Pano technique for architecture

[BernardLanguillier]

Dear all,

The following image isn't that super sharp, but I find it somehow impressive nonetheless.

Why so? Because it is a 100% crop showing the area circled in red in the architecture shot below.





This image is a 180 Mpixel panorama made up of 16 Nikon D3x images (60mm f2.8, ISO100, f13, 4 sec). It took 3 minutes to shoot, 20 minutes to process and can be printed natively in B0 size at 360 DPI.

I had been considering for quite some time whether it would make sense or not to invest massively in a MFDB together with a LF like camera. This very image has convinced me for good that it just doesn't make sense to go that route anymore.

Cheers,
Bernard

[dwdallam]

Dear all,

The following image isn't that super sharp, but I find it somehow impressive nonetheless.

Why so? Because it is a 100% crop showing the area circled in red in the architecture shot below.





This image is a 180 Mpixel panorama made up of 16 Nikon D3x images (60mm f2.8, ISO100, f13, 4 sec). It took 3 minutes to shoot, 20 minutes to process and can be printed natively in B0 size at 360 DPI.

I had been considering for quite some time whether it would make sense or not to invest massively in a MFDB together with a LF like camera. This very image has convinced me for good that it just doesn't make sense to go that route anymore.

Cheers,
Bernard

This is a really interesting post because tonight I was sitting around thinking I might buy a MF film camera and learn to use it for specific things, and to just to do it, and scan the negatives using a nice drum scanner. Then I read this post and decided, naw, since I own a 1DS3. Although you tested the Nikon d3X I assume the outcome would be very similar. I think the MF idea for me is pretty much a nonstarter nowadays.

[BernardLanguillier]

Then I read this post and decided, naw, since I own a 1DS3. Although you tested the Nikon d3X I assume the outcome would be very similar. I think the MF idea for me is pretty much a nonstarter nowadays.

Yes, it should be similar. The D3x appears to be a bit better at extracting details, but in the very worst case you might only need to shoot with a slightly longer lens and add one row.

Cheers,
Bernard

[dwdallam]

Yes, it should be similar. The D3x appears to be a bit better at extracting details, but in the very worst case you might only need to shoot with a slightly longer lens and add one row.

Cheers,
Bernard

No Bernard. The 1DS3 is BETTER, okay? OKay?!

[adammork]

Just some thoughts....

The nice motives you show here is perfect for stitching, and therefore very seductive

but,
Have you ever noticed how much the light can change in 3 minutes    
How much the shadow moves in 3 minutes
How fast and far the clouds are travelling in the sky in 3 minutes
How many trucks that can park in you images in 3 minutes
How many people that can walk in the wrong places in the image in 3 minutes
How many people that can leave the right places in the image in 3 minutes
and so on.......  

It's a very common misunderstanding that we architectural photographers have all the time in the world to do our images - a very few times we have, but often you can prepare a take in an hour, wait for an other half for the clouds to leave a hole for the light and then leave you with 10 seconds before a truck enters the scene and after using some minutes to get it to go away -  no more lights / or the light moved too far creating to long shadows......

Its not for fun, that you see us running around sometimes to get everything as perfect as possible.

I stitch quite a lot with my Alpa, but seldom more than two images, that's normal durable on most scenes, but relay on making 16 images or 8 for that sake on every scene....

Very best,
Adam

[BernardLanguillier]

Just some thoughts....

The nice motives you show here is perfect for stitching, and therefore very seductive

Agreed, this is indeed a subject that is extremely easy to stitch.

but,
Have you ever noticed how much the light can change in 3 minutes    
How much the shadow moves in 3 minutes
How fast and far the clouds are travelling in the sky in 3 minutes
How many trucks that can park in you images in 3 minutes
How many people that can walk in the wrong places in the image in 3 minutes
How many people that can leave the right places in the image in 3 minutes
and so on.......  

It's a very common misunderstanding that we architectural photographers have all the time in the world to do our images - a very few times we have, but often you can prepare a take in an hour, wait for an other half for the clouds to leave a hole for the light and then leave you with 10 seconds before a truck enters the scene and after using some minutes to get it to go away -  no more lights / or the light moved too far creating to long shadows......

Its not for fun, that you see us running around sometimes to get everything as perfect as possible.

I stitch quite a lot with my Alpa, but seldom more than two images, that's normal durable on most scenes, but relay on making 16 images or 8 for that sake on every scene....

Sure, if I were to shoot architecture professionally I would probably have to consider other options also.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BernardLanguillier]

No Bernard. The 1DS3 is BETTER, okay? OKay?!

Maybe, I have not done any comparisons between the 2 cameras myself.

What I saw in the tests performed by others was showing a good deal more details in the D3x images, but I have no way of knowing how fair these tests were.

Do you think that the 1ds3 can extract this amount of details? This is a 100% crop from the image below, shot with a 24 mm T/S. This was shot at f11, which is 2 stops down from the best aperture.





Cheers,
Bernard

[Thomas Krüger]

The latest release of AutopanoGiga has some nice features for these type of photography: http://www.autopano.net/wiki/Lastest_Beta

[Kirk Gittings]

"Just some thoughts....

