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ARC
Guest
Howw do I take panoramic pics on my 990 please. Do you set camera or is it in the photosho LE software which caame with it ?
RC
RC
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Harry Joel
Leading Member
Hi Ron
Step 1: beg, borrow or buy a sturdy tripod with a swivelhead (rotates easiliy)
Step 2: Put camera on tripod and start with the left-most picture in the se ries
Step 3: before you turn the head to the next position, note what is shown (either on the LCD or the viewfinder) on the right edge)
Step 4; Rotate tripod head to get about a 10% overlap with the previous shot
Keep going. I tried 3-5 shot panaromas with good results.
I keep the tripod steady with one hand before I push lightly on the exposure button.
Run the series through playback to check the overlap
Step 5: Run the series of pics through a stitching program. I tried a few that where posted here, and decided on Panavue as the most predictable. It is $89 as of this date. But I am sold on its features
Step 6: With Panavue the resulting panorama can be saved to disk. It will have kind of scalloped tops and bottoms, which need to be removed in a graphics program. I select and crop to delete the rounded stuff
Step 6: This is the biggie! you really need a printer that can handle long paper. , unless you can live with 11 wide panoramas.
Step 1: beg, borrow or buy a sturdy tripod with a swivelhead (rotates easiliy)
Step 2: Put camera on tripod and start with the left-most picture in the se ries
Step 3: before you turn the head to the next position, note what is shown (either on the LCD or the viewfinder) on the right edge)
Step 4; Rotate tripod head to get about a 10% overlap with the previous shot
Keep going. I tried 3-5 shot panaromas with good results.
I keep the tripod steady with one hand before I push lightly on the exposure button.
Run the series through playback to check the overlap
Step 5: Run the series of pics through a stitching program. I tried a few that where posted here, and decided on Panavue as the most predictable. It is $89 as of this date. But I am sold on its features
Step 6: With Panavue the resulting panorama can be saved to disk. It will have kind of scalloped tops and bottoms, which need to be removed in a graphics program. I select and crop to delete the rounded stuff
Step 6: This is the biggie! you really need a printer that can handle long paper. , unless you can live with 11 wide panoramas.
Mike Kelley
Senior Member
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I'll post some dissenting (and not so dissenting) opinions:
I've made panos of a bubbling pond fountain (with ripples and bubbles), train locomotives (with steam coming out), streets with moving cars, etc. etc, and all the panos have been perfect with absolute seamless stitching. You'll need to calibrate your lens for the best results, but this is easy. I have six panos hanging in my office that get so many oohs and ahhhs I'm thinking of selling them.
Um... no. I take all my panos without a tripod. They come out just fine, but I also use terrific software (the big key -- see below).
Um... no again. I just swivel my body and try to overlap. I don't really care how much overlap (usually I overlap way too much and don't need half the shots but it doesn't hurt anything) as long as I get some.
Agreed -- 3-5 shots are pretty good. However, feel free to do more, do 360 degrees if you feel like it (you won't find paper long enough for them, but you'll be able to select whichever part is nicest).
I don't bother, although I may tend to do a series of panos as the light changes.
Assuming we're talking Image Assembler (by Panavue, which is the name of the company and not the program) I agree 100%. This program is truly great, will take care of not having a tripod, will correct for skew, and is a breeze to use.
I've made panos of a bubbling pond fountain (with ripples and bubbles), train locomotives (with steam coming out), streets with moving cars, etc. etc, and all the panos have been perfect with absolute seamless stitching. You'll need to calibrate your lens for the best results, but this is easy. I have six panos hanging in my office that get so many oohs and ahhhs I'm thinking of selling them.
Yes, a little Photoshop work is in order.
Yep. I have the Epson 1270 and my "standard" pano is 23" x 8" or so. I've made a couple of terrific (but expensive) 13"x44". The quality is hard to believe.
G
George Dangerfield
Guest
I agree, I have made most of my panoramas hand held, including the 12 shot one I got photo of the day for yesterday at Digitalphotocontest.com(Columbia Icefield). I have successfully stiched up to 22 shots using Panavue, although I often have had to manually set the match points between individual shots. This program works far better than Quickstich that I used to use.
What I like to do is hold the camera out in front of me so that the strap pulls against the back of my neck. Then I just pan across, allowing sufficient overlap. Sometimes I find myself eliminating one or more shots due to too much unneccessary overlap, but its better too much than not enough!
I have printed some beautiful 8.2 x 44 inch panorama shots on my Epson 870!
George Dangerfield
What I like to do is hold the camera out in front of me so that the strap pulls against the back of my neck. Then I just pan across, allowing sufficient overlap. Sometimes I find myself eliminating one or more shots due to too much unneccessary overlap, but its better too much than not enough!
I have printed some beautiful 8.2 x 44 inch panorama shots on my Epson 870!
