You can create Photo Spheres using a 360 camera, or a DSLR system and stitching software such as PTGui, or Autopano. Find a list of recommended 360 cameras here.
Popular equipment to use with a DSLR system
| DSLR camera | Canon |
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| Nikon |
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| Fisheye lens |
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| Panoramic head |
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| Remote switch | RS-60E3, RS-80N3, MC-30, MD-DC2 | |
Create multiple Photo Spheres
- You can attach the camera to a monopod, tripod, or helmet to stabilize the camera at 1.20–1.80 m/4–6 ft.
- Monopod: Keep the monopod steady above your head. Keep your head down when you take photos.
- Tripod: Step out of the way before you take photos.
- Helmet: Make sure to keep your head still when you take your photos.
- Space the photos about 2 small steps apart (1 m/3 ft) when indoors and five steps apart (3 m/10 ft) when outdoors.
- Follow natural paths and walkways so that there’s a clear line of sight between the photos.
- Take photos from the street and continue until you're inside the place.
- When you take photos indoors, limit your collection to 100 photos.
Publish & connect Photo Spheres
You can upload Photo Spheres to Google Maps the same way you publish flat images with the Google Maps app or Google Maps on your computer browser. Learn how to manage photos and videos in Google Maps.
To link your Photo Spheres into indoor or outdoor virtual tours, you can use 3rd party apps. Check the app maker’s website for instructions.
After you create links in the chosen tool and publish them to Google Maps, allow up to 4 days for them to be processed.
If you’re a developer, you can create your own tool with the Street View Publish API.
Tips:
- The list of 3rd party publishing tools featured on the Street View website is not exhaustive. There are multiple other apps with similar functionalities that you can find online.
- Before you publish any Photo Spheres, make sure that they are:
- At least 7.5 MP (4K) with a 2:1 aspect ratio
- No more than 75 megabytes in size