How to shoot Panorama with standard lense?


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suigion

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how to shoot panorama using standard lense, for example: 18-55mm lense ??


based on the magazine that I read, in order for me to shoot panorama using standard lense, i have to use Pano head... see http://www.panoguide.com

they shoot number of pics and then stitch it together to form a wider image....

i try to use my tripod.. but i keep getting the parallax (cannot combine the image properly)...

Anybody know the technique to do that? thx
 

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You'd need a spirit level and check that the tripod is leveled properly. This will help you get a set of more balanced pictures.
 

is it difficult to use pano head? because i think it is better to have pano head than to have the wide angle lense (*it is expensive)... :))
 

There are pros and cons of stitching to make a pano vs a wide angle lens.
For one, stitching with moving dynamic elements can cause stitch errors. A wide angle cropped will negate that error. Hence scenes need to be choosen.

Unless you are using wide angle exclusively for landscape, it has a great application even in street shooting.

Pano heads are not difficult to use once you have the nodal points figured and set over the rotational axis. My Nodal Ninja has been a breeze to use. I find that pano heads are more critical when you are stitching with a shorter focal length such as the 18mm for example. The longer focal lengths are more tolerant and you can get by with a fairly good stitch without using one.

Ryan
 

hi ts, give you an example do a pano shot of boat quay shops from across the river :

1) using ultra wide angle 12-24mm lens to cover the whole stretch with a single shot. than crop the top and bottom to get the pano effect.

2) using wide angle lens say 24-35mm lens, you need to take say a few shots (with some overlap between the shots) and stitch them together to get the effect of (1) :
http://denniskee.multiply.com/photo.../photos/album/44/landscape_around_singapore#1

3) using a 50mm lens in portrait orientation, you need say 15 shots (more than (2), again with some overlap between shots) and stitch them together to get the effect of (1) :
50mm
http://denniskee.multiply.com/photo...photos/album/44/landscape_around_singapore#42
100mm
http://denniskee.multiply.com/photo...photos/album/44/landscape_around_singapore#53

which of the 3 options do you think will give you most detail pano?

note :
a) the further the distant between the camera and the scene the better.

b) for (3), simple way is to drop the camera to the side. but a better way is use a "L" bracket so the center of the axis on the sensor remains the same.

c) i not so high tech, so not using the nodel (wrong spelling, someone pls help me to correct it) point, which suppose to give the correct centre of rotation axis for stitching shots together to form pano.

d) so far, i am using "hugin", a freeware that is very easy to use and give way way better effect than the auto-merge function of some popular image editing software.

e) for option (2) and (3), i level the tripod (manfrotto 055pro has a bubble level) 1st, than do minor adjustment to the tripod so that the other bubble level on the ball head remains leveled no matter which direction i rotate the camera.
 

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The fundamental rule for panoramic photography is you have to rotate your camera at the nodal point to reduce parallax errors.

More tips:
1. Rotate at nodal point
2. Recommend to use pano head and set your camera in veritcal position
3. Overlapped at 20% at each side
4. Use manual settings
5. Recommend to use a spirit level to level the horizon
6. Not recommend to use auto White Balance (use customised WB)
7. Not recommend to use polariser filter
8. Use a stable tripod
9. Use a good stitcher application like Panorama factory, Realviz Stitcher, etc

See my A70 pano setup a few year ago

See my NZ pano shots taken by 20D
 

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The fundamental rule for panoramic photography is you have to rotate your camera at the nodal point to reduce parallax errors.

More tips:
1. Rotate at nodal point
2. Recommend to use pano head and set your camera in veritcal position
3. Overlapped at 20% at each side
4. Use manual settings
5. Recommend to use a spirit level to level the horizon
6. Not recommend to use auto White Balance (use customised WB)
7. Not recommend to use polariser filter
8. Use a stable tripod
9. Use a good stitcher application like Panorama factory, Realviz Stitcher, etc

See my A70 pano setup a few year ago

See my NZ pano shots taken by 20D

just to add - while one of those gee-whiz pano heads are a great help in shooting panos, ur run-of-the-mill tripod ball/gear heads will do just as well and much cheaper. just opt for the options with the degree-markings, and get a spirit level for your camera (absolutely critical); not for your tripod. i know there are some tripod that comes with spirit level - dat only measures the level-ness of ur tripod not camera.

other than dat, follow wat megaweb and denniskee said, and you should be fine. :)
 

Pano heads and tripods are an expensive investment. Unless you know you are going to be shooting loads of panos.

I've only used Nodal Ninja once, and that was because that company had a setup we use for generating hdri maps for lighting and reflections. It's really awesome, but a pain to bring around and setup.

For my personal pano usage, I've never used a tripod or pano head so long as the light is good... here's my sample of panos;

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=88833&l=737c9&id=685481367

a) Google search a way to determine your nodal point for that 18-55. I've used my kit 18-55 before for panos, it works fine. Only thing is I don't trust it in the rain. Use your thumb as a point to swivel the lens around.
b) Shoot in good light; F8, hyperfocus your lens.
c) Stich using OSS software like Hugin that Dennis mentioned (Hi dennis! How is your QL17?)
d) 99% of the time, I'll need some minor touch ups (I use gimp)
e) Print and be happy! @ 300DPI, most of my panos can hit about 30 inches wide; widest I've every printed is 18 inches. I tend to print two panos on one single 8x12 as it's very economical, and portable.

I'd say, if you need to be in the photo, or shooting in low light, then yes, please invest in a pano head + tripod and stuff. For me, even in low light (F3.5, ISO1600, 1/30 kinda exposure) I will still, and have sucessfully, shoot handheld.

As you can see from some of my stuff, I can take pretty close up pano shots, like about 1 meter from my subject. Also, note that by handholding the stuff and not using a spirit level, the chance of getting really crappy alignments are possible. But hey, I'm a hobbyist on a budget.
 

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