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08-10-2013, 04:22 PM   #16
Tas
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I have some limited experience with the Gigapan Epic Pro. There are some things to be aware of when using one. Firstly, I suggest you have a good computer, with plenty of cache and hard drive space. I don't use mine currently and won't again until I have replaced my computer as it's now no longer able to process the very large files.

I would also recommend some research to check out the detail in the images posted on the Gigpan website: GigaPan | High-Resolution Images | Panoramic Photography | GigaPixel Images The stitching software is good, it's easy to use and generally accurate. It isn't perfect though. so be prepared for some of the misalignment problems that aren't always apparent until you zoom in. If they're not too bad some careful cloning should fix that problem.

Some other issues to be aware of with the Epic Pro. It's bulky and awkward to carry. I fixed that by picking up a Thinktank Retrospective 30 bag (not a cheap option but a great bag). It's still a bit awkward with a backpack, tripod and the second bag. Maybe a better solution if you're keen on the Epic Pro is to look at getting the dedicated backpack that Gigapan sell as this will reduce the load to the backpack and tripod. The camera and lens can be set up in the cradle and carried in the backpack.

It will wobble a bit if it's windy, amplifying wind vibration into a shake. This may limit your places to set up from time to time, but little else. If you don't bump the unit whilst it's doing it's thing it's stable, so this is not a show stopper but something to remember before you get home with hundreds of blurry photos.

The instructions were downloadable and necessary when I first picked up the Epic Pro. There's several menu layers so you need to be familiar with these so you can do adjustments quickly once on location. This is important if you're working in changing light conditions. For example. If you are capturing a landscape/cityscape etc at sunrise and your 120 image will take 15 minutes to capture all the frames, the intensity of light will alter from one end of the frame to the other whilst the images are being captured. You might go from underexposure to overexposure and maybe unusable photos as you need to set focus aperture and shutter before you start To use auto settings means you will have changes with the images and make it unusable. Resetting the exposure in the camera has to be matched on the Epic Pro and you need to be able to do this quickly, which it can be when you know how.

I've tried a range of different lenses. The best ones I've used are the FA50 and the DA70. When stopped down they are sharp across the frame and do not vignette badly if at all. I've played with some of the Zeiss lenses to trial them with open apertures of f2, but the vignetting can be quite pronounced making them less useful. Maybe some judicious dodging/burning could fix this, but getting the right lens is simpler and easier. I've used the DA*300, and whilst this is brilliant, particularly for zooming in, it adds to the time it takes to get your images due to the small field of view compared to the 50 & 70. This means I recommend you pick up a second battery if you go with a Gigapan, and focus on what the light is doing so you don't get caught out when you're halfway through 200 frames.

An important step when setting up any panorama system is to deal with the Parallax Error of not having the lens rotating around a single point. This will create problems for you that you may not be able to remedy in post processing. But no problemo, here's a great guide: FINDING THE NO-PARALLAX POINT that details the problem and how to fix it. I built the sight example shown on the webpage and was able to identify and record the correct mounting positions for the lenses I would typically use with the Epic Pro. This is part of that prior preparation thing to do before leaving, as well as setting the field of view dimensions to ensure correct overlap of each frame.

So the unit has some quirks to work through to get the best use out of it, but there's something special about joining hundreds of photos and creating an image that can be printed at 300dpi and is 10m long. Not that I intend to do that, but you could if you wanted to. Don't forget there's other less expensive panorama options too, so you don't have to go with a Gigapan. I like it and can't wait to start using it again. It's a single solution to panoramas for me and whilst I can recommend them I do suggest you research all the panorama mounts available and see what's out there.

My efforts with the Gigapan have been quite modest so far, you will find some of them here: Gigapan - a set on Flickr Most of these images were taken with the 50 & 70, though the Byron Bay Lighthouse is taken with the 300. The other lens used was an example of trying a Zeiss with an open aperture of F2 and getting more of a medium format look to the image. You will notice some things with these images. The two images of the Brisbane Town Hall have lots of errors in them. This I believe is due to not setting the lens correctly in the cradle so that it would rotate centrally around the entrance pupil. You will also notice what happens when people and the Gigapan come together.

I will point out that the Lighthouse image is only a small portion of the full frame. This was again before I was mounting the camera and lens correctly for parallax error so there were many issues with misalignment between frames, most noticeable in the foreground. Mind you, alignment of frames is always going to be an issue with waves. So I extracted the centre portion which is probably only 8 frames by 12 frames to get this image.

