How to record a room

The quality of the tour depends almost entirely on the recording. With two slow loops, the room is filmed from every angle.

How to record a roomIsometric view of a room. First loop in red, near the walls, with the phone facing the center. Second loop in blue, through the middle from corner to corner, with the phone facing the walls. The phone stays at eye level.Loop 1Loop 2Ceiling 8.5 ftWindows: at an angle
First loop, facing the centerSecond loop, facing the wallsThe cones show where the phone is pointing.

  1. Get the room ready

    Turn on every light and open the curtains without letting direct sun in. Make sure no people or pets are moving around.

  2. Set up your phone

    Ultra-wide lens (0.5x), landscape. Press and hold on the screen until the lock appears: it locks exposure and focus.

  3. First loop, near the walls

    Walk around the room about two feet from the walls, with the phone facing the center.

  4. Second loop, through the middle

    Cross from corner to corner, facing the walls. That way every corner is filmed from two sides.

  5. Slow and at eye level

    Slower than feels necessary, and turn gently at the corners. One to three minutes per room.

  6. Send the original file

    WhatsApp recompresses video and detail is lost. Use a cable or Google Drive, or send it on WhatsApp as a document.

To capture an object in more detail

You can get closer to what you want to show better, like a countertop, a window frame or the floor, without breaking the walkthrough.

  • Move in and out slowly, without stopping the video and without losing sight of the object.
  • Don't get too close: about two feet is enough. Any closer and the phone loses focus.
  • Then go back to the walkthrough the way you came, so the software can join both parts.
  • Every close-up adds time to the video. Pick two or three details per room.

iPhone settings

In Settings, Camera, Record Video. You set them once and they stay saved.

Resolution
4K at 60 fps
More detail in every frame, and less blur. If it's not there, 4K at 30.
HDR Video
Off
Tours are built from standard video: in HDR the colors come out washed out.
Lock Camera
On
Stops the phone from switching lenses in the middle of the video.
Lock White Balance
On
If the tone changes while you walk, color blotches show up on the walls of the tour.
Enhanced Stabilization and Action Mode
Off
They crop and warp each frame differently. Lens stabilization is fine.
Auto FPS
Off
In low light it drops the frame rate and frames come out blurrier.
Formats
High Efficiency
Only if 4K at 60 isn't in the list. Both formats work.

Don't use ProRes, Log, Cinematic mode or Photographic Styles: they produce huge files or colors the software doesn't expect. On Android the names vary by brand, but the idea is the same.

What hurts a tour

And how to avoid it next time.

ProblemWhat you see in the tourHow to avoid it
Fast walk or sharp turnsFloating blotches and spikesWalk and turn slowly
A single passBlurry or empty areas from other anglesDo both loops
A whole apartment in one videoRooms badly joined and crooked wallsOne video per room
Auto exposureColors that change depending on where you lookLock the exposure
Not filming the ceilingBlack holes when looking upTilt the phone up during one of the loops
Video sent through WhatsAppLess sharpnessSend the original file
People or pets movingGhostsAn empty room
Mirrors and glass head-onStrange reflectionsFilm them at an angle
Upload a video

One video per room. The original, not the WhatsApp copy.