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What better way to visualize interiors and exteriors than by showing 360-degree photos and videos of a property? With more people viewing properties online, you can level up your real estate
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With its 8K video resolution, 20-megapixel stills resolution, and stabilization, the Kandao QooCam 360 Camera is the best camera for real estate photographers who need to shoot 3D and high-quality 360 photos.
When looking for a 360 camera, you want to know what features you need before purchasing. Take a look at the specifications of each of the best 360 cameras to determine which one suits your needs.
The Kandao QooCam 360 Digital Camera is a high-quality 360 camera for real estate
Compared to the other cameras, this video camera offers versatility for creating virtual property viewings. Some agents may offer live-stream video services, particularly for clients who can't personally visit properties. Fortunately, this video camera allows you to set up 360 live-streaming for YouTube and Facebook easily.
What's also impressive about the QooCam is its ability to choose cut-down or widescreen formats without losing video resolution. In effect, its VR videos retain dynamic range, color, and contrast.
All of this comes in 10-bit color with stabilization, meaning that the KanDao QooCam’s 360 photos and video feature plenty of detail and contrast. As a bonus, this 360 camera comes with an editing software app for efficient clip stitching.
The Insta360 ONE X action camera is another great 360 camera for your real estate
While the ONE X camera only has an 18-megapixel sensor for stills resolution, this unit is much better than the KanDao QooCam in terms of weight and ergonomics. Despite emphasizing portability, its small size can include a FlowState stabilization technology to eliminate motion shake.
Furthermore, the Insta360 ONE X camera contains a fisheye lens for panoramic viewing and perspective manipulation. You can maximize this lens in HDR, timelapse, and Bullet Time video shooting modes. After capturing such effects, you can edit your video clips using the OverCapture app.
If you're looking for one of the best 360 cameras with a low price yet quality video features, the Vuze VR Camera is an excellent starter camera to capture real estate stills and video.
More than that, it uses dual-lens to capture 5.7K video footage. Likewise, you can record 4K video at 60 fps and take 360 photos with a 18MP quality. Together with live-stream capability and in-camera stitching, this can make Vuze advantageous for vlogging.
It has a weaker battery life, as this video camera only lasts 50 minutes of continuous shooting. To make up for this battery life, the in-app stabilization and stills resolution of Vuze is at par with the Insta360 video cameras.
The Insta360 One X2 is the ultimate device for HDR shooting because of its stabilization feature that helps shoot in low-light and varying exposures. The One X2 also allows RAW shooting to boost picture and video quality.
With 5.7K shooting at 30fps, the single lens on this 360 camera has the same video quality and stills resolution as Vuze, although this quality 360 video camera has much better power at 80 mins of battery life.
In terms of ergonomics, this 360 camera weighs almost similar to the GoPro Max, although it only has a single lens. Despite being waterproof without a case, the GoPro Hero Max package comes with a selfie stick, which becomes invisible in your stitching process.
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In terms of 360 video and stills resolution, the GoPro Max offers the same video quality as the One X2 and Vuze. Although, the GoPro Max improves quality for stills resolution due to its HyperSmooth image stabilization technology.
Being an action camera, the GoPro Max is perfect for real estate video that require movement to show a lifestyle setting. The lens on the GoPro Max still produces sharp 360 video clips even when you zoom.
Whether you prefer compact setups, the Insta360 ONE R 4K Edition, provides quality 360 video quality recording and 65 minutes of action despite its compact size and weight.
Like Vuze, the One R Twin video camera has 5.7K and 4K video resolution at 60 fps due to the device's two separate lens modules. The1-inch sensor on the Insta360 ONE R tends to compress 360 photos because of its narrower angle of view. However, the One R is still helpful in recording third-person video footage.
Similar to the other Insta360 models, including the Insta360 Evo, the One R Twin Edition features a FlowState stabilization technology that enables you to track and focus on subjects even as you pan or zoom.
Real estate photographers typically use the best 360 cameras to produce VR content. The Ricoh Theta Spherical Camera is the solution for those who want a simple way to stitch 360 video photos and video. It even has an editing app that allows you to view a 360 video in VR, similar to other models like the Ricoh Theta Z1.
The Theta only has a 14-megapixel sensor, which is significantly lower than its counterparts. However, this feature helps the device save power and enables you to shoot with high quality for up to 80 minutes.
Furthermore, it still uses dual lenses to record quality 360 videos of up to 4K. Lastly, at 4.3 ounces, the Theta V's 1-inch sensor is smaller and lighter than the recent Ricoh Theta Z1.