George Dangerfield
Harry Joel
Leading Member
Mike
I have started using the free-hand, and YES Panavuew will stitch nearly all with aplomb, but If I am not rtuly keeping the camera at the same aim from shot to shot, the Panavue pic will slant one way or the other and too much has to be snipped off. So I guess the tripod keeps me from messing up.
I had one occasion where too much overlap confused Panavue. But cannot tell really what happened.
I am always open to new ideas and proven techniques used by others. The ones planning on getting into large prints like panos and A3 size, should be aware that the color catridges on the Epson 1270 are going toward the empty just about as fast as the gas gauge on an SUV
I have started using the free-hand, and YES Panavuew will stitch nearly all with aplomb, but If I am not rtuly keeping the camera at the same aim from shot to shot, the Panavue pic will slant one way or the other and too much has to be snipped off. So I guess the tripod keeps me from messing up.
I had one occasion where too much overlap confused Panavue. But cannot tell really what happened.
I am always open to new ideas and proven techniques used by others. The ones planning on getting into large prints like panos and A3 size, should be aware that the color catridges on the Epson 1270 are going toward the empty just about as fast as the gas gauge on an SUV
Mike Kelley
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ROTFL. Hey, I have an SUV, so maybe that's why it doesn't bother me :> )
All seriousness aside, I don't find the color carts on the 1270 to drain as fast as I thought they would. And all I do are panos or Super Bs (A3s to you folks on the other side of the pond) -- okay, I admit I toss in an 11x17 from time to time. For as many prints as I've made, with as much color saturation as I have, I'm quite pleased with the ink consumption (then again, gas mileage on my Durango doesn't bother me either. I guess I figure that's why I'm making the big bucks, so I can spend them on things I want).
But aren't those prints worth it?
R
Rob Patterson
Guest
I would suggest reading the workshop regarding panorama shots at this site:
http://www.digitalkamera.de/Info/default-en.html
Each image should have the same exposure. This is accomplished using manual exposure and not changing aperature, shutter, or EV between each shot or AE lock in the other modes.
I'd recommend using a mount that allows the camera to swivel on the nodal point. The site above has a good explanation of the nodal point. The reason I recommend a pano mount that allows the series of shots to be taken while panning with the nodal point is the fact that by doing so, you will end up with far less cropping. The resulting "stitched" images will be almost rectangular. No panning on the nodal point results in a "stitched" image that requires excessive cropping.
You can buy a commercial one which will run around $115 or make one that'll do the same thing for about $5. I've got a print with instructions at my page. Look for the link "cheap pano mount" just under the Nikon pages series of links.
Don't even worry about having a degree scale. Just "eyeball" the shots making sure that the overlap by about one third. Image Assembler by Panavue will do the rest.
http://u2.netgate.net/~robdp/
http://www.digitalkamera.de/Info/default-en.html
Each image should have the same exposure. This is accomplished using manual exposure and not changing aperature, shutter, or EV between each shot or AE lock in the other modes.
I'd recommend using a mount that allows the camera to swivel on the nodal point. The site above has a good explanation of the nodal point. The reason I recommend a pano mount that allows the series of shots to be taken while panning with the nodal point is the fact that by doing so, you will end up with far less cropping. The resulting "stitched" images will be almost rectangular. No panning on the nodal point results in a "stitched" image that requires excessive cropping.
You can buy a commercial one which will run around $115 or make one that'll do the same thing for about $5. I've got a print with instructions at my page. Look for the link "cheap pano mount" just under the Nikon pages series of links.
Don't even worry about having a degree scale. Just "eyeball" the shots making sure that the overlap by about one third. Image Assembler by Panavue will do the rest.
http://u2.netgate.net/~robdp/
Harry Joel
Leading Member
Mike , as you probably guessed I am another one of these dastardly SUV owners and dont care about the mileage either. I work to earn enough to allow me such indulgences. Take that , Gore. (His limousines , one to take off and two for emergencies, are always idling at the curb for hours, so they will be nice and cool when he decides its time to go. Does not bother him either), not even mentioning Airforce Two. Oh well.. enough prattling...
Paul Linder
Senior Member
Harry,
I would be honored to defend to the death, your right to your political opinions. But so far no one has designated this forum as the place to express them.
Paul Linder
I would be honored to defend to the death, your right to your political opinions. But so far no one has designated this forum as the place to express them.
Paul Linder
Don Hergert
Forum Enthusiast
Hi All,
I've now tried and purchased PanaVue's Image Assembler... I sort of collect this kind of program, I guess [g]. Anyway, while it does do the more common images well -- and while I REALLY prefer it's flag approach to manual stitching -- it doesn't support or allow creation of a lens profile that is compatible with the Nikon Fisheye. This isn't a problem, of course, unless you have a Nikon Fisheye and don't want to use IPIX software. Interestingly, PanaVue advertises that their product will work with any lens...
