Virtual Tours

[robinspain]

Hi,
Brand new to the forum today and looking for some unbiased information and advice please.
Im looking at the idea of setting up a business offering virtual tours here in Spain. Ive looked at plenty of different products on the internet, and from what i can gather i have a choice of either taking a number of pictures and stiching them together using software, or buying a special lens which will take a 360 degree image.
As i said i am lookin for some unbiased advice, so anyone who has used this kind of photography, or is involved in it who has some advice or experience i would like to hear from them

I think im developing an idea for what i want in terms of both the hardware but also the software and hosting , but any input would be appreciated..

Thanks
Rob, in Spain

 

[starletman]

 

[Harvey_nikon]

autopano tour allows you to create a 360 degree tours of areas where you can move from one area to another.

I've seen lenses that can take 180' photos but not 360 ones, and the quality would be a little poor compared to stitching several together.

 

[dazzajl]

There are three options but really just one is viable. You can get a lens/mirror combo that takes a 360 degree image and software that bends it into a VT. Many software packages will stitch images from 2 fisheye shots but the only real way to get something of decent quality is stitching a series of shots taken from a pano head.

They are still evil things though and I've been more than happpy to see a decline in call for them from my clients.