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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
Dear members:
I am purchasing a special tripod head for panorama shots and have some questions for the group. 1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? 3. I have seen panoramas made with the camera mounted on the tripod in landscape mode as well as in portrait mode. What is the best one and what difference exists between the two options ? 4. What is the best panorama software to use with the Macintosh ? I am looking for one that provides some alternatives in terms of image editing to remove some unwanted image artifacts. 5. What are the benefits of using the camera set on the tripod in a portrait position versus having it set in portrait position ? Thank you for your help. Best regards, Joseph Chamberlain |
#2
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
In article Joseph Chamberlain, DDS says...
Dear members: I am purchasing a special tripod head for panorama shots and have some questions for the group. 1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). Won't be marked, depends on focal length. Look for term "entrance pupil" which is more correct. 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? Up to you. Try to avoid tricky features in seam area. 3. I have seen panoramas made with the camera mounted on the tripod in landscape mode as well as in portrait mode. What is the best one and what difference exists between the two options ? Portrait mode sometimes gives needed flexibility as far as horizon goes. 4. What is the best panorama software to use with the Macintosh ? I am looking for one that provides some alternatives in terms of image editing to remove some unwanted image artifacts. 5. What are the benefits of using the camera set on the tripod in a portrait position versus having it set in portrait position ? As written none :-) See 3. Thank you for your help. Best regards, Joseph Chamberlain Google Max Lyon's forum. |
#3
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
Joseph Chamberlain, DDS wrote:
1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). No, you won't find it marked on the lens. There's a useful description of finding the nodal point on this page: http://www.kingpano.com/nodal_tut.htm Peter Marquis-Kyle |
#4
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
"Joseph Chamberlain, DDS" wrote in message .. . Hi Joseph, 1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). I faced this issue with my 24-70 F2.8L USM lens - I'd purchased the Really Right Stuff Nodal bar (the longer one of the two) - but found that when the lens was mounted optimally I had the other end of the bar only 1/2 in the clamp - in other words even the longer of the 2 nodal bars was too short. In the end I purchased the 18" multi-purpose rail kit (complete with the 2 arca-swiss mounts), and have never looked back since. You'll probably find that your nodal point is close to the front of the lens, but it's easy enough to test - just look through the lens and "line up" a very close object with one thats as far away as possible on, say, the left hand side of the image in the view finder - then pan so that it's on the other side - when you have the camera correctly offset the 2 points will remain in the same relationship. Once you've worked out what this is, you can simply note down the numbers, or use the mini clamps if you're using Really Right Stuff equipment. 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? I've been using "The Panorama Factory" software from Smokey City Design - and they recommend something in the region of 20 to 30 % - anything less and it can give it a bit of a headache when it tries to make focal length adjustments. At the suggestion of one group member, I also got a lot better result when I told the package NOT to make any exposure related compensations - I suspect that these are of more benefit to point-and-shoot users - if we're shooting in manual mode then it shouldn't be needed. Out of interest, if you plug the camera into a timer and take the shots at, say, 1 sec intervals - you can get some great results - I'll eMail you the example I've talked about below. 3. I have seen panoramas made with the camera mounted on the tripod in landscape mode as well as in portrait mode. What is the best one and what difference exists between the two options ? It depends on the coverage - I'll give you a case in point ... Last weekend I popped down to the local airport and did a panorama consisting of 13 portrait oriented photos, with a light aircraft in the centre of each. Light aircraft tend to climb at steeper angles than heavy metal - and of course they climb out much slower (so they didn't cover as mush ground between the slices) - for the heavey metal I needed to shoot in landscape mode because I didn't need as much vertical headroom (they don't climb at such a steep angle) - but they do travel faster (and if you don't have enough horizontal headroom then the aircraft moves too far between shots and there's not enough overlap to get a good join). 4. What is the best panorama software to use with the Macintosh ? I am looking for one that provides some alternatives in terms of image editing to remove some unwanted image artifacts. Who knows - I'm a PC man, and damn proud of it! 5. What are the benefits of using the camera set on the tripod in a portrait position versus having it set in portrait position ? Not sure what you mean. Cheers, Colin |
#5
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
Joseph Chamberlain, DDS wrote:
Dear members: I am purchasing a special tripod head for panorama shots and have some questions for the group. 1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). As others have said watch close and far object while rotating the camera. They will not move relative to each other when you are at the nodal point. On all my lenses the nodal point is behind the front lens, with zoom lenses is moves as you zoom, so you need to find it for each zoom setting you are going to use. 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? I us a lot of overlay, 40% to 50% is what I normally use and I don't like to drop below 25% The stitching program I use is pretty fast so a large number of images is not a problem. I will normally use 40 to 80 and have used as many as 145. 3. I have seen panoramas made with the camera mounted on the tripod in landscape mode as well as in portrait mode. What is the best one and what difference exists between the two options ? Portrait mode is normal, gives you more sky. 4. What is the best panorama software to use with the Macintosh ? I am looking for one that provides some alternatives in terms of image editing to remove some unwanted image artifacts. Get a PC, it seems all the good stitching programs are running on it. Finally get a rock solid tripod and a bubble level, makes things a lot easier. Scott |
