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Tips for Shooting 360-degree Video

Your VIRB® 360 camera may be unlike cameras you have used before. Traditional cameras capture a fixed, rectangular field of view, which requires you to frame shots carefully and follow the subject to keep it in the frame. The VIRB 360 camera captures a full 360-degree sphere of video, recording everything around it, in every direction.

Shooting 360-degree video requires some considerations that may differ from traditional video recording.

  • Put the VIRB 360 camera in the middle of the action.

    A traditional forward-shooting camera is often placed with all the action in front of it. Because the VIRB 360 camera records in all directions, you should consider every angle and place the camera so that interesting video can be recorded in front, behind, above, and below the camera.

  • Avoid blocking portions of the video sphere.

    You may block a large portion of the recorded video sphere if you hold the camera closely in front of you or place it near a wall or other obstruction. You should place the camera where it has a clear view of the surroundings in all directions.

  • Point the front lens toward the primary subject.

    Although the camera records in all directions, the initial view for a 360-degree video centers on the front lens.

  • Try placing the camera in a higher position to capture a broader, less-obstructed view.

    A higher vantage point often provides a clearer, wider view. When recording action, you can hold the camera higher using the included tripod and grip, or you can mount the camera above you using an optional head mount or helmet mount. When recording an event, you can use a tripod to place the camera in a higher location that provides a line of sight above crowds and other visual obstructions.

  • Check the lighting conditions in all directions.

    When feasible, you should use the remote viewfinder in the Garmin® VIRB app to verify the lighting conditions in all directions from the camera.

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