Some other points. The proximity of objects will also decide whether you may need to address misalignment's in post. Again, most of these issues were before I was setting the camera & lens up to counter parallax error. A rush job in fixing a misalignment can be seen on the Shorncliffe jetty image.

Now, the reason I'm writing this post is because I believe I have an example of what you're looking for to answer your question as to whether the Gigapan can give you what you want. Amongst my shots in the Flickr set linked above, is a Gigapan image of the Woody Point Jetty taken just after sunset. Compare it with this one of the same jetty taken from the same position a few minutes earlier using a wide angle lens at 11mm: Woody Point Jetty with an ND400 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I like the wide angle field of view, but the large file size captured with the Gigapan and Limited lens is great to zoom into and leaves the detail captured in the wide angle for dead. And for me that's what the Gigapan is about, so for all the work they can be in getting it right, it's worth it in the end.

Apologies for the novel, but I hope it answers at least one of your questions.

08-10-2013, 09:03 PM   #17
iht
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Hey guys, wow, thanks for all the replies

What great advice everyone gave. I'm glad I asked the question before wasting my time and money on something that didn't address my concerns. Thanks for sharing your experiences as well.

QuoteOriginally posted by Tas Quote
Now, the reason I'm writing this post is because I believe I have an example of what you're looking for to answer your question as to whether the Gigapan can give you what you want. Amongst my shots in the Flickr set linked above, is a Gigapan image of the Woody Point Jetty taken just after sunset. Compare it with this one of the same jetty taken from the same position a few minutes earlier using a wide angle lens at 11mm: Woody Point Jetty with an ND400 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Oh man, this is EXACTLY what I was talking about!! THANK YOU!!! Very nice shots

Btw, would the Epic 100 work for the K-5 with a small lens, like a 50mm? The Epic Pro is so much more expensive, and the K-01 is not that much smaller than a K-5?
08-11-2013, 12:44 AM   #18
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I don't know mate, I assume the reason Gigapan steers people with DSLR's to the Epic Pro is due to weight & size. A quick scan in the FAQ section of the Gigapan webpage only references the following:

There are two general requirements for a camera to work with the EPIC:
  1. It must be able to physically fit on the GigaPan EPIC.
  2. The camera must have manual mode and the ability to set or lock exposure, white balance and focus.
To do a camera search for compatibility the K5 comes up for the Epic Pro.


There are alternatives to a Gigapan robotic panorama mount though. The link here: Heads - PanoTools.org Wiki lists heaps of options, and is a good start point.


Sorry I can't be of more help than that, but best of luck with whatever direction you take.


Hooroo mate
08-11-2013, 06:29 AM   #19
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QuoteOriginally posted by iht Quote
Btw, would the Epic 100 work for the K-5 with a small lens, like a 50mm? The Epic Pro is so much more expensive, and the K-01 is not that much smaller than a K-5?
The difference in size between the K-5 and K-01 is 9mm in width, 11mm in depth, and 100 grams in weight...

08-11-2013, 08:36 AM   #20
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Good Morning,

There are quite a few approaches you can follow towards achieving your goal. Back in 2005, I took a trip up to Alaska and had a small point and shoot that I stitched (by hand) extensively with. I did come away with some great results. This pretty much pushed me to a dSLR and here I am.

I was having a discussion last week with a friend over lunch - who just happens to have a 6x6 view camera. His opinion is that for fine photography, you still can not beat film (one of his scanned images consumes 2GB). But as I told hm, size and price wise - my K5 is the most I can afford - both in dollar$ and especially in size and weight. Just how much are you going to carry - really.

