How to shoot 360 degree photos and videos on iPhone

Some technology analysts have dubbed 2016 the year of virtual reality. Major companies like Oculus and Sony are primed to release their first consumer focus VR products in the coming months, but the entry level pricing will be steep.

However, developments in both VR and 3D technology have also resulted in a few immersive iPhone apps which allow you to capture 360 degree photos and videos. If you already have and iPhone, checking out these apps is the best way to get exposure to virtual reality without spending a dime.

Splash

Splash is a brand new iPhone apps focused on creating an immersive 360 degree photo and video experience. You view content created by other users or create your own. The app also supports Google Cardboard headsets, which allows you to really immerse yourself into the 360 degree atmosphere.

If you enjoy sharing your photos and videos, this app lets you directly upload your creations to Facebook or share them somewhere else via a link.

Keep in mind this technology is cutting edge and as it develops, apps like Splash will only continue to get better. Currently, the app is a welcomed new experience, but the content you can create is a bit choppy and could use more polish.

Splash is available for free on the App Store.

Fyuse

Fyuse has labeled itself a spatial photography app. Unlike Splash, it is limited to 3D photos, or what the app dubs “fyuses”. The process of shooting a fyuse is similar to capturing a panorama photo, but instead of shooting a wide space you focus on a single fixed point and capture it from multiple angles.

The app lets you create fyuses in multiple ways. For example, you can move both horizontally around an object or move vertically. The app also features tutorials to guide you through the best techniques for capturing different types of objects such as food, cars, pets and so on.

Like many other photography apps on the iPhone, Fyuse has developed a social platform where you can share your fyuses with others who also use the app and, similar to Splash, you can also share your fyuses to other apps like FaceBook and Twitter. Additionally, you can check out fyuses created by others. A unique feature available in Fyuse is the ability to save a fyuse to your camera roll as a Live Photo.

Fyuse is available for free on the App Store.

Seene

Seene is another immersive app in the 360 degree photo space. There are a few features which separate it from Fyuse. You are able to refocus and blur certain parts of an image and you can also adjust the depth of images depending on whether you are shooting an image close up or in a large room. This helps make the image look more natural.

Overall, Fyuse is more polished at this point and images created in Fyuse are patched together impressively well resulting in clean images will little to no distortion. On the other hand, photos captured in Seene easily become distorted if you don’t remain extremely still while shooting.

Seene is also available for free on the App Store.

Conclusion

Splash is the newcomer in this bunch and is the first iPhone app to make a real go at 360 degree video. Fyuse and Seene have been around, but both apps were quite buggy until more recent updates.

If you have used either of these apps in the past, you will be able to recognize the tremendous progress being made in the realm of 360 degree photography. The technology is being quickly developed and these types of apps are on pace to get really good in a short period of time.