Which 360 panorama is right for you?

Rather than limit our clients to one set type of panorama, we offer two different formats of 360 panorama; they are spherical and full spherical.

Spherical panoramas (360º by 160º)

A spherical panorama enables you to look through a full 360° horizontally, and approximately 160° to 170° vertically. 

To avoid seeing the tripod in the nadir of the panorama (the bottom 10° to 20°) we use a ‘tripod cap’ to cover the area, or we limit the downward view in the panorama viewing software, so it’s not visible.

We recommend using spherical panoramas when the downward view not of great interest.

The advantages are:

  • 160° vertical field of view is ideal when the main areas of interest are in the horizontal and upper fields of view.
  • Tripod caps can provide the viewer with contract details, company logo, or whatever you wish to show.
  • They cost less to create than full spherical panoramas.

Full spherical panoramas (360º by 180º)

A full spherical panorama enables you to look through a full 360° horizontally, and 180° vertically. 

The floor beneath the camera position is patched seamlessly into the panorama, providing you with an uninterrupted view in all directions.

While full spherical panoramas take longer to create, they provide you with a more immersive and engaging experience. An experience that is as close as possible, to viewing the scene in person. 

We recommend using full spherical panoramas when there are interesting features in both the ceiling and floor areas, or for virtual tours where an immersive experience is all important. They are also the only format of 360° panorama we recommend for virtual tours viewed using a head-mounted display.

The advantages are:

  • 180° vertical field of view is ideal for situations where there are interesting features throughout the scene; above, below and all around.
  • Ideal for showing confined spaces, such as the cockpit of an aircraft or the interior of a car.
  • Full-screen spherical panoramas are more immersive and engaging; a 360° panorama with no compromise.
  • Perfect for virtual tours viewed on HMDs.
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