I started down the wide angle lens route - 10-17FE, 16-45, 12-24 along with the 8-16. Each for specific reasons. Each lens is excellent in its own right, and has specific reasons to be used in their own unique way. One of the best reasons for ultra wide angle (UWA) lenses, is for consistency across the final image. If the sun is setting - most times it is difficult to capture the entire stitched set together with consistent lighting across the captured result.
  • 10-17FE - A fisheye. Very effective either up close (very close), or when things are in motion and can not be stitched. When you need a single image that is really wide, you are really talking about a fisheye.
  • 16-45, 12-24 and 8-16. - Nothing is as wide as the fisheye, but the distortion is not always workable - hence the need for the rectilinear. The 16-45 and 12-24 are a great combination and complement the fisheye very well. I only acquired the 8-16 to be able to shoot square rigged ships up close from the waterline to the top of the mast. Stitching is very difficult. Objects can be so large, and sight lines so limited, that up-close will not work well, nor is there any room to be able to get further away. I was shooting the USS Constitution last year. It is so large, and the sight lines so limited, that you have most of the ship in front of you, but then you have the bow sprit going out over your head and behind you. No way to shoot that in a single frame, even with a view camera. Stitching is a lost cause - trying to get perfect alignment with all the rigging - especially with a slight breeze and tide moving the ship and the rigging for you. A single ultra wide angle shot (and not with a fisheye if you want straight lines) is really your only reasonable choice.
  • K 28/2.8 Shift lens - This is a specialty lens, limited to a specific focal length. It exhibits some capabilities found in the view cameras (along with bellows units) - ability to shift from side to side. With the K20 Shift, you can shift and rotate the lens element around the clock face, stopping at each hour point and capture an image (13 in all including the one in the center). This will provide a result that is similar in size to a 645 camera - 78 x 68 degrees (K20: 9300 x 7600 pixels)
Even with UWA lenses (even fisheyes), stitching may still be necessary or desirable. With stitching, you are really talking about mechanical support (heads, rails, clamps, plates, L brackets, leveling bases, etc.). The mechanical support is an all together new and co$tly subject. When I was looking, Gigapan was just being beta tested primarily for point and shoots. So, over time I went with two other approaches:
  • Panorama ballhead - Something like the Arcatech GP, where you are able to have the panning base (turntable) above the ball, thus able to pan on the level. This will eliminate the need for cropping when your stitched results either flow uphill or downhill. When combined with a wide angle lens (in the portrait mode), you can shoot single row panoramas very effectively. You may also need a rail, especially for longer lenses so as to be able to set the body and lens up at the nodal point.
  • Panorama head (with a leveling base) - The Gigapan falls in this category along with manual panorama heads like the Nodal Ninja (NN). The Panorama ballheads provide a way to capture multiple row of stitched images. The main advantage or difference between a manual and a motorized panohead is cost vs. time. A NN3 runs about $210 (more [~$350] with a rotator base), where the Gigapan runs more. A rotater assists you to move the panohead a specific angular amount (the Gigapan does this via the motor for each individual shot). Time wise, I am not so sure that you would want to do 200 or 2000 shots with a NN3 - the Gigapan would be faster, easier and better. Either way, you are going to want to have a substantial tripod with a panning base under the Pano head in order to easily level out the system - so again your stitched panorama will not run down hill.
Regardless of how you capture the images - the primary question you are asking centers around the aspect of resolution and sharpness of the final image. Or essentially - single frame vs. multiple frame.
  • Single frame images - stuff or cram the entire view on to your sensor. For the K5 its 4928 x 3264 pixels. The wider the lens, the more information or area of the view each pixel will wind up representing. Regardless the sharpness of the lens, a longer focal length lens will appear sharper - primary since each pixel will have less area to represent (in the view).
  • Multiple frame images - you are adding large blocks of pixels to the final image, usually through the use of longer focal length lenses, thus the appearance (and real actual) increase of perceived sharpens and resolution of the final image. I eve use my UWA and WA lenses in this respect too.
There is an additional asepct to lenses here too. Zooms vs Primes. As good as zooms are, Primes are better. I have stitched with my 31Ltd and CZ 25, and they beat the 12-24 and 16-45 hands down - even on equivalent focal lengths. Anything wider than the mid 20mm focal length and you will start to encounter distortion. Most professional/commercial landscapes are at 25 to 35mm just for this reason. The problem with these focal lengths, are even if you stand the camera body up in the portrait orientation, your pano is limited in height (single row). UWA/WA helps in this respect, however there is a jump in framing and composition between a single row (the long skinny picture) and a multiple row approach. That is one reason why I like the shift lens approach. Its just the camera and lens, and you are moving the lens while being able to capture (to a limited extent) the equivalent of multiple rows of frames.

There really is no easy, simple, inexpensive solution to high resolution, sharp images of large objects or vistas.


Last edited by interested_observer; 08-11-2013 at 08:56 AM.
08-11-2013, 06:55 PM   #21
iht
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Thanks so much for your sharing It's good to know there are so many options out there.

We went to Taroko National Park in Taiwan. I wish we knew about the whole pano thing back then!
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