Shooting a VR tour is a little like shooting a standard panoramic photograph. Both captures a 360° view. Some of the differences are:
- VR tour is a continuous view of the 360° view instead of a flat view
- VR tour may includes a view of the ceiling or sky
- VR tour could provide multiple viewing locations (centre of the 360° spin)
To properly shoot a panoramic photograph (one that is free of
parallax), a panoramic tripod head is required. To shoot cubical or spherical VR, the panoramic tripod head needs to be able to spin the camera upward (toward the ceiling / sky). So, here is the equipment list:
- Nikon D2x DSLR with remote release control
- Sigma 10-20 mm lens
- Nodal Ninja 3 panoramic tripod head
- Tripod
- Nikon D200 DSLR as a backup camera
To prepare for a test shoot, I visited the location and try to identify challenges. Here are some of the challenges found:
- Different colour lights
- Bright outside light through the front
- Structural support poles
- Mirrors
