Hi all,
I haven't posted in a while.. the summer just seems to fly by! Anyway I went down to DC/Virginia a couple of weeks ago and managed to get to a Nats game and over to the new National Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport. Here are two panos, one at the Nats game and the other of the SR71.

Now I've been playing around with PTGui for a while and really like it, it seems to do a much better job then autostitch. I was going to buy a license but at $120 it seems a little bit steep. Does anyone know of a cheaper solution that works as well at PTGui?

Anyway, on to the photos

[madmikess]

Both pictures are very nice. The SR-71 has always fascinated me, it's too bad they were all retired. But I guess you gotta make way for newer smaller lighter aircraft or satellites to do your spying.

[Peter Zack]

Both excellent shots and pano's. I too always was interested in the very secretive SR-71. I must get down there some day to have a look. Can't help on the software though.

[ivoire]

Nice panos! Check out this program, xara pro, by downloading the demo. Their interface and speed are amazing and they have the fastest, slickest pano stitcher on the planet:

Graphics Software by Xara

OR get just the panorama studio alone here:

http://www.tshsoft.de/en/panoramastudio/register.html

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Last edited by ivoire; 08-20-2008 at 01:53 PM.

[SCGushue]

Nice panos. Seen that Blackbird many years back.

As far as pano software. I tried many different software programs. I was never happy with any until I tried PTGui. I bought it about a year and a half ago, price then was $99.00. I have upgraded at leat twice within the first year and there was no additional charge. They continue to upgrade the software constantly and I personally think it is money welll spent if you do a lot of pano work. My panos consistantly range from 9 to 36 images and this software works great.

What will also help produce the best panos is a pano head. Once you have a pano head you can calibrate the positioning of the lens and get the perfect lock on all images going into the composite image.

Great program if you will use it. Perhaps the best affordable program out there.

Stephen

[jocko_nc]

There is (used to be) an SR-71 at a park near the entrance to Warner Robins AFB, in the town of the same name. There are a couple of other planes, a B-25 too. The Blackbird just sitting there. I used to grab lunch in the parking lot and listen to the radio. It always baffled me that it was there. You could climb up on it if you wanted. I'm surprised someone didn't drag it away for all that titanium scrap!

[ajtour]

These are stunning! I love panoramas, and your first shot is a perfect example of why summer baseball games are so much fun. Fabulous atmosphere and beautiful light.

I use a photostitching program which came free with a Canon P&S, and I've been pretty impressed so far. Do you have friends/family with Canons? Perhaps they'd let you use their CD.

[roentarre]

Stunning work here.

They are all stitched up perfectly with a breathtaking view.

[palmor]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I may bite the bullet and purchase ptgui since it does such a great job (and I like to take panos!).


John

[rfortson]

There is (used to be) an SR-71 at a park near the entrance to Warner Robins AFB, in the town of the same name. There are a couple of other planes, a B-25 too. The Blackbird just sitting there. I used to grab lunch in the parking lot and listen to the radio. It always baffled me that it was there. You could climb up on it if you wanted. I'm surprised someone didn't drag it away for all that titanium scrap!

So you worked at RAFB? I worked there from 1988-90. I remember when the SR-71 came to town, though I think it was after I left. I was at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, OH when they flew in their SR-71 for the USAF Museum there. It was an impressive site!

[palmor]

Well I think I found my software solution. I was upgrading to Lightroom 2.0 and I saw that they gave a deal if you also upgraded to CS3 at the same time, I also had a 15% code that I used. So at the end of the day I upgraded both LR and CS for $244.

Anyway I read that the Pano feature in CS3 was better then CS2 (which was pretty bad IMO). I went and I tried the same pano of the Nats stadium and it came out just about the same as the PTGui on I think.

[khardur]

oh man, that SR-71 picture is so drool-worthy. Always was a favorite of mine... along with a little known F-16 variant Nasa was using called the F16xl which had bizarre space shuttle-like wing design. There's a picture of the two in flight together here... *drool*