Photographers have varying shooting styles, and consequently, needs and preferred features. After seeing the top-rated options to shoot 3D for real estate
| Camera | Sensor | Video Quality | Weight (Ounces) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kandao QooCam | 20MP | 8K video at 30 fps and 4K at 120 fps | 8.06 |
| Insta360 ONE X | 18MP | 5.7K video at 50 fps 3K at 100 fps | 3.21 |
| Vuze 3D | 18MP | 5.7K at 30 fps and 4K at 60 fps | 7.5 |
| Insta360 ONE X2 | 18MP | 5K at 30 fps and 4K at 50 fps | 5.3 |
| GoPro Hero MAX | 16MP | 5K at 30 fps | 5.75 |
| Insta360 ONE R Twin | 18MP | 5K and 4K at 60 fps | 2.46 |
| Ricoh Theta V | 14MP | 4K at 30 fps | 4.3 |
A 360 video camera's sensor must contain a high megapixel count to produce more detailed photos with vivid colors.
The KanDao QooCam boasts the best sensor at 20 megapixels. Adding photo stabilization, this video camera can record high-resolution shots that provide better flexibility when editing and stitching clips.
Video recording is one of the essential uses of the best 360 cameras in real estate
If you're looking for a greater resolution, you may want something with at least 5.7K video. Despite the high price, this will give extra detail to your images and videos, which can be great for action shots or closeups.
For instance, the KanDao QooCam lets you shoot 8K and 4K at 120 fps. Meanwhile, the Insta360 ONE X can shoot 5K at 50 fps. The Vuze, One X2, and GoPro MAX 360 cameras can also record 5K.
When shooting in 360 degrees, look for something that's at least 4K to capture sharp details, colors, and contrast.
As opposed to photographers who need to shoot videos all the time, the 4K at 60 fps of Insta360 One R Twin and 4K at 30 fps of Theta V should be enough for basic shooting.
The thing about 360 cameras is that they usually come with a fisheye lens to capture a wider angle of view. However, this also results in distortion, so shooting requires technique.
While none of these models contain back-to-back fisheye lenses, they all feature ultra-wide lenses for flexibility. However, KanDao works much better because of its 3 wide-angle lenses.
This kind of camera should help property agents, sellers, and buyers have a satisfying virtual tour as if they are walking in the actual property. For this reason, you wouldn't want to make viewers stop viewing the video because they feel dizzy or disoriented with the camera movements.
The good thing is that all of the high quality 360 cameras we reviewed contain stabilization technologies that smoothen angles as you glide, pan, or zoom.
Battery life is another crucial factor, especially if you'll be shooting hundreds of photos of massive properties. You also need to consider this if you don't have several spare batteries or time for charging.
In such cases, GoPro would be the top pick because of its 85-minute battery life. The Insta360 ONE X2 and Theta V come close at 80 minutes.
Unlike the others, the KanDao QooCam and Vuze have the weakest battery power at 45 minutes and 50 minutes, respectively. However, this is because they can shoot in higher video resolutions, which consumes too much power.
Is a 360 camera easy to set up and use? Would it take you a few seconds to modify settings, or do you need to spend minutes adjusting controls?
Lighting can change within seconds, especially when shooting during dusk or dawn. Hence, it's important that your camera has buttons or controls you can use quickly. Furthermore, it can save you time if your camera has a dedicated app to let you control shooting modes using a mobile phone.
A waterproof design is an optional yet useful feature to have in a quality 360-degree camera, especially if you're usually photographing exteriors.
The 360 cameras from KanDao, Insta360, and GoPro have waterproof bodies. Compared to the others, the Vuze and Theta V need separate waterproof cases, although they have rugged designs.
Some real estate photographers need lightweight cameras for a more compact setup, while others welcome the added weight to balance and level monopods.
The Insta360 One R Twin is the most lightweight option at 2.46 ounces, perfect if you prefer pocket-sized cameras. Meanwhile, the KanDao QooCam is the heaviest, although this is due to the larger sensor and high megapixel count.
You can use the 360-degree camera when you want to capture a broader scene, such as panoramas. However, using a 360 might be challenging due to its heavy distortion that comes as a result of the ultra-wide-angle fisheye lens, making the camera have lower versatility compared to other cameras.
Yes, 3D VR is vital in real estate photography because it creates a virtual reality experience using 3D photos, videos, and graphics through a headset. A VR version is much better than two-dimensional pictures in helping buyers and sellers visualize properties in terms of the actual specifications and features.
For real estate photographers, an all-purpose tripod, selfie stick, waterproof case, battery base, and smart remote are among the best accessories to unlock the full potential of 360 cameras.
With these best 360 cameras in 2021, you can capture photos and video for virtual tours, listings, and marketing materials of agents and realtors. As long as you pair it with the right editing software, you can create high-quality content and grow as a real estate photographer.