#6
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
I went tohardware store and bought simple bubble level. To get Tripod
level pan nad check it fofr entire range. Shoot everything full manual, including WB, Focus, and exposure I usally set the focous fand exposures fro the closest thing to 18% in the center of frame. I overlap 25%. Go to right edge then to the left and do a simple division to determine how many degrees to shift with each shot. Portrait will give you a larger image. But, what I do is multiple passes. Stitch each row rotate them and stich again. I use Panormanic Factory. As someone mentioned shut off exposure comp. Forground objects or moving objects create a problem. I recently went to NYC and stayed in Jerysey City. Took a 70 image set 7 rows of 10. Now I have to buy a new computer to be able to merge them. |
#7
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
"Scott W" wrote in message ups.com... snip 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? I us a lot of overlay, 40% to 50% is what I normally use and I don't like to drop below 25% The stitching program I use is pretty fast so a large number of images is not a problem. I will normally use 40 to 80 and have used as many as 145. Why such a large percentage of overlap Scott? Also can you explain why you would assemble so many images into a panorama. I know little of panaroma photography but I know image editing very well so I'm just curious. B |
#8
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
Battleax wrote: "Scott W" wrote in message ups.com... snip 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? I us a lot of overlay, 40% to 50% is what I normally use and I don't like to drop below 25% The stitching program I use is pretty fast so a large number of images is not a problem. I will normally use 40 to 80 and have used as many as 145. Why such a large percentage of overlap Scott? Also can you explain why you would assemble so many images into a panorama. I know little of panaroma photography but I know image editing very well so I'm just curious. The large overlap helps in a number of way, the center part of the lens has less distortion and so this is less of a problem. With large overlap if I have people moving, and they alway do, I can adjust where the seams are to avoid problems, as it this shot. http://www.pbase.com/konascott/image/52303782/original I find the more wide angle I shoot the more overlap I need, when I am shooting at say 200mm I don't need nearly as much as when I shoot at 28. Overlap also helps the stitching program find control points, it is nice when you don't have to do this by hand. Any more 40 photos seems like not many at all. With the panaoramic head I can take the photos at a rate close to 1 a second, so 40 photos might take a minute when all is said and done. Scott |
#9
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
"Scott W" wrote in message oups.com... Battleax wrote: "Scott W" wrote in message ups.com... snip 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? I us a lot of overlay, 40% to 50% is what I normally use and I don't like to drop below 25% The stitching program I use is pretty fast so a large number of images is not a problem. I will normally use 40 to 80 and have used as many as 145. Why such a large percentage of overlap Scott? Also can you explain why you would assemble so many images into a panorama. I know little of panaroma photography but I know image editing very well so I'm just curious. The large overlap helps in a number of way, the center part of the lens has less distortion and so this is less of a problem. With large overlap if I have people moving, and they alway do, I can adjust where the seams are to avoid problems, as it this shot. http://www.pbase.com/konascott/image/52303782/original I find the more wide angle I shoot the more overlap I need, when I am shooting at say 200mm I don't need nearly as much as when I shoot at 28. Overlap also helps the stitching program find control points, it is nice when you don't have to do this by hand. Any more 40 photos seems like not many at all. With the panaoramic head I can take the photos at a rate close to 1 a second, so 40 photos might take a minute when all is said and done. Scott Thanks Scott I went to a private bording school in the early 70s. For the school photo they set up all students in a semi-circle, 4 rows deep. The camera was an oak box on a wood tripod with a wind up motor to pan the camera and wind the film passed the aperture. Pics came out something like 5" x 25". Once the tripod collapsed and fell over but the camera still kept rotating, heh. If you were at the back row at one end you could jump down, run behind and come up again at the end before the camera came around so you'd appear twice, good for 4 months detention |
#10
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Panorama shots and ideal overlap
Joseph Chamberlain, DDS wrote:
Dear members: I am purchasing a special tripod head for panorama shots and have some questions for the group. 1. how can I determine what the nodal point for my lens is ? I have looked at a few but can't seem to find any kind of imprinted sign that identifies it (maybe I haven't looked in the right place). 2. What is considered the proper overlap between shots for proper assembly of the panorama and the achievement of the best possible results ? 3. I have seen panoramas made with the camera mounted on the tripod in landscape mode as well as in portrait mode. What is the best one and what difference exists between the two options ? 4. What is the best panorama software to use with the Macintosh ? I am looking for one that provides some alternatives in terms of image editing to remove some unwanted image artifacts. 5. What are the benefits of using the camera set on the tripod in a portrait position versus having it set in portrait position ? Thank you for your help. Best regards, Joseph Chamberlain When I first received my 24-105 Canon L lens (btw, the lens was recalled and replaced with a new lens) I took this experimental shot of a conventional beach scene. Aside from the aesthetics of the photo, if you generally like the shot, I'll tell explain how simply it was done and the freebie software that was used. http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?p...931488&size=lg |
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