The nice motives you show here is perfect for stitching, and therefore very seductive

but,
Have you ever noticed how much the light can change in 3 minutes wink.gif
How much the shadow moves in 3 minutes
How fast and far the clouds are travelling in the sky in 3 minutes
How many trucks that can park in you images in 3 minutes
How many people that can walk in the wrong places in the image in 3 minutes
How many people that can leave the right places in the image in 3 minutes
and so on....... rolleyes.gif

It's a very common misunderstanding that we architectural photographers have all the time in the world to do our images - a very few times we have, but often you can prepare a take in an hour, wait for an other half for the clouds to leave a hole for the light and then leave you with 10 seconds before a truck enters the scene and after using some minutes to get it to go away - no more lights / or the light moved too far creating to long shadows......

Its not for fun, that you see us running around sometimes to get everything as perfect as possible."

Well said. It sometimes drives me crazy to get a simple 2X flat stitch from shifting the lens and I have assistants to control what we call the "prairie dog factor" (people walking into the shot) on big commercial shoots.

Nice image Bernard.

[BernardLanguillier]

Well said. It sometimes drives me crazy to get a simple 2X flat stitch from shifting the lens and I have assistants to control what we call the "prairie dog factor" (people walking into the shot) on big commercial shoots.

Nice image Bernard.

Thanks Kirk.

Cheers,
Bernard

[emcphoto]

nice shot, i've been meaning to get to the international forum.
i love japan they let you break out the camera and tripod almost anywhere, not like here in NY
Bernard what pano setup do you use?  i see alot of choices from bogen, rrs and kirk but they are all expensive and i'd hate to spend the money on a poor choice.  are these shot with a pivot head like the ultimate omni pivot from rrs?  or flat across up and down?  sorry if this is a redundant question.

[BernardLanguillier]

nice shot, i've been meaning to get to the international forum.
i love japan they let you break out the camera and tripod almost anywhere, not like here in NY
Bernard what pano setup do you use?  i see alot of choices from bogen, rrs and kirk but they are all expensive and i'd hate to spend the money on a poor choice.  are these shot with a pivot head like the ultimate omni pivot from rrs?  or flat across up and down?  sorry if this is a redundant question.

Thanks. This was shot with a RRS ultimate head. It works well if the camera+lens combo is not heavier that 2kgs.

Cheers,
Bernard

[AlanG]

Lately, I have been doing a number of my exterior and interior projects with stitching. There are a lot of advantages working this way.  It is pretty easy to shoot the required number of frames in a matter of seconds not minutes.  Don't overlook the ability to get much wider angle (and/or a unique perspective) than with any single shot method.

Here is an example of something I could not have done any other way.

[dwdallam]

Maybe, I have not done any comparisons between the 2 cameras myself.

What I saw in the tests performed by others was showing a good deal more details in the D3x images, but I have no way of knowing how fair these tests were.

Do you think that the 1ds3 can extract this amount of details? This is a 100% crop from the image below, shot with a 24 mm T/S. This was shot at f11, which is 2 stops down from the best aperture.




(Stupid Nikon)

Seriously though that's pretty incredible.

[BernardLanguillier]

Bernard. You're not getting my point here. It doesn't matter what silly tests show. I bought the 1DS3 less than a year ago, and it IS the best camera you can buy right now for any reason, no matter what tests show. Are you getting my point?

(Stupid Nikon)

Seriously though that's pretty incredible.

Sorry, I hadn't see the invisible smiley, I am getting your point now.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BernardLanguillier]

Lately, I have been doing a number of my exterior and interior projects with stitching. There are a lot of advantages working this way.  It is pretty easy to shoot the required number of frames in a matter of seconds not minutes.  Don't overlook the ability to get much wider angle (and/or a unique perspective) than with any single shot method.

Here is an example of something I could not have done any other way.

Yes indeed, the shooting itself is a matter of seconds, especially if the camera has enough resolution to start with.

My 3+ mins timing was including all the set up (tripod, pano head, test shots for exposure,...). Even with 16 images at 4 sec each (meaning 8 sec with dark frame substraction), the shooting itself was probably just slightly above 2 mins, and I could of course have shot with a wider lens to go much faster if I hadn't been trying to reach 200 Megapixels.

Cheers,
Bernard

[dwdallam]

Sorry, I hadn't see the invisible smiley, I am getting your point now.

Cheers,
Bernard

Yeah now you're feeling it?

[BernardLanguillier]

Yeah now you're feeling it?

I am definitely feeling something.

Cheers,
Bernard

[dwdallam]

I am definitely feeling something.

Cheers,
Bernard

LOL. I'll tell you what I'm feeling--the very near future where Canon comes out with teh 1DS4 and my 1DS3 takes a economic hit making it virtually, in economic terms, a boat anchor made of lead. When the 1DS4 hits the market, probably in psring, and with teh D3X out, you probably will have  to give them away if you want anything more than 4K out of them.

On the up side, those wishing they could own a 1DS3 will get relatively new ones for very cheap.

Nikon is kicking Canon's ass right now in the top end and in the low noise area all around the fast shutter speed fight.

Canon better do something miracle oriented if they want to stay on top, or go the way AMD did in 2005, which is a downward spiral. I don;t think nice movies on the 5DMKII are enough to pull them. I think Nikon has a very nice selection right now. If I were just getting into this deal, I would be hard pressed to choose Canon, except just getting in would make the 5DMKII very attractive.

[emcphoto]

Thanks. This was shot with a RRS ultimate head. It works well if the camera+lens combo is not heavier that 2kgs.

Cheers,
Bernard

Is the camera kept perpendicular to the pano rig or are you rotating around as you shoot the 16 frames?  I've used a sliding rail for flat stitching 2-3 frames before, does your software correct somehow for parallax or if everything is far away enough it wouldn't be an issue?