That said, Image Assembler's work with images from other lenses is great, and highly recommendable.
If one has the Nikon Fisheye, the only "automatic" software that I've seen that will accomodate this nice lens is MGI's PhotoVista. While you cannot create an appropriate lens profile directly in PhotoVista, you can very easily modify a copy of an existing profile in a text editor to make it compatible with the 183 degree, 8mm Nikon Fisheye. Unlike Image Assembler, PhotoVista is able to do the extreme warping to correct for the distortion created by the fisheye. It isn't perfect, but it does work at least as well as the IPIX software that is bundled with the 990.
I wish PhotoVista had the flag capability that Image Assembler has (or alternatively that Image Assembler could be made to support the Nikon Fisheye, despite the IPIX legal threat). The flag concept is a very nice manual feature, and PanaVue deserves lots of credit for coming up with it.
Best,
-- Don Hergert
I've now tried and purchased PanaVue's Image Assembler... I sort of collect this kind of program, I guess [g]. Anyway, while it does do the more common images well -- and while I REALLY prefer it's flag approach to manual stitching -- it doesn't support or allow creation of a lens profile that is compatible with the Nikon Fisheye. This isn't a problem, of course, unless you have a Nikon Fisheye and don't want to use IPIX software. Interestingly, PanaVue advertises that their product will work with any lens...
That said, Image Assembler's work with images from other lenses is great, and highly recommendable.
If one has the Nikon Fisheye, the only "automatic" software that I've seen that will accomodate this nice lens is MGI's PhotoVista. While you cannot create an appropriate lens profile directly in PhotoVista, you can very easily modify a copy of an existing profile in a text editor to make it compatible with the 183 degree, 8mm Nikon Fisheye. Unlike Image Assembler, PhotoVista is able to do the extreme warping to correct for the distortion created by the fisheye. It isn't perfect, but it does work at least as well as the IPIX software that is bundled with the 990.
I wish PhotoVista had the flag capability that Image Assembler has (or alternatively that Image Assembler could be made to support the Nikon Fisheye, despite the IPIX legal threat). The flag concept is a very nice manual feature, and PanaVue deserves lots of credit for coming up with it.
Best,
-- Don Hergert
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Nick Molatore
Guest
Dennis Ecklund
Well-known member
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Some of us don't mind a little political commentary mixed in with the photograhica. Occasionally a photographic vision overlaps with a political vision. I think that was what LIFE magazine was all about.
:-> Dennis
:-> Dennis
C
Cory
Guest
Image Assembler looks great, but unfortanetly I don't see a mac version on their website. Any recommendations for Mac photo stiching software?
Thanks,
Cory
Thanks,
Cory
Harry Joel
Leading Member
...and I defend your right to gripe about it... no sooner did I hit the POST button, something told me that I had sinned... grins
Mike Kelley
Senior Member
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Mike Kelley
Senior Member
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Epson Product #: S041145
http://www.epsonsupplies.com/cgi/product.cgi?SESSIONID=096574721047223687&EDPNUM=10045698&PARENT=C296011
I get it locally at my CompUSA store, or buy it online at the Epson store (depending upon how far in advance I've planned :> )
G
George Dangerfield
Guest
I just bought a 17 inch by 100 foot roll of Polor Gloss from Redriverpaper.com. This stuff is just like Epson's Premium Glossy Photo Paper. I just cut it in half to give me 200 feet of 8.5 inch wide paper. Works great! Cost me about $100 with 3 day shipping, which comes out to only about $2 (plus ink of course) to print a 44 inch long panorama on my Epson 870.
George Dangerfield
George Dangerfield
dannyjl
Forum Enthusiast
Cory, check the mac tools site but as far as I know there are 2 options- the
panatools soft, which is free or the $399 Quicktime VR set from Apple. I'd try the
panatools 1st- do a search for the link. Sorry, don't know it offhand.
panatools soft, which is free or the $399 Quicktime VR set from Apple. I'd try the
panatools 1st- do a search for the link. Sorry, don't know it offhand.
Michael11945
Senior Member
Photovista ( http://www.mgisoft.com ) although the Mac version is behind the PC version is pretty good. If you look around for slightly less than its full retail price many magazine subscription come with it a as a thank-you gift for subscription.
Corel with their Photopaint package also offer image stitching into QTVR the trial version is free , the full version allows you to stitch however many images you want.
Another software company is http://www.vrtoolbox.com/ if you've a up-to-date Mac you can stitch and get very high resolution shots with this software - for high res. shots you will need to allocate at least 128 Mb of Ram and if you haven't got it physically and use the Mac's virtual Ram stitching does take a while.
As a generalisation you will find there are more packages designed for PCs - but then you've probably got used to that
regards Michael http://www.360sphere.com
C
Cory
Guest
Thanks for the site, I guess there are quite a few options for the Mac.
Cory
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