Panorama question.

GerryL · 01-10-2010, 09:26 AM

Here's one that I did with a point and shoot.
I think this was 3-4 horizontal photos stitched together but done in photoshop with a bit of editing.

Attached Images

patrickt · 01-10-2010, 01:32 PM

With newer software and a single line across it isn't tough to shoot panoramas. Download Microsoft's ICE, it's free, step outside, take five shots, overlapping as others have said, feed them into ICE and see what you get. The whole process will cost only a little time and when answer some questions and make some of the answers here more clear.

patrickt · 01-10-2010, 01:33 PM

Download Microsoft ICE, it's free, go outside and take five or six shots in sequence overlapping as has been suggested, feed them into ICE and look at the results. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and some of the answers people have provided will be more clear.

jezza323 · 01-11-2010, 01:53 PM

yes you can certainly take effective panoramas without having a pano head. You can even take effective ones hand held very successfully. I very often take panoramas, and have only ever had trouble with stitching together twice. This was due to parallax error, because I was trying to photography a distant rocky outcrop, with a hand rail only 1m away in the shot.

I have written a blog post with some tips for shooting panoramas, if you have any questions feel free to PM me, or comment at the blog and I will be able to get back to you

http://jezza323photo.blogspot.com/2009/12/panoramas.html

graphicgr8s · 01-12-2010, 10:18 AM

Originally posted by Wheatfield

Why does it have to be a step to the right all the time

Because I shoot correctly. I always go to the right.

In your case you need to shoot to the left.

I have taken the same panos both ways and like the step better. It changes the perspective just enough to make it better. With less of a crop on the top and bottom. Plus I mostly shoot them in a portrait mode rather than landscape. Find that works better for me also.

graphicgr8s · 01-12-2010, 10:28 AM

Here's a link to one I did with a P&S about 5 years ago. It's 5 shots. And the other one was last year with a K10D and it's about 15 or more shots.

This one I hand stitched

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/post-your-photos/45060d125552...terpa-copy-jpg

This one PS did for me.

https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/post-your-photos/46709d125764...rport-copy-jpg

**rayallen** · 01-12-2010, 03:23 PM

I have only taken a few panos so far and I don't have a pano head. I have been taking them on a tripod with my K10D with the battery grip on which has the tripod mount out of line with the lens axis and they still come out OK. I used Microsoft ICE to stitch this one:

In future I will be removing the battery grip. ICE is a good free program but I also use both CS3 and CS4.

**Rondec** · 01-12-2010, 04:27 PM

I shoot panoramas in portrait orientation. The software today is really good. I use the green button and shoot in manual mode. As before mentioned, just make sure you keep foreground stuff to a minimum. I like to have something at the edge of the photo, but if it ends up over lapping, it will screw up the panorama. This is one a did in Utah with about fourteen photos with the DA 70.

baldrick · 01-13-2010, 03:31 AM

The whole point to using a pano head is to reduce parallax error. Stepping in either direction between shots would produce exactly the opposite effect.

Simmo

graphicgr8s · 01-14-2010, 08:11 AM

Originally posted by baldrick

The whole point to using a pano head is to reduce parallax error. Stepping in either direction between shots would produce exactly the opposite effect.

Simmo

Actually it doesn't. Try it. It's a tip that was handed down to me by a pro who shoots many, many published panos.

**Canada_Rockies** · 01-14-2010, 02:40 PM

When shooting panorama destined images, for best results, use manual exposure, manual focus and - not mentioned above - manual white balance. The idea is that any change in exposure, focus or white balance will appear where the images are joined.

Several posts suggest portrait mode. I agree - it leaves space for fitting when the images are not perfectly aligned, as with hand held, monopod or tripod without special head.

Use the lens with the least distortion you have. This keeps the left edge curve ( from fighting with the right edge curve ) when the software assembles the images.

RioRico · 01-15-2010, 01:37 PM

Many good suggestions above. I've used Autostitch for several years, and it tends to smooth-out all minor inconsistencies in alignment and exposure. Autostitch can also automagically join together a matrix of images shot in varying aspects. But on big files stitched at maximum resolution, and/or with image overlaps greater than 25%, Autostitch is s-l-o-w. Is Microsoft ICE faster? I just now tried to acquire MICE for my Vista machine -- first it wouldn't download, then it wouldn't install. Bother. I'll try again after my next reboot.

