Although it’s possible just to use a smartphone for image capture, 360 images (photospheres) are the best way to take in the totality of a scene.
The GoPro Max is the current standard recommendation but it’s also quite pricey for the individual. Has anyone tried any alternatives? How did it go?
If you live in a large enough city with lots of active mappers, perhaps someone else in your local community would be willing to lend you theirs. Mapillary has also issued GoPros through their grant program, but I’m unsure whether they’re still doing that.
I haven’t tried any alternatives, so I can’t comment on that part of your question.
Good luck!