In photography, an omni-directional camera, sometimes called a 360 degree camera, is basically a camera with a field of view which covers around the entire sphere or an almost full circle on the vertical plane. It has been used in underwater photography and military surveillance. With many models it can be controlled by the photographer, using the same settings used for the standard DSLR cameras.  As it is technically more challenging to manipulate images shot from a spherical camera, most people opt for using an omni-directional camera with a very large field of view in land and maritime photography. This way you have the best of both worlds and can capture scenes and images in different directions.

As technology advanced, many manufacturers began producing high resolution, high pixel count and very compact displays. These advancements in electronics led to the development of the first true 360 degree cameras. The resulting images were extremely clear and crisp. This type of video was called panoramic.

Today’s 360 degree digital cameras come equipped with many different types of automatic settings that make them suitable for both stills and videos. There are also a wide range of features available on modern 360 degree cameras. They can be programmed for a variety of uses including time lapse, video recording, live view, and even “virtual reality” where objects appear as though they are part of the scene in front of you. In the case of live view, you actually see the scene as if it is being viewed through binoculars. Most modern cameras come with built in lenses which enable them to capture video and images in their full format without the need for additional lenses. This means that your video or images will be high quality regardless of what device you use to capture them.

Panoramic images capture a wide field of view (F Positions) in a single image. There are two methods for computer vision which involve orthogonal F Positions and spherical (spherical) F Positions. Spherical imaging makes use of the spherical aberration correction characteristic of the human eye.

It is important to understand how digital 360 degree cameras operate. The first thing to know is that the image sensor is placed close enough to the surface of the subject so that light can be captured in sufficient amounts for the camera to determine the focus and color. Then the computer system merges this data with other image sources such as the subject itself and external light. A final processing unit maps the F Positions to output image characteristics such as color, white balance, panoramic capture rate, and lens distortion.

The development of virtual reality requires cameras which provide both high optical clarity and high resolution. The ability to provide clear images and audio is of vital importance in making digital 360 degrees camera systems work. Many of the current generation of digital cameras are capable of providing optical clarity at resolutions of 10 pixels/mm and higher. High resolution in a digital camera is defined as having about 300 dpi. This will ensure that your virtual reality videos are of the highest quality available.

360 degree photography how-to.

Bouncing Butterfly Virtual Tour Photography.