Panoramas without a tripod

[PeterAit]

I know that one ideally uses a tripod and level to take panoramas, but I am hesitant to carry a tripod on my hikes for what will be at the most occasional use. When taking panoramas hand-held, I understand that it is important to overlap images a lot and also to use manual exposure so each shot is exposed the same. Are there any other tips I should know about?

[Gary Brown]

There are a couple of articles on this site that touch on that subject:

Getting Started with Digital Panoramas includes some tips on shooting handheld.

Adventures with Panoramas (“I haven't been handcuffed to a tripod for a long time”) also mentions that topic, although some of the examples are single-shot crops.

[arlon]

I've done hundreds of panoramas and never used a tripod yet. A lot of them have been HDR panos with sets of bracketed shots stitched. I have had an ocassion where I couldn't get a decent stitch but rarely. I ALWAYS shoot at least 2 sets of panels with a dark frame seperating them (shoot my hand). I shoot them mostly vertical unless I have a real reason to shoot horizontal. I try to rotate the camera about it's axis as best I can, I do not rotate my body, just try to rotate the camera. Often shoot brackets, Always in manual exposure and focus. Use grid lines in the viewfinder to keep a horizon as level in the shots as possible. Any tilting of the camera between shots seems to make it more difficult to stitch. Also if using a zoom be extremely careful not to let the zoom creep!  I stitch in PS Elements (latest version is quite good) or AutoPano Pro. Good luck and practice in your front yard, it will pay dividends when you have the breath taking vista in front of you.

I believe this was 27 shots hand held. HDR 3 shots deep by 9 wide.. There are a few small busts but you'd have look really close to find them.

Click image for a much larger version

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I know that one ideally uses a tripod and level to take panoramas, but I am hesitant to carry a tripod on my hikes for what will be at the most occasional use. When taking panoramas hand-held, I understand that it is important to overlap images a lot and also to use manual exposure so each shot is exposed the same. Are there any other tips I should know about?

Hi Peter,

Try and Rotate through the entrance pupil of the lens, not around your neck. That means you need to walk a little around an almost stationary lens position, rather than spray and pray. An overlap of 30-50% between image tiles should be enough.

Cheers,
Bart

[xocet]

I've shot quite a few hand held panoramas, and more often than not shoot on aperture priority. The largest hand held panorama I've shot so far is around 50 images.

I turn on the grid guide on the camera's finder, and try for around 1/3 overlap.  Using Autopano Pro or Hugin, I rarely have any problems.  Using a normal or longer than normal focal length helps.  It also helps to practice rotating around the nodal point of the lens - this is less of an issue with landscape panoramas.

The only time things get difficult is if you have elements close to the lens and/or using a wide angle lens. In that case, a tripod and a (home made) panorama "head" is best.

[NikoJorj]

When taking panoramas hand-held, I understand that it is important to overlap images a lot

Yes ; the main difficulty I encountered with hand-held panos (I very seldom use a tripod for that) is to get a precise alignment without bias from the first frame to the last, so that I don't end with a skewed final image requiring severe cropping and/or warping. I limit myself to one-row panoramas when handheld, for that reason.

and also to use manual exposure so each shot is exposed the same.

Not as important as long as the frames are each properly exposed, and the exposure/tonalities equalized in post-processing (shooting raw is a given).

[Bullfrog]

In lower light conditions, assuming you bracket, I find Tripod absolute necessity as shots taken at EV +1 or +1.5 or +2  will have shake in it if hand held.  Double that on a long(ish) exposure.  This is also a problem when using the smallest aperture you can which I absolutely try for in landscapes to get the greatest amount of detail.

Since I hate making two trips to re-shoot, I bought the best tripod I could find that comes with a nice carrying case and sling that over my shoulder.   I hike, portage, and canoe with it and have accepted its the price I pay.  While there are exceptions,  I always take a series and then visually test on the view finder - and more often than not, I find tri-pod shots are better.  Exceptions are usually difficult view points - I was standing on a rocky ledge yesterday and it was hard to get the tripod set-up.

I have tried various stitching software and find it easier to hand stich - I always overlap at least 30% - sometimes 50% and this helps a great deal with blending when there are dramatic differences in light (even custom white balance I don't feel will negate it)

I 100% agree that manual exposure is the way to go.

[kers]

As long as the subject is at great distance hand held panorama's work. But do not try to make them with objects less than say 3 meter from your camera - then you need a tripod.

[wolfnowl]

A lot been given here already... I use Autopano Pro to create my panoramas, and I find the control point/alignment feature to be excellent - even with bracketed images, it lines things up very nicely.  Using a tripod/panorama head is obviously the best, but as mentioned, it depends on how far away your foreground is as parallax is more of a problem with close objects.  I often use the index finger of my left hand as a rotational point, balancing the lens on my finger and rotating around that.  I also shoot vertical panoramas by placing my finger on the side of the lens and rotating up and down around that point.  Manual exposure is generally best, but depending on the lighting/scope of your image and the dynamic range of the camera you're using, Aperture priority can work.  Shutter priority changes the aperture, which of course changes DOF, but again, it depends on how far away your foreground is.  One thing not mentioned is not to use a polarizing filter as you'll get some pretty weird transitions as you rotate the camera.

Mike.

P.S. While panos are mostly used for landscapes, you can use a moderate telephoto to create shallow DOF 'wide-angle' portraits using something that's come to be called the 'Brenizer method'.

[Isaac]

... I often use the index finger of my left hand as a rotational point, balancing the lens on my finger and rotating around that.  I also shoot vertical panoramas by placing my finger on the side of the lens and rotating up and down around that point. ...

Thanks, I think that might be obvious enough that there's a chance I'll actually remember to do it.

[PeterAit]

Thanks y'all for the great advice. I hope to be posting some results here next month!