Other ways to snap panoramas: I've shot lo-res videos, waving the camera around from my shooting location, then used Animation Shop (sometimes packaged with PaintShopPro) to extract and save every 10th or 20th or 50th frame, then Autostitched those small frames together into odd (usually fisheye-distorted) panoramas. I've also shot a matrix of stills, converted every other frame to B&W or otherwise diddled with the color, and Autostitched those into a multitonal mosaic. But I'm nutz.

I'm occasionally tempted by a Fuji 6x12 or 6x17 MF panoramacam, but not tempted enough to part with US$1k-3k for such. I think my last non-digital pan-work involved an oatmeal-box pinhole camera loaded with VC paper. Expose, develop, dry, scan, and there's a BIG frame to play with. Not very colorful, tho.

**rayallen** · 01-16-2010, 04:50 PM

I have found Micosoft ICE to be faster than PSCS3 and PSCS4. It does support Vista. From the MSICE site:
Microsoft Image Composite Editor works on Windows XP and Windows Vista, 32-bit or 64-bit.

falconeye · 01-16-2010, 05:32 PM

Originally posted by Modus Operandi

Is it possible to shoot an effective panorama without the special tripod head?

Yes.
Use Autopano Pro (APP) with SmartBlend to create the Pano. APP advanced to a position where it is the best available program.

And if you have foreground objects, provide enough overlap and some discipline when shooting. E.g., Without a tripod, one is normally turning around the feet. It would be better to walk along a small circle to keep the lens' position as constant as possible. Do Up/Down photos first, then "move" to next position.

Large enough overlap solves problems with most foreground and moving objects but not with a coarse regular/tiled foreground pattern.

The odd thing is that most panoramas look boring w/o a foreground. One trick is to have foreground objects small enough to fit a single frame.

ozlizard · 01-17-2010, 12:22 AM

Don't want to hijack this thread but was going to post this question so thought it might fit in here! The question is what is the best photo stitching software? I have tried PS CS 4 but wasnt happy with the resut. Have tried a few demos online but they all seemed too complicated. Any ideas?

01-12-2010, 10:18 AM	#20
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by Wheatfield Why does it have to be a step to the right all the time Because I shoot correctly. I always go to the right. In your case you need to shoot to the left. I have taken the same panos both ways and like the step better. It changes the perspective just enough to make it better. With less of a crop on the top and bottom. Plus I mostly shoot them in a portrait mode rather than landscape. Find that works better for me also. Last edited by graphicgr8s; 01-12-2010 at 10:32 AM.

01-13-2010, 03:31 AM	#24
baldrick Forum Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bulli, NSW Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 67	The whole point to using a pano head is to reduce parallax error. Stepping in either direction between shots would produce exactly the opposite effect. Simmo Last edited by baldrick; 01-13-2010 at 04:16 AM.

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01-10-2010, 09:26 AM	#16
GerryL Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: CA Posts: 2,731	Here's one that I did with a point and shoot. I think this was 3-4 horizontal photos stitched together but done in photoshop with a bit of editing. Attached Images

01-10-2010, 01:32 PM	#17
patrickt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Posts: 247	With newer software and a single line across it isn't tough to shoot panoramas. Download Microsoft's ICE, it's free, step outside, take five shots, overlapping as others have said, feed them into ICE and see what you get. The whole process will cost only a little time and when answer some questions and make some of the answers here more clear.

01-10-2010, 01:33 PM	#18
patrickt Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Oaxaca, Mexico Posts: 247	Download Microsoft ICE, it's free, go outside and take five or six shots in sequence overlapping as has been suggested, feed them into ICE and look at the results. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised and some of the answers people have provided will be more clear.

