7 tools every 360 video beginner needs

This article is part of an extensive series of articles to walk creators through the process of making a 360-degree video, from start to finish.

Every beginner will have a much easier time getting started shooting 360 video if they have the tools they’ll need to succeed from the beginning. Here’s what you will need to shoot, stitch and edit your first 360 video.

A 360 camera.

Our recommendations are available here. For those on a very tight budget, we recommend the Insta360 One ($238). If your budget offers a bit more flexibility, we recommend the Insta360 One X ($399). The GoPro Fusion ($599) is a solid intermediate option. At a professional price point, the Insta360 Pro ($2799) and Pro 2 ($5299).

A smartphone.

This is used to change camera settings, preview what you’re about to shoot, and control the camera remotely (all three cameras above support iOS and Android devices)

A microphoneThis is a description of a microphone it goes here and it's long so that we see if it gets cut off..

A lavalier microphoneThis is a description of a microphone it goes here and it's long so that we see if it gets cut off. and recording device will be a necessity for interview audio when recording someone on-camera. If you plan to record audio off-camera, you can use any type of microphoneThis is a description of a microphone it goes here and it's long so that we see if it gets cut off..

You can use the camera’s built-in microphones for ambient sound or you can upgrade your quality with the Zoom H2N (Amazon $170; B&H Photo $170), which can record spatial audio.

A tripod.

Many immersive shooters use light stands or monopods with feet stabilized with weights to minimize the footprint of the tripod (so you don’t have to clone out as much beneath the camera).

Here is our full list of recommended stabilization devices.

A selfie stick.

This is especially valuable if you go with the Insta360 One X or GoPro Fusion, which both offer overcapture features. Overcapture is the ability to crop out traditional, fixed frame video from 360 shots.

Although the quality is not quite HD and may not be high-quality enough for some uses, it is handy for social media and can help you capture unique shots, such as ultra wide angleA lens or focal length that shows more in the frame than a typical human field of view. (As opposed to a telephoto lens ... More shots, 360-degree pans, easy selfie stand-ups, and even over-the shoulder/walk behind/invisible camera operator shots for one-person shoots.

Learn more about how you can use overcapture in journalism here.

Note that the three cameras we recommend above all have built-in stabilization features, so hand-holding them should be okay in most cases. If you want a super stable shot, you can also check out the Gimbal Guru Moza Guru 360 gimbal.

A stitching solution.

For better results and fastest processing, we recommend doing any major stitching on a computer rather than your smartphone. All three of the 360 cameras listed in our recommendation linked above come with decent, free stitching software for desktop.

The Fusion’s companion software does a particularly good job, in my opinion. However, if you require more robust stitching control, you may consider a subscription to MistikaVR, the industry-leading stitching software (49€ per month for the personal plan, or 69€ a month for the professional plan). It offers presets for nearly every 360 camera, and has a number of useful features, including stabilization tools, color matching across lenses (if the light is unbalanced across your lenses, this will be a wonderful tool for you).

Here is my workflow for using MistikaVR to stitch 360 video.

And here is my workflow for using GoPro’s Fusion Studio.

An editing software.

My software of choice is Premiere Pro. However, I’ve heard many good things about the performance of Final Cut Pro in regards to editing 360-degree video.

Although this choice will likely come down to what you are used to, it seems that Adobe/Premiere does a better job of adding new tools that are handy for 360 video editors on a regular basis, but Final Cut Pro performs more seamlessly.

Here is my workflow for using Premiere Pro to edit 360 video.

You may also consider some plug-ins to improve and expand what you can do with your 360 videos. GoPro offers free plugins that allow you to choose the center of your video, fix the horizon and insertClose-up shot of an object or detail previously seen in a wider angle. flat text and images into your 360 video without distortion. There is also Mocha Pro 2019, which allows you to remove tripods, rovers and drones; remove other objects in the frame; stabilize tricky motion shots and more.

Please consider purchasing your new 360 camera through one of our affiliate links in the article above to support the work we do at Immersive Shooter, at no cost to you. Thank you for your readership and support!