
Overall, it’s a lightweight camera that can compete against 360 cameras that are more than double the price.
Price: $399
5. GoPro Max
GoPro Max is a well-known brand in the action camera industry, and they appear to have extended their success to 360 cameras with the GoPro Max.
This waterproof 360-degree camera boasts the ability to record videos in 5.6K resolution and is suitable for live streaming real estate tours in 1080p resolution.
The Insta360 X3 and the GoPro Max are competitors when it comes to features and pricing. Although both cameras capture footage at the same resolution, the Insta360 X3 has a better frame rate than the GoPro Max.
However, the GoPro Max offers the flexibility to use a single lens for a traditional GoPro look, just like the Insta360 X3.
Features
- Single-Lens HERO and Dual-Lens 360 Camera
- Capture Immersive 360 Footage in 6K1
- PowerPano Features
- GoPro App
- HyperSmooth Stabilization
- Digital Lenses
- Waterproof
Unless you’re interested in live streaming or already have invested in GoPro accessories, it may not be worthwhile to consider the GoPro Max for real estate use as it’s not specifically designed for that purpose.
Price: $504.95
360 Camera FAQ
How is a 360 camera different from a standard camera?
A camera with 360-degree capability features two lenses instead of the traditional single lens. It captures images simultaneously from both lenses, which are then merged together to create a seamless, panoramic 360-degree image.
What is the disadvantage of a 360 camera?
The disadvantage of a 360 camera is that you can’t zoom. These cameras are suitable for capturing the entire space. You can of course crop images later, but it’s not meant for capturing distant objects in high definition.
Is a panorama image the same as a 360-degree image?
No, panoramas are different since they capture only a 2D image. A 360 camera captures the scene just like how you would see it in 3D.
How long does a typical 360 camera record?
Clip length can be set to 15, 30, or 60 seconds. Hyperlapses support recording times of up to 30 minutes, and time-lapses offer longer recording times. The world’s smallest stabilized camera.
How do you take 360 pictures without being in them?
To capture scenes without appearing in them, the conventional method is to conceal oneself. If a hiding spot is available, mount your 360 camera on a tripod and establish a wifi connection between it and your smartphone to remotely capture footage from your concealed location.
What is the range of a 360 camera?
Cameras typically have a field of view that extends from a few degrees up to nearly 180 degrees, occasionally even slightly more. This indicates that they can receive light from all directions that fall onto their focal points, effectively capturing a spherical view.
Now that you know the best 360 cameras available, let’s take a look at how to easily transform your 360 images into a real estate virtual tour with PhotoUP.
It's Time To Level-Up Your
Real Estate Marketing
Capture more leads with virtual tours and single property websites.
Create Your Virtual House Tour With PhotoUp!
With PhotoUp’s virtual tour service, you can create a professional and compelling virtual tour in as little as 5 minutes. You can even create a free 3D tour to try our services out.
PhotoUp’s virtual home tours allow you to:
- Use any 360 camera that shoots JPEGs
- Take advantage of AI enhancement to boost image quality
- Get white-labeled images and links
- Take full control over your tours with simple image pinning for each scene
- Show off home upgrades and amenities by pinning home notes to images
- Get unlimited hosting for your virtual tours
- And more.
In minutes, you can create beautiful, simple virtual tours to help your clients market properties and attract leads.
Plus, you can add other tour features, such as floor plans or 3D virtual stagings, to your orders.
All you need to do is:
- Take photos of the space using a 360 camera
- Sign up for a free PhotoUp account and upload your images to our software
- Create your virtual tour from walkthrough to exit
- Publish and share it on all your networks
PhotoUp Virtual Tour Demo
To see how easy it is to get started using PhotoUp’s software, check out our virtual tour demo:
As simple as that!
PhotoUp – Your Real Estate Marketing Partner
Additionally, PhotoUp is a complete one-stop-shop and also offers other real estate marketing services such as:
- Real estate photo editing
- Virtual staging
- Floor plans
- Video editing
- Single property websites
- Custom websites
- House portraits
- Virtual assistants
- And more!
We have everything you need to market your real estate listings under one roof!
Sign up for a free PhotoUp account today, and give your listing the wow factor it deserves!
We hope this blog post helped you find the best 360 camera for your individual real estate photography needs. Before you go, you may also want to check out these related resources:
