This is not exactly new, but nonetheless I am intersted in who regularly does this for the same reasons I give below.
I supose I am a nominally large format film photographer who no longer seems to shoot film. Instead I have taken to pretending that 22mp digital capture is good enough.
Well, it isn't (at least not always), and I have surmised that 39mp or somewhere in between is not quite there either. My entirely subjective view based on my observations are that you need around 75mp to match 4x5 LF film when drum scanned. YMMV.
So, recently I have been experimenting more seriously with using stitching software, not for panoramic image creation, but simply as an easy means of achieving the resolutions nominally required to match large format. Using a Manfrotto pano head, and my Mamiya ZD and either the 80mm or 55mm lenses, this has worked pretty well provided I don't overdo it.
A successful workflow has involved just 6 images in two rows of 3 each, up to a maximum for flat projection of 4 images in three rows. But the six shot option even allowing for overlap blending wastage, gets up to 4x5 territory without the expense and uncertaintly of LF film and with superior dynamic range potential.
I have been using PTGUi Pro, which also works with the free Enfuse plug-in to enable HDR blending and which is an excellent alternative to tone mapping for HDR stitching, and the Smartblend plug-in for blending (which I so far prefer to Enblend). Resulting stiches look pretty natural with no visible joins. The only downside is the processing time even on a fast PC.
I'm pretty enthusiastic about the portential for all kinds of landscape and architectural work, in effect a software resolution upgrade when needed.
Quentin