A Street View trekker backpack with a 360 camera system in Milan [Photo provided to China Daily]

Sometimes, a traditional camera works better. At Vatican City, for instance, St. Peter's Basilica is the highlight, not the buildings to the side or the cars in the back. With 360, that boring stuff stays in the shot. (Panning the 360 camera in such a shot commits a double sin.)

Instead, reserve 360 for situations that call for that full perspective. It could give prospective home buyers a better sense of each room, for instance. Or with a shot of Rome's Pantheon, viewers can look up to see the dome that inspired Michelangelo and other artists.

Editing options are limited

An app built for Theta cameras offers Instagram-like filters and allows trims to the beginning and end of videos. But there's no cropping to enlarge the subject or straighten the horizon, as some apps offer with traditional video or photos. The shooter needs to get it right on location, something that's tough to do because these cameras lack viewfinders. A smartphone app can act as a virtual viewfinder, but that's cumbersome, too; no one wants to see the shooter fiddling with a phone in the shot.

Although some apps offer zooming while watching, the camera itself doesn't offer this capability. The Statue of Liberty feels tiny when captured from a nearby ferry. Videos work best when what's being captured is close, such as the feeling of being part of a crowd. Otherwise, stick with a regular camera with a good zoom lens.

Missed opportunities

A tool is good only if it gets used. Sit near the stage at an outdoor philharmonic concert in New York, and a 360-degree camera would show off how close it was to the stage, with the rest of the audience in the back. Pull out a regular camera instead, and it's just a missed opportunity to brag. It takes practice to figure out not just how to take good images, but when.

Location also matters. For a play, a shot from the audience isn't as satisfying as one from the stage with the performers - though getting permission to shoot that way could take some arranging.