how do you take panarama photos with the fz30

doest seem to be a dedicated panorama feature/function , like im admittedly
use to ???

corks wrote:
doest seem to be a dedicated panorama feature/function , like im
admittedly use to ???

Well, I have the FZ5 and other cameras, but I've never used a dedicated
panorama feature. I'm usually taking 3 - 7 picture panos, so I expose and
take the central image, then expose on the centre but position for the
right image, expose on the centre and take the 2nd right image etc. I
suppose using the manual exposure setting might be easier. For joining
images, I most often use AutoStitch:

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

David

lid wrote:

Well, I have the FZ5 and other cameras, but I've never used a dedicated
panorama feature.

Your 8400 has one in the scenes mode.

I'm usually taking 3 - 7 picture panos, so I expose and
take the central image, then expose on the centre but position for the
right image, expose on the centre and take the 2nd right image etc. I
suppose using the manual exposure setting might be easier.

Much easier to turn on exposure lock before taking the first picture. Then
all will be the same. Then you have to remember to turn it off.

With a panorama mode, like in the 8400, turning on and off the mode turns
on and off the exposure lock. And panorama mode also will show you a ghost
image of the prior shot shifted, to help you line up your next picture with
just the needed overlap. Then on the 8400 if you go into pano mode twice,
it switches direction to showing your ghost images in the vertical
direction.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 06:57:53 -0500, Don Wiss wrote:
lid wrote:

Well, I have the FZ5 and other cameras, but I've never used a dedicated
panorama feature.

Your 8400 has one in the scenes mode.

I'm usually taking 3 - 7 picture panos, so I expose and
take the central image, then expose on the centre but position for the
right image, expose on the centre and take the 2nd right image etc. I
suppose using the manual exposure setting might be easier.

Much easier to turn on exposure lock before taking the first picture. Then
all will be the same. Then you have to remember to turn it off.

Where is exposure lock on the FZ5? I looked through my manual and didn't
see it.

My general practice with panos is to go into manual mode, pick an
aperture (usually wide open or stopped down slightly to f/4), and adjust
shutter until the histogram looks reasonable.

-dms

Don Wiss wrote:
lid
wrote:

Well, I have the FZ5 and other cameras, but I've never used a
dedicated panorama feature.

Your 8400 has one in the scenes mode.

I'm usually taking 3 - 7 picture panos, so I expose and
take the central image, then expose on the centre but position for
the right image, expose on the centre and take the 2nd right image
etc. I suppose using the manual exposure setting might be easier.

Much easier to turn on exposure lock before taking the first picture.
Then all will be the same. Then you have to remember to turn it off.

With a panorama mode, like in the 8400, turning on and off the mode
turns on and off the exposure lock. And panorama mode also will show
you a ghost image of the prior shot shifted, to help you line up your
next picture with just the needed overlap. Then on the 8400 if you go
into pano mode twice, it switches direction to showing your ghost
images in the vertical direction.

Don www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Don,

Many thanks for that - yes, I know the camera has pano modes but, to my
shame, I've never used them. Perhaps not a challenge for over Christmas,
but something I must learn!

Cheers,
David

Daniel Silevitch wrote:
On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 06:57:53 -0500, Don Wiss
wrote:
[]
Much easier to turn on exposure lock before taking the first
picture. Then all will be the same. Then you have to remember to
turn it off.

Where is exposure lock on the FZ5? I looked through my manual and
didn't see it.

My general practice with panos is to go into manual mode, pick an
aperture (usually wide open or stopped down slightly to f/4), and
adjust shutter until the histogram looks reasonable.

-dms

Don was referring to the Nikon 8400 which I also own. On the Panasonic
FZ5, you can either hold the shutter half-pressed, or use the manual
exposure technique you mentioned.

David

On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 15:25:53 GMT, David J Taylor wrote:
Daniel Silevitch wrote:
On Fri, 16 Dec 2005 06:57:53 -0500, Don Wiss
wrote:
[]
Much easier to turn on exposure lock before taking the first
picture. Then all will be the same. Then you have to remember to
turn it off.

Where is exposure lock on the FZ5? I looked through my manual and
didn't see it.

My general practice with panos is to go into manual mode, pick an
aperture (usually wide open or stopped down slightly to f/4), and
adjust shutter until the histogram looks reasonable.

-dms

Don was referring to the Nikon 8400 which I also own. On the Panasonic
FZ5, you can either hold the shutter half-pressed, or use the manual
exposure technique you mentioned.

Got it, thanks. I think I remember reading somewhere that the FZ30 has
an AE lock button, and I must have mapped that onto the FZ5.

I should note that for simple panoramas, the software that comes with
the FZ5 (and other FZs), PanoramaMaker, does a reasonable job, and can
even do OK when you forget to lock the exposure.
This shot:
http://ri22.uchicago.edu/~dmsilev/Mi...s/Image12.html
was stitched together from 3 individual photos, and since I forgot to
take the camera out of auto mode, all the exposures were different.

-dms

Nice work David!

In article
,
"corks" wrote:

doest seem to be a dedicated panorama feature/function , like im admittedly
use to ???


I find using a tripod is advised.

Make sure each successive image overlaps the previous by about half.

Set the Exposure Sensor to wide so a light or dark patch doesn't put one
frame out of sync.

I suspect that the Exposure Lock (to right of Viewfinder) risks over or
under exposing especially as you toward or away from the sun.

I've had good results with Canon's PhotoStitch software. I have
downloaded it from Canon in the past, because the current version I have
is later than the version that was bundled with my previous S1IS camera,
but for the life of me I can't find anything now. You may have to call
Canon and ask for a 'replacement' copy. Or updated version from the v3.1
that came with your camera (if you get my drift)

Keep the zoom at 50mm or bigger, wide angle makes it more difficult to
merge.

--
Nigel
(I came into this world with nothing and still have most of it left)

Nig wrote:
[]
I've had good results with Canon's PhotoStitch software. I have
downloaded it from Canon in the past, because the current version I
have is later than the version that was bundled with my previous S1IS
camera, but for the life of me I can't find anything now. You may
have to call Canon and ask for a 'replacement' copy. Or updated
version from the v3.1 that came with your camera (if you get my drift)
[]

You could also try the free AutoStitch softwa

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html

David