To take 360 product photos, put the product in the center of a turntable, fix your phone or camera on a tripod, lock focus and exposure, and shoot one frame every 10 degrees (36 frames per rotation). Then load the frames into a spin viewer that stitches them into a drag-to-rotate image. A DIY setup costs $20–60.
A 360 spin lets a shopper drag a product round to see every side, which is useful for shoes, bags, electronics and anything where the back and sides matter. The shooting is simple; the hard part is consistency, because any wobble, light change or focus shift shows as a jump when the frames play. This guide covers a DIY turntable, how many frames to shoot, how to keep frames consistent, which tools stitch them, and where you can actually publish a spin.
- Frame count: 24 frames (15° steps) is the minimum; 36 (10°) is the usual choice; 72 (5°) for jewelry and watches.
- Lock everything: tripod, manual focus, locked exposure and white balance, and the product exactly on the turntable's center.
- DIY turntable: a lazy Susan with degree marks works; a motorized turntable ($20–60) is smoother.
- Stitching: hosted viewers (for example Sirv) or Shopify apps turn frames into an embeddable spin.
- Where it works: your own site and Shopify via apps. Shopify's built-in 3D media needs a 3D model, not photos. Amazon 360 has historically been limited to vendors.
What equipment do you need for 360 product photography?
A turntable, a tripod, steady light and a plain background. A phone is enough for most products.
| Item | DIY option | Upgrade | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turntable | Lazy Susan with a printed 360° protractor taped on ($10–15) | Motorized photo turntable ($20–60), or an automated system for studios | Even rotation steps |
| Camera support | Phone tripod with a clamp ($15–25) | Sturdy tripod with a geared head | Camera must not move at all |
| Shutter trigger | Phone timer or Bluetooth remote | Turntable that triggers the camera | Tapping the screen shakes the frame |
| Light | Two windows or two lamps of the same color | Two LED softboxes | Light must not change between frames |
| Background | White paper sweep | Lightbox or white seamless | Easy to clean up afterwards |
For small products, a lightbox plus a turntable inside it is the easiest setup; see our DIY lightbox guide.
How do you make a DIY 360 turntable?
Turn a kitchen lazy Susan into a photo turntable by adding degree marks so every rotation step is the same size.
- Print a 360° protractor or a circle divided into 36 segments (every 10°) and tape it to the top of the lazy Susan, or around its edge.
- Put a small fixed pointer on the table in front of it, such as a piece of tape or a pin in a cork, so you can line up each mark.
- Cover the top with white paper or card cut to a circle so it disappears into the background.
- Mark the exact center with a small cross so the product goes in the same place every time.
- Test the rotation: it should turn smoothly without wobbling. Add a little furniture wax or a rubber mat underneath if it sticks or slides.
A motorized turntable is worth it if you shoot many products: you set it to turn by a fixed step, and some models can trigger a phone or camera automatically, which removes most human error.
How many frames do you need for a 360 product photo?
36 frames is the standard for most products: one every 10 degrees. More frames make a smoother spin but cost more shooting time and load slower.
| Frames | Step | Smoothness | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 | 15° | Acceptable, slightly jumpy | Simple shapes, large products, fast loading |
| 36 | 10° | Smooth for most shoppers | Most products: shoes, bags, electronics, bottles |
| 48 | 7.5° | Very smooth | Detailed products |
| 72 | 5° | Very smooth; shoppers can pause on details | Jewelry, watches, premium goods |
Multi-row spins (a second row shot from above, sometimes called 3D spins) add a vertical drag. They double the work; start with one row at a slight downward angle of about 10–15°.
How to take 360 product photos step by step
- Center the product on the turntable's mark. If it is off-center, it will swing side to side in the spin. Check by rotating slowly while watching the screen.
- Fix the camera on a tripod at product height or slightly above, 1–2 m away, using 2× zoom to reduce distortion. Don't touch the tripod again.
- Frame loosely: leave space around the widest part of the product, since a rectangular product is wider at 45° than face-on.
- Lock focus and exposure: on iPhone, press and hold on the product until AE/AF LOCK appears; on Android use Pro mode or the equivalent lock. Use a fixed white balance if you can.
- Light evenly from both sides, so no side of the product falls into deep shadow as it turns.
- Shoot frame 1 with the product's front facing the camera.
- Rotate one step and shoot, using a remote or timer each time, until you're back to the start. Don't shoot the starting position twice.
- Check the count and flick through the frames quickly on the phone: it should look like a rough spin with no jumps.
Auto exposure changing between frames (flicker), a tripod knocked mid-shoot (a jump), clouds passing a window (brightness shifts), and a product that moves on the turntable (wobble). Shoot all frames in one go, and use artificial light if your window light varies.
How do you edit 360 frames consistently?
Every frame needs exactly the same edit, crop and size, or the spin will flicker. Batch-edit, never one by one.
- Apply one set of brightness and color adjustments to all frames (most desktop editors can paste settings or sync edits across a selection).
