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The above panoramic
image was taken using a Canon Digital Rebel XT DSLR camera using a Sigma
10-22mm lens (At 10mm) and a Panosaurus Tripod Head.
The 360 degree panorama consists of a single row of 12 shots (One
shot every 30 degrees) and was stitched automatically using Panorama Factory stitching software. The image has a vertical
field of view of about 73 degrees.
It took about 1 minute to shoot all 12 images, using the same
exposure for each image, without a flash. Blending of the images
was done automatically using Panorama Factory stitching software.
The final .jpg image has dimensions of 2680 X 500 Pixels and has a very
modest compressed file size of only 158K. The stitching time was
about 45 seconds on a moderate speed Windows Vista computer.
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There are currently 3
common approaches to shooting panoramic photos. |
1.
2.
3. |
Shooting with a very high resolution
DSLR camera and a One-Shot device. No panoramic head needed.
Shooting 2-4 shots using a fish-eye lens, with either a DSLR or a
consumer point and shoot camera and a panoramic head.
Shooting single row or multi-row images with a DSLR and a wide angle
lens (typically 10-18mm) and a panoramic head.
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Each shooting method
has its advantages and disadvantages. |
1.
2.
3. |
Shooting with a One-Shot device is
great for fast setup and shooting but the final image detail can not
currently match that of the single or multi-row wide angle lens shots.
Also the final image must be stitched and then displayed in a
proprietary image viewer.
Shooting with a fish eye lens also has the advantage of having to take
less pictures to create the final image. However, again the final
image quality can not easily match that of the single or multi-row wide
angle lens shots (without using the best equipment available) and as a
general rule is more difficult and more time consuming to stitch.
Fish-eye lens shots require that you edit out portions of the final
image so the tripod legs and your panoramic head are not in the final
panoramic image. Not all stitching software supports fish-eye
images.
Shooting with a wide angle lens and a DSLR camera allows you to create
the best quality final image panoramas with the least expensive
equipment. The final images can be viewed on a wide range of
viewers and stored in a wide variety of formats. Single-row wide
angle panoramas also have the advantage of being very easy to stitch and
the final image is pleasant to look at even when not viewed in a
Panoramic Viewer.
Click here
to see the above image as a .jpg only. The disadvantage to
shooting single-row wide-angle is the limited field of view in the
vertical plane. Single-row wide angle images can not display ALL
of the ceiling and ALL of the floor of rooms. However, some people
(myself included) prefer the look of limited FOV images to full 180
degree vertical images when viewed in panoramic viewers on the web.
I think the above panorama mimics very well what the natural eye sees
when walking into a room. Another disadvantage of shooting wide
angle lens panoramas is that it requires taking more pictures.
However in practice this is hardly an issue of any real significance.
Once a single exposure is set for your series of shots it is just a
matter of pressing a button a few more times - a matter of seconds, not
minutes. |