5 Mistakes to Avoid When Filming with a 360° Camera

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Filming with a 360° Camera

A 360° camera can make even an ordinary day look cinematic — the kind of footage that makes people stop scrolling. But it can also be brutally honest. Every direction, every detail, and every tiny mistake ends up in the shot.

I’ve learned (sometimes the hard way) that shooting 360° content is a completely different mindset from traditional filming. You’re not just framing a scene — you’re managing an entire world around your lens. Whether you’re using the Insta360 X5 or DJI 360, these are the five mistakes that can quietly destroy a great clip — and how to avoid them.

1️⃣ Ignoring Lens Care

This one seems basic, but trust me — it’s the number one 360° rookie mistake. Those big, curved lenses might look beautiful, but they’re also magnets for fingerprints, dust, and water spots. And since both sides are filming everything, a single smudge can ruin half your shot.

I once filmed an incredible bike ride at sunset, only to realize later that a greasy thumbprint had turned the entire horizon into a hazy blur. Lesson learned. Now I carry a microfiber cloth everywhere and give each lens a quick check before I hit record. It’s a tiny habit that saves hours in editing — and your footage will thank you.

💡 Pro Tip: Always inspect your lenses under real light before shooting. What looks clean indoors might show up as glare outdoors.

2️⃣ Standing Too Close to the Camera

When I first started shooting 360°, I made the classic mistake — standing too close. The result? A distorted, balloon-headed version of myself dominating half the shot. 360° cameras have ultra-wide lenses, and they exaggerate anything nearby.

You don’t need to be in your camera’s face to feel present. Step back and give it space — you can always reframe in post-production using tools like Insta360 Studio or the DJI 360 app. Let the camera breathe.

💡 Pro Tip: A good rule of thumb is to keep about an arm’s length (or more) between you and the camera. It preserves proportions and feels more natural to viewers.

3️⃣ Moving Too Fast

I get it — when you’re filming in 360°, you want energy, excitement, movement. But whip-pans, jerky spins, or running shots can make your audience feel like they’re trapped in a blender.

Smooth motion is everything. I use a selfie stick or monopod for almost all my 360° filming — not just for reach, but for stability. The secret to great 360° video is pacing: slow rotations, steady tracking shots, intentional transitions. If it feels smooth in the moment, it’ll look incredible in playback.

💡 Pro Tip: Practice slow spins and pans before your real take. It trains your muscle memory for natural motion — something editing software can’t fake.

4️⃣ Shooting in Low Resolution

This is one of the easiest mistakes to make — and one of the hardest to fix later. 360° footage covers the entire environment, so your resolution gets stretched across a massive frame. What looks sharp on your phone might look soft and pixelated in VR or full-screen playback.

That’s why I always record at the highest resolution possible — 8K if your camera supports it, especially with the Insta360 X5 or DJI 360. You can always downscale later for faster edits, but you can’t regain lost detail once it’s gone.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep an extra memory card handy. High-res 360° footage eats storage fast, but it’s worth it when your footage looks cinematic instead of fuzzy.

5️⃣ Forgetting About the Entire Scene

This is the moment where 360° separates beginners from pros. When you shoot traditionally, you can frame out distractions. In 360°, there’s no “behind the camera” — because everything is in view.

Before recording, I always do a slow spin to check what’s in every direction. Are there random people in the background? A stray bag? My tripod shadow? It’s easy to miss something that later becomes the first thing your viewer sees.

💡 Pro Tip: If you’re shooting solo, use the invisible selfie stick and keep movement steady. It keeps the focus on the action, not the setup.

5 Mistakes to Avoid When Filming with a 360° Camera

Buy on Amazon USA

📷 Insta360 X5

🎯 Extra Batteries – Insta360

⚡ Fast Charger

🌄 Final Thoughts

Filming in 360° is one of the most rewarding ways to create — it forces you to think like a storyteller, not just a cameraman. Every angle matters, every sound counts, and every small detail contributes to the feeling of being there. 🌍

Once you start respecting those curved lenses, managing your movement, and treating each scene like an immersive world, your footage transforms. The result isn’t just a video — it’s an experience your audience can step into.

I’ve made every one of these mistakes at some point, but that’s part of the learning curve. Every flawed clip taught me something about patience, awareness, and control. If you approach 360° filming with intention instead of speed, your content won’t just impress — it’ll transport. ⚡

Buy on Amazon Canada

📷 Insta360 X5

📷 DJI 360

🎯 Extra Batteries – Insta360

🎯 Extra Batteries – DJI

⚡ Fast Charger