How to make 360 tours with any camera and lens

Also used for high-end virtual tours, learn how any camera and any lens can be used to create 360 panos. Below are the pertinent links mentioned in this video:
The finished 360 Panos created in this video:
remotehomeshowi...
My e-book on virtual tour photography:
amzn.to/31cDpXp
Tutorial on how to calibrate a pano head:
• Calibrating a Pano Hea...
Tutorial on making your first 360 pano with a DSLR:
• Your First DSLR 360 Vi...
Tutorial on pano head lock knobs (to easily snap to angles):
• Pano Head Knobs and 36...
Tutorial on simple interior 360 tour:
• Interior, all-ambient ...
Tutorial on incorporating flash to a 360 tour:
• 360 Virtual Tours with...
Tutorial on PTGui Essentials:
• PTGui Essentials for V...
Nodal Ninja pano head used in this video:
www.bhphotovid...
A less expensive but recommended pano head:
amzn.to/3dxbvKw
12mm Samyang fisheye lens used in this video:
amzn.to/3iXqNcF

[@mansza_man]

great video.. very informative and presented in a beautiful way... thnx for the video..

[@gaiamyhome]

Super video ! Thanks a lot 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thank you too!

[@Amr-Ibrahim-AI]

Thank you so much for the great explanation Nathan! :)

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

My pleasure!

[@adilsonmoralezfotografo2529]

Excellent video Nathan, as usual. You answered a lot of my questions on it. After that, I'm totally happy with my Sigma 8mm. For me, doesn't make sense longer lenses based on the huge extra work they require. Thanks

[@MarkHarveyArt]

Cool video, and answered a lot of questions

[@brucevincentiis5680]

Another informative video - always look forward to them :) Is the spreadsheet available for download? I know we can just pause the video....but

[@DavidCunninghamRE]

I have a Tamron 10-24 I use for real estate but it was gonna take a lot of shots. I went on and ordered the rokinon 8mm fisheye and the nodal ninja 6. Made it much easier.

[@whywelovephotography]

Thanks, it was very useful!

[@habinkhari5374]

Thank you

[@KalebQi]

I have a 15mm Laowa Macro on FF Canon. 110 FOV. I'll be getting that 12mm Fisheye if I do enough 360 for agents. Gotta figure out pricing that makes sense. Just bought PTGui Pro and your 7 Kindle Edition Books. Wish me luck! Thanks for the videos

[@andycaps1000]

HI - I have been following your video - can you share your spreadsheet?

[@EfrainEAC]

Hi Nathan, Thanks for sharing all that knowledge, I've seen a lot of videos so far your's are the best explained and your technique is so easy to follow. Definitely I'm thinking on getting your eBooks. I'm wondering can I use one pano head like the neewer Brand and do the same or there is something that only nodal ninja can do? I'm exploring about what gear to get for start. I have an 14mm samyang for trying this technique you're explaining here. Thanks!

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks! The Neewer head is a good head and will work for many cases. You can always get it, try it, and return it if it doesn't suit your needs.

[@leensen]

Hi Nathan! I was wandering what hardware setup use for you computer. I know that doing virtual tour doesn't take much but I was curious of what you use. Great video as always.

[@NigeriaFunk]

Thanks!

[@jinishupadhyay7414]

Thanks for this informative video , I am hobbist , motivated by your explanation .can u recomend a lens which i can use for virtual tour and astrophotography .

[@timelesstruths]

Answered my question, thank you

[@beschken]

Great Video. have you tested the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye? and how does it compare to offbrand ones (e.g. Laowa etc.)?. thank you.

[@PPMTechnologiesHoldingsLLC]

Thanks for the instructional Nathan. I am curious how these techniques would apply to someone (myself) who wants to produce a 360 walk AROUND video of an object in the center of the room. So not necessarily moving through a room but there would be a piece of equipment that i would like to encircle. Thank you!

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

You're very welcome. I think you may be talking about a different animal, like this perhaps? glo3dapp.com/

[@PPMTechnologiesHoldingsLLC]

@@NathanCoolPhoto That was exactly what i was looking for, thank you so much for sharing the link.

[@suitcasejunkies8719]

Very awesome video, thank you for making it. Question, can I use this fisheye lens for my a6600, Sony VCLECF2 10-13mm f/2.8-22?

[@jessyjames3548]

Excellent video, and very interesting this topic. Just one question! When you say fish eye, which mm length should I look for? I think there are different fisheye style lenses with different ranges of view (slightly). Which would be the best one for this technique? I’m in canon and I found a 15mm advertised as a Fisheye, but I think it will be not that wide enough. My current widest lens is a 16mm, how can I calculate the shots for that one? Thanks? Again, great content!

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks! I talk about lenses and technique in my guide to virtual tour photography, here's a link if you'd like to check that out: amzn.to/4aTxXej

[@MrSergeSable]

With a 14 mm lens, how many frames do you need to take?