01-11-2010, 01:53 PM	#19
jezza323 Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Brisbane Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,421	yes you can certainly take effective panoramas without having a pano head. You can even take effective ones hand held very successfully. I very often take panoramas, and have only ever had trouble with stitching together twice. This was due to parallax error, because I was trying to photography a distant rocky outcrop, with a hand rail only 1m away in the shot. I have written a blog post with some tips for shooting panoramas, if you have any questions feel free to PM me, or comment at the blog and I will be able to get back to you http://jezza323photo.blogspot.com/2009/12/panoramas.html

01-12-2010, 10:28 AM	#21
graphicgr8s Guest	Here's a link to one I did with a P&S about 5 years ago. It's 5 shots. And the other one was last year with a K10D and it's about 15 or more shots. This one I hand stitched https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/post-your-photos/45060d125552...terpa-copy-jpg This one PS did for me. https://www.pentaxforums.com/forums/attachments/post-your-photos/46709d125764...rport-copy-jpg

01-12-2010, 03:23 PM	#22
rayallen Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Forresters Beach, NSW, Australia. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,014	I have only taken a few panos so far and I don't have a pano head. I have been taking them on a tripod with my K10D with the battery grip on which has the tripod mount out of line with the lens axis and they still come out OK. I used Microsoft ICE to stitch this one: In future I will be removing the battery grip. ICE is a good free program but I also use both CS3 and CS4.

01-14-2010, 08:11 AM	#25
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by baldrick The whole point to using a pano head is to reduce parallax error. Stepping in either direction between shots would produce exactly the opposite effect. Simmo Actually it doesn't. Try it. It's a tip that was handed down to me by a pro who shoots many, many published panos.

01-14-2010, 02:40 PM	#26
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	When shooting panorama destined images, for best results, use manual exposure, manual focus and - not mentioned above - manual white balance. The idea is that any change in exposure, focus or white balance will appear where the images are joined. Several posts suggest portrait mode. I agree - it leaves space for fitting when the images are not perfectly aligned, as with hand held, monopod or tripod without special head. Use the lens with the least distortion you have. This keeps the left edge curve ( from fighting with the right edge curve ) when the software assembles the images.

01-15-2010, 01:37 PM	#27
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	Many good suggestions above. I've used Autostitch for several years, and it tends to smooth-out all minor inconsistencies in alignment and exposure. Autostitch can also automagically join together a matrix of images shot in varying aspects. But on big files stitched at maximum resolution, and/or with image overlaps greater than 25%, Autostitch is s-l-o-w. Is Microsoft ICE faster? I just now tried to acquire MICE for my Vista machine -- first it wouldn't download, then it wouldn't install. Bother. I'll try again after my next reboot. Other ways to snap panoramas: I've shot lo-res videos, waving the camera around from my shooting location, then used Animation Shop (sometimes packaged with PaintShopPro) to extract and save every 10th or 20th or 50th frame, then Autostitched those small frames together into odd (usually fisheye-distorted) panoramas. I've also shot a matrix of stills, converted every other frame to B&W or otherwise diddled with the color, and Autostitched those into a multitonal mosaic. But I'm nutz. I'm occasionally tempted by a Fuji 6x12 or 6x17 MF panoramacam, but not tempted enough to part with US$1k-3k for such. I think my last non-digital pan-work involved an oatmeal-box pinhole camera loaded with VC paper. Expose, develop, dry, scan, and there's a BIG frame to play with. Not very colorful, tho.

01-16-2010, 04:50 PM	#28
rayallen Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Forresters Beach, NSW, Australia. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,014	I have found Micosoft ICE to be faster than PSCS3 and PSCS4. It does support Vista. From the MSICE site: Microsoft Image Composite Editor works on Windows XP and Windows Vista, 32-bit or 64-bit.

01-16-2010, 05:32 PM	#29
falconeye Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Munich, Alps, Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,871	Originally posted by Modus Operandi Is it possible to shoot an effective panorama without the special tripod head? Yes. Use Autopano Pro (APP) with SmartBlend to create the Pano. APP advanced to a position where it is the best available program. And if you have foreground objects, provide enough overlap and some discipline when shooting. E.g., Without a tripod, one is normally turning around the feet. It would be better to walk along a small circle to keep the lens' position as constant as possible. Do Up/Down photos first, then "move" to next position. Large enough overlap solves problems with most foreground and moving objects but not with a coarse regular/tiled foreground pattern. The odd thing is that most panoramas look boring w/o a foreground. One trick is to have foreground objects small enough to fit a single frame.

01-17-2010, 12:22 AM	#30
ozlizard Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bridgetown West Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 903	Don't want to hijack this thread but was going to post this question so thought it might fit in here! The question is what is the best photo stitching software? I have tried PS CS 4 but wasnt happy with the resut. Have tried a few demos online but they all seemed too complicated. Any ideas?