Stiching with a pano head?

[nubins]

Maybe I am missing something with the Shift lens idea. Why can't you use a panoramic head that can move up, down, left, right all on the same plane like the Nodal Ninja for shifting?

The idea is to use the pano head to make a multirow mosaic (2 rows, 2 shots each) to cover a wider view with 30% - 50% overlap and stitch in Photoshop. This way any lens can be used not just a shift lens.

Am I missing something?

[Murray Fredericks]

My understanding is that you can, it will just take a long time...

It may also depend on how the software decides to deal with any distortion present in your lenses.

Apart from time savings, shift lenses allow you to view the actual composition (if you are only stitching to overcome the lack of a shift) before you shoot.

[BernardLanguillier]

Maybe I am missing something with the Shift lens idea. Why can't you use a panoramic head that can move up, down, left, right all on the same plane like the Nodal Ninja for shifting?

The idea is to use the pano head to make a multirow mosaic (2 rows, 2 shots each) to cover a wider view with 30% - 50% overlap and stitch in Photoshop. This way any lens can be used not just a shift lens.

Am I missing something?

Many of us have been doing just that for years now. It works perfectly when done with suitable hardware like the Reallyrightstuff gear, and with suitable software like PTgui or autopano Pro.

A 12 images pano like the one below was shot in less than one minute and resulted in a perfectly sharp 80MP image (this one was in fact shot handheld). The post-processing time was perhaps 20 minutes, out of which most of the time was computer time.



MFDB are not the best tools to stitch though since they are too heavy, are slow with shallow buffers, their long lenses do typically not offer enough DoF at their best apertures, their 4:3 format features a lower relative pixel count on the long end compared to 3:2 ratioed DSLR,...

A high end DSLR is IMHO a better stitching platform.

Cheers,
Bernard

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

check on this discussion: http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....mp;#entry245887

Other than that I would say that with programs like Autopano Pro you may do without the pano head. I use a simple pano head without adjusting for the nodal point and stitch my panos with AutopanoPro and the Smart Blend option. Without Smart Blend there will be some parallax, but Smart Blend handles it just fine. Smart blend is slow, however.

Best regards
Erik

Many of us have been doing just that for years now. It works perfectly when done with suitable hardware like the Reallyrightstuff gear, and with suitable software like PTgui or autopano Pro.

A 12 images pano like the one below was shot in less than one minute and resulted in a perfectly sharp 80MP image (this one was in fact shot handheld). The post-processing time was perhaps 20 minutes, out of which most of the time was computer time.



MFDB are not the best tools to stitch though since they are too heavy, are slow with shallow buffers, their long lenses do typically not offer enough DoF at their best apertures, their 4:3 format features a lower relative pixel count on the long end compared to 3:2 ratioed DSLR,...

A high end DSLR is IMHO a better stitching platform.

Cheers,
Bernard

[nubins]

Thanks for the replies.

MF will be slower but I intend on using a TrueWide with a DB and whatever MF camera I buy (Fuji GX680III) along with a D200. Using the TrueWide with a pano head is my main idea so I can keep the size down in small places like corners of rooms. It should be quicker to move around than the Fuji.

In your opinions, what is the best stitching program? Autopano Pro?

Would you say that using a pano head as opposed to a bellows would be the best idea for Perspective Correction (Shift) regardless of processing time. Or would an expensive and limiting Tilt/Shift lens be the best option. I really like the idea of the flexibility of using different lenses for Shift but if a prime 24mm or 28mm T/S lens is the best answer I am open.

What medium format and DSLR lenses (Nikon) would you recommend for stitching multi row mosaic panos? I am talking about mostly interior and exterior architecture. I have a TrueWide for MF to use with Nikon wides in wide angle lens situations (24 and wider) but I assume I would want to a "more" normal lens like a 35mm or 50mm when stitching so it won't have so much of the dramatic wide and super wide look.

Thanks again

[JeffKohn]

Both types of stitching have their place, I use them both on a regular basis.

One thing to consider, a 'flat' stitch looks different from a rotational stitch. I tend to prefer the look of the flat stitches, sometimes the projections used by rotational stitchers go too far (particularly at wider FOV's). Using a T/S for a 3-image stitch is also faster and has less margin for error.

I like flat stitches for when I just want to get 20-25mp for larger prints out of my D300. But still do rotational panos when I want more resolution than that, or for wider compositions. Plus I have a limited choice of focal lengths for T/S, so sometimes it just isn't an option.

[ErikKaffehr]

Hi,

Autopano Pro is OK and easy to use. Other programs may have other benefits, I don't know. In my view the most important feature is "Smart Blend", but I'm pretty sure that it can be used with other programs, too.

I'd say that you would be happy with Autopano Pro, not necessarily the best tool but good enough.

Regarding lens options I simply don't think it matters. On APS-C I was shooting anything between 16-80 zoom at 80 and a 400 mm lens with extender. My method for single row panoramas is:

- Put camera in vertical
- Select focal length best suited for vertical direction
- If you are shooting multi row panoramas be sure to have detail in the vertical overlap areas. Overlap areas without good detail, like sky or water, are a good recepie for failure!
- Don't shoot multi row if you can use single row!
- Take more shoots on left and right than what you think is needed, there be dragons and pixels are free!


Best regards
Erik

Thanks for the replies.

MF will be slower but I intend on using a TrueWide with a DB and whatever MF camera I buy (Fuji GX680III) along with a D200. Using the TrueWide with a pano head is my main idea so I can keep the size down in small places like corners of rooms. It should be quicker to move around than the Fuji.

In your opinions, what is the best stitching program? Autopano Pro?

Would you say that using a pano head as opposed to a bellows would be the best idea for Perspective Correction (Shift) regardless of processing time. Or would an expensive and limiting Tilt/Shift lens be the best option. I really like the idea of the flexibility of using different lenses for Shift but if a prime 24mm or 28mm T/S lens is the best answer I am open.

What medium format and DSLR lenses (Nikon) would you recommend for stitching multi row mosaic panos? I am talking about mostly interior and exterior architecture. I have a TrueWide for MF to use with Nikon wides in wide angle lens situations (24 and wider) but I assume I would want to a "more" normal lens like a 35mm or 50mm when stitching so it won't have so much of the dramatic wide and super wide look.

Thanks again