- Crop every frame to the same pixel box. Don't re-center each frame by eye.
- Rename in order:
sku-01.jpgtosku-36.jpg, with leading zeros so the viewer loads them in the right order. - Export at a sensible size, such as 1000–1600 px wide, and compress. Thirty-six full-size photos can easily add 10–20 MB to a page. Our free image compressor shrinks files in your browser.
If you want a clean white background on every frame, a batch background remover can do it, but check that edges are cut the same way in every frame, or the outline will shimmer in the spin. The AiArter bulk background remover handles up to 50 photos per batch (4 credits per photo), enough for a 36- or 48-frame spin; preview the spin before you publish.
Need a white background on every frame of a spin? Run up to 50 frames as one batch and download a single ZIP. Failed photos aren't charged.
Batch-remove backgrounds7 days free · 50 credits · No credit cardWhich tools stitch 360 product photos into a spin?
A spin viewer takes your numbered frames and shows them as a drag-to-rotate image you embed on a page. You don't need to merge them into one file.
| Tool type | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hosted image platforms with spin viewers | Sirv | Upload a folder of frames and it builds the spin; a free tier exists but shows Sirv branding, paid plans remove it |
| Shopify apps | 360 spin viewer apps in the Shopify App Store, such as SpinLook | Upload image sequences and add the viewer to the product page via a theme block |
| Studio turntable systems | Orbitvu, PhotoRobot, PackshotCreator | Automated turntable plus software that shoots and exports spins; studio-level cost |
| Open-source JavaScript viewers | Various 360 image viewer libraries | Free, but you or a developer add them to your site's code |
| Video instead | Any phone or editor | Export the frames as a short looping MP4; not interactive, but works almost everywhere |
Spin viewer features and platform support for 360 images were checked in October 2026. Marketplaces change their rules, so confirm the current requirements in your seller dashboard before you upload a large batch.
Where can you use 360 product photos?
Mainly on your own website. Support on marketplaces is limited, so check before you invest in spins for every product.
| Platform | 360 spin support | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Your own site | Yes, with any spin viewer | Embed a hosted viewer or a JavaScript library |
| Shopify | Not built in for photo spins; supported through apps | Use a 360 app. Shopify's native 3D media needs a GLB or USDZ 3D model, not a photo sequence |
| Amazon | Historically available only to selected vendors, uploaded by Amazon | Sellers: ask your account manager or check Seller Central; use a product video instead |
| Etsy, eBay, Walmart, marketplaces generally | No interactive spin in standard listings | Upload a short rotating video where video is allowed |
| Social media | No interactive spins | Post the rotation as a video or Reel |
For most marketplace sellers, a 5–15 second rotating video is the practical alternative: you shoot the same turntable rotation as video instead of frames. See Amazon product video requirements and Etsy listing videos.
Can AI make a 360 product photo?
Not reliably from a single photo, and AiArter doesn't offer 360 spins. An AI can't see the back of your product, so anything it invents for the hidden sides isn't a true view of what the buyer will receive.
- AiArter works on photos you shoot: white, colored and lifestyle backgrounds, channel sizes and batch background removal for your frames.
- If you want motion without a spin, image to video animates one product photo into a 5-second clip (15 credits). It's a short motion clip, not an interactive rotation, and it doesn't show sides you didn't photograph.
- For a real 360, shoot the frames using the steps above.
For still images of each side, our guide to product photography angles gives a shot list that covers every side in 6–9 photos.
Frequently asked questions
How do you take 360 degree product photos?
Put the product in the center of a turntable, fix the camera on a tripod, lock focus and exposure, and shoot one frame at each equal rotation step, usually every 10 degrees for 36 frames. Then load the frames into a 360 spin viewer.
How many photos do you need for a 360 product view?
36 photos (one every 10 degrees) is standard. 24 is the minimum for an acceptable spin, and 72 gives a very smooth rotation for jewelry and watches.
Can I take 360 product photos with my phone?
Yes. Mount the phone on a tripod, use 2x zoom, lock focus and exposure, and trigger the shutter with a timer or Bluetooth remote so the phone doesn't move.
Does Shopify support 360 product images?
Shopify supports 3D models (GLB and USDZ) natively, but not photo-based 360 spins. For spins made from photos, use a 360 viewer app from the Shopify App Store.
Can you add 360 photos to Amazon listings?
360 spins on Amazon have historically been limited to selected vendors, with Amazon doing the upload. Most third-party sellers use a product video instead; check Seller Central or ask your account manager for current options.
Can AI create a 360 view from one photo?
Not accurately, because the AI can't see the sides you didn't photograph, so it invents them. For a true 360 view you need to photograph the product from every angle.
AiArter doesn't build spins, but it can put every frame or angle on a matching white background in batches of up to 50, with the product kept exactly as shot.
Start free trialBulk background remover7 days free · 50 credits · No credit card. Trial images carry a small “Made with aiarter” mark; paid plans export clean files you can use commercially.