[@user-bh5pp9mv5v]

Very useful guides! Does it matter which tripod I use as long as it can support my panohead/camera setup? For 360 VTs I'm undecided between Manfrotto 290x Pro3 or Manfrotto BeFree, same price point, description says they both support way over my setup - A7III , Samyang 8mm f2.8 , Neweer Panohead

[@noellucas60]

Hi Nathan. In your book you write about the Cam ranger. I watched the website and saw the motorized tripod head. Do you think it is interesting or a gadget expensive? Thank you.

[@Area360pl]

Thanks for your video. Nathan. If I have a 16 mm lens but not a fish Eye the angle of view is 83 How many Photos must I take for 360 spherical PANO?? Thanks.

[@cronuschok3492]

I am able to create my own 360 pano image after watching a few of your videos. Thanks! But is there any tutorial or reference to teach us how to embed/implement the 360 photo into a website like what you did in 19:14?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Hi Cronus, I cover that in various other videos, and I talk about it, step-by-step in a lot more detail in my e-book on virtual tours, here's a link to that if you'd like to check that out: amzn.to/3dARToU

[@cronuschok3492]

@@NathanCoolPhoto ok thanks! Will definitely look into it!

[@Leo_Arango]

Thank you so much for the thorough explanation. I recently bought a Sony A7III and some other gear. Right now I’m on a budget and kind of want to know if I can buy a different lense than the amazing/pricy Sony FE 12-24 mm F8. I can’t afford it right now and I do want to start creating content but I don’t want to take 60 pictures. I only want to take 5. What do you recommend?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Here ya go, just four around, zenith and nadir optional: amzn.to/3op4S3R

[@Leo_Arango]

@@NathanCoolPhoto thank you so much!

[@jordiseroiferrer8247]

Hi Nathan, Do you have any tutorial where you indicate how to set up a photography equipment to take 360º photos? I currently work with the Ricoh Theta Z1, but I would like to make a leap in quality. I have doubts about which team to mount. I have a budget of € 1,500 Great job yours! All the best!

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Here's a links of my videos on virtual tours, also there is more info in my e-book: kzbin.infosearch?query=virtual

[@jacobhryhorchuk8890]

Do you need an llc to start?

[@hassankoussan3868]

Hi Nathon, great tutorial as always. You provide a great knowledge in photography. I did my 360 pano using Nikon d850 wth Sigma 14mm fisheye 180 FOV. everything worked OK except my 360 pano tour looked skewed when I look around. I am not sure why. could please help. Thanks.

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks! I'd have to see first hand what you're talking about and go through your footage with you and the steps you're taking and with what software. That would require a private session with me. If it comes to that, you can email me at [e-mail] for more info on pricing and availability.

[@noellucas60]

Hi mister Nathan. I have all ebook, and I look for the ninja 6, and I saw two models, 6001 and 6002 with nadir adapter. Which one I need to buy? Also, is the rd10 good for the samyang 12mm? Another question: what is the height of the light stand you use. For the real estate photos I plan to use my 20 mm Nikon Ais. The Quality is good on my d750. What do you think? Thank you. Best regards.

[@matthewelms9696]

Hi Nathan, excellent tutorial. I don’t have a full frame camera and have been searching for a suitable lens for my first 360 tour. I have come across the Opteka 6.5mm f/3.5 HD for Canon cameras which seems to take a full 180 degree shot. Do you think this lens would be suitable, and if not is there a lens that you could recommend for an APS-C camera that isn’t overly expensive? Thanks.

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Here ya go: amzn.to/3hGmZi4

[@matthewelms9696]

@@NathanCoolPhoto thanks!!

[@frdigi]

great video! i see Lightroom also does HDR panos. Is PTGui a lot better or could i get the same results with Lightroom?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks! You need software that stitches "spherical" panos, not just panos. That's where PTGui comes in. There are other options as well, which I talk about in my virtual tour guide, here's a link if you want to check that out: amzn.to/2MfdyJY

[@p.burley4533]

Why am I simply use a 360° camera, since you have to scale down the JPEG for the viewing software anyway?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

The quality is night and day. A resized JPG from a DSLR pano will be much, much better than what a portable 360 camera can provide. Portable 360° cameras, like the Theta Z1, are fine for some jobs, but they can't provide the results that a DSLR can (even when shooting in RAW on a Z1). Each has their place/market, but when you need high-end, then the portable 360s won't cut it. I break this down in more detail, along with workflows for both portable 360s and DSLRs in my virtual tour guide, here's a link if you'd like to check that out: amzn.to/3tfdoCG

[@laje2610]

great video, thanks. so it it correct that i would get a better image quality with a 14 mm lens on my Canon EOS R, than with a fisheye? i need the quality to be good enough for 360 in VR googles

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks! The bigger the lens, the more images, hence the bigger the final 360 pano, thus higher resolution.

[@KalebQi]

Hmm I see in the Virtual Tour book you mention hosting yourself, but I'm curious how most clients want to display their tours. Is it enough for them to share your self hosted tour or do they often want it some other way? I was thinking of just getting a domain that I dedicate to sharing tours and the only deliverable to a client would be the URL then right?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Hi Kaleb, start out simple, then advance. Just use Cloudpano for now, get your feet wet, and then take it from there...if you need to.

[@jaguarjj]

Very valuable information, I have a question please I have only geared head 410 junior from Manfrotto, I don't have a ball head, when I mount the pano head on my 055x manfrotto legs, the camera gets unleveled, how is it possible to level it by then plz?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

You can either adjust the length of the tripod legs slightly, and/or use a leveler like this one: amzn.to/2MtK63p

[@filipwielechowski1819]

Hey Nathan, great video! What would you say is the best lense to use on a full frame camera? The fish eyes seem easiest to shoot and stitch but the quality is worst PLUS most of the fish eye lenses are very old especially for Sony A7 full frame mount so I would expect lower quality in general. I personally was thinking about something 12-16mm non fish eye, such as Laowa 15 f2 no-d or samyang 14mm 2,8 which comes in a regular variant and in newer XP one (not sony fe though). What would you say about that? Also does shooting with a lens that does not generate exif files makes it any harder to post process or stitch?

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Thanks Filip. The "best" lens for your camera is the "best" lens you can find, as far as quality goes. The best lens for productivity though would be the widest angle of view; thus, a fisheye, requiring fewer shots per scene. This, using a DSLR/mirrorless camera would still be miles better than using a portable 360 camera like the Thetas, Insta360s, etc. So it depends on the work you want to do, how much effort you want to put into it, and what your budget is. This though should do quite well: amzn.to/3403EkO

[@613dawn]

I picked up a manual focus fish eye lens for my Canon 5Dii. I'm struggling to know where I should focus? Should I do f/8 and try to find the hyperfocal point? I tried today using someone's suggestion of setting infinity and it's not great. I'm still playing with it so if anyone has a suggestion, please let me know. It's kind of hard to see even in live view what's in focus because it is so wide.

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Hi Dawn, you should take a look at a depth of field calculator to make sure, but basically infinity on a fisheye lens will get everything in focus from just a foot or two away. If you aren't getting good results, then you need to test your focus, something I talk about in a video at kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWTNeYx_bt97qKc

[@613dawn]

@@NathanCoolPhoto thanks I'll try that. Infinity wasn't great so I hope the video will help.

[@613dawn]

I watched that video that you suggested and tested my lens with the calibration tool I have. Infinity does look better at 2' and it helped a lot to know that RAW are not automatically sharp. I used your suggestion after I stitched to sharpen them and it helped the photos I did already. Thanks. I'll still keep testing it a few times at my house before I try a paid job.

[@ab2saf610]

Hi Nathan, hope you are doing well, Regaring how to make 360 tours with any camera and lens I am reading your book and following all your videos on KZbin, i noticed that you never talk about what type of DSLR Camera you are using, or what is the best DSLR camera for Virtual tours, i really apriciate your help to choose the right DSLR. This is the list of the material i would like to get, i would like to have your opinion : Nikon D850 or Canon 5d mark IV Samyang 12mm F2.8 Ultra Wide Fisheye or Canon EF 8-15mm f / 4.0L Fisheye USM lens Manfrotto Tripod 190XPROB Nodal Ninja 6 GODOX AD200Pro Many thanks in advance,

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Hi Ab2 Saf, I think you might have missed that as I do talk about my cameras in the Virtual Tour Photography book (and in my other books as well). In the Virtual Tour book, look at the section ""DSLR Gear" in the "Gear Chapter", which contains sections on camera body, lens, and more. And more importantly, it explains "why" certain gear is preferred over others, thus allowing you to make a more informed decision based on the gear you have now, and the gear you may want to get. Here's a link to the e-book in case you need it for reference: amzn.to/3je7qfw

[@pawel-951]

Hi Nathan,what do you think about using high mpix camera (i.e.d850) for virtual tours? That would allow us to still use 12mm fisheye and make high resolution panoramas without need of having 60 photos or so for one spot

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Hi Pawel, it's a great question but not an easy one to answer in brief. To better understand why certain cameras and lenses are preferred over others, as well as what I use and why, you might want to take a look at my Virtual Tour e-book, in particular the section "DSLR Gear" in the "Gear Chapter", which contains sections on camera body, lens, and more. This explains "why" certain gear is preferred over others, thus allowing you to make a more informed decision based on the gear you have now, and the gear you may want to get. Here's a link to the e-book if you'd like to check that out: amzn.to/3je7qfw

[@pawel-951]

@@NathanCoolPhoto Thanks,I've bought this e-book already. I've learned a lot from yours previous books and I'm sure this one will be no exemption

[@williamschmidt9336]

Nathan - on the Laowa 12mn lens with 121 degrees of view, couldn’t you get by with just 2 rows? One at -30 and one +30.

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Although that *could* work, you will risk more stitching errors, thus increasing the amount of time in post compared to the little extra time in shooting that extra row ;)

[@williamschmidt9336]

I forgot about the stitching error potential. The fisheye option is really the way to go!

[@rickmendonca8618]

Can this be accomplished with the Sony A7iii and Samyang 12mm f2.8 ultrawide fisheye lens

[@NathanCoolPhoto]

Well, the title of the video would say "Yes" :) Any camera, any lens :)