Panoramas or Stitching + Interior Shots

[danski0224]

Over in the lens suggestions for Grand Canyon thread, I was reminded about how an ultra wide angle lens can make things seem really far away.

I notice this effect using the 16-35 II at 16. While I can get the subject into the frame, the results are not always what I want.

I have tried handheld stitching and panoramas, and for close work the results have been bad.

I did a small stitched panorama (handheld) when I went to the Grand Canyon as a whim (panorama, not the trip), and it turned out nice once it was put together by Photoshop. I wish I had done that a couple of times.

If I wanted to stitch together an interior shot of a room and not try to fit it all in using a (ultra) wide angle lens, what is the best approach for someone that isn't well versed in Photoshop?

[AJ]

I have tried handheld stitching and panoramas, and for close work the results have been bad.

This is due to parallax.  You need a panoramic tripod head that swivels your lens around the nodal point.

[DBCdp]

The best description I've found is at http://reallyrightstuff.com/WebsiteInfo.aspx?fc=108 from the people that make the equipment to get it right. When done properly, even interior panoramas are outstanding!

[cfargo]

You want to make sure your rotation/panning is centered on the lenses, nodal point.

[DBCdp]

By the way, the picture above is 4 Portrait Orientation shots from a 5DMkII and 17-40 lens.

[Jon Gilchrist]

Panoramic tripod head and stitching software.  I use a Nodal Ninja 5 (since discontinued) and Autopano Giga.  Not affiliated with either company.  Links: www.nodalninja.com and www.kolor.com.

[danski0224]

Interesting.

Looks like some pricey accessories... and why it didn't work very well with just a plain tripod.

[woollybear]

Here is an exterior shot.  Go easy on me, I'm a rookie at photography.  There are mistakes in the stitching if you know where to look!!  Didn't really do much to the picture except stitch it together.

I found interior shots difficult, even with a correct nodal point, because I was too close to the subject.  I was shooting a built in wall cabinet (it was one I built, my real job) and I think the problem was that the center of the cabinet was 15 feet away and the corner was 20 to 25 feet away.  I couldn't move backwards any further because there was a wall in back of me.  If that description makes sense...

[danski0224]

By the way, the picture above is 4 Portrait Orientation shots from a 5DMkII and 17-40 lens.

That shot looks pretty darn good.

How much work was done in processing?

Do you use the RSS products?

[danski0224]

Here is an exterior shot.  Go easy on me, I'm a rookie at photography.  There are mistakes in the stitching if you know where to look!!  Didn't really do much to the picture except stitch it together.

I found interior shots difficult, even with a correct nodal point, because I was too close to the subject.  I was shooting a built in wall cabinet (it was one I built, my real job) and I think the problem was that the center of the cabinet was 15 feet away and the corner was 20 to 25 feet away.  I couldn't move backwards any further because there was a wall in back of me.  If that description makes sense...

It looks good from here.

[aznstuart]

http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php/topic,295.255.html

Here are some that I posted in the landscape thread (not sure why I did that now in hindsight...).

[dr croubie]

For the best way to do indoor shots, get a FF sensor and a 14mm f/2.8L (or a nikon 12-24 zoom on adapter).

For stitching, the options are:
Shift-lens - Keep the lens still, and move the camera around the lens to take shots. i haven't worked out it out directly, but I think a TS-E 17 will stitch a bigger image than a 14mm lens. Either get a nodal rail with mm-marks, shift the camera 12mm each way when you take photos, or clamp the lens in place with a tripod ring and move the camera around. Like one of These (alternatively, just get the hartblei Hcam and an 80mp-back while your'e there).

Next best is the swing-panorama, which is what I do. Get a tripod ring for your lens, so that you can slide the lens back and forward along its axis, take a *lot* of test shots to find the 'nodal point' (usually somewhere just behind the front element of the lens, the closer the objects in your shot the more accurate you have to be).
And/Or get an L-bracket and a nodal-rail to clamp the camera on and slide back and forth.
(Read this).

My setup which i bought a month ago consists of: Ballhead (specially upside-down for making perfectly horizontal panoramae), Clamp, L-Bracket, Long plate (well, I don't have that one, I've got a sunwayfoto one where the clamp doesn't move, good for front-back shifting for nodal points only, that kirk lrp-1 you can also use for shift-panoramae above). And a good tripod too.
It ain't cheap, but that's the prices unfortunately. I splurged as a present to myself for getting a job, if i didn't get a job i probably would have hacked something in the back shed.
That will do you for single-row panoramae (because of the L-bracket you can set the camera in 'portrait' orientation, get a bigger field of view).

Or for totally nuts 360*360 panoramae you'll need multi-row, then you have to have a gimball-type head and the lens has to rotate about its nodal point in 2 axes instead. Try some of these for size:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/662498-REG/Novoflex_VR_6_8_Panorama_VE_System_6_8.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/689699-REG/Giga_Pan_EPIC_PRO_EPIC_Pro_Robotic_Camera.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/830844-REG/Jobu_Design_PGH_KM1_Manfrotto_Compatible_Panoramic_Gimbal_Head.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/293646-REG/Manfrotto_303SPH_303SPH_QTVR_Spherical_Panoramic.html

Anyway, for software, I use Hugin on linux, apparently it works on Win and Mac too. It takes some getting used to, sometimes it just craps itself, but after a few hundred i've found its quirks (like auto vignetting and barrel correction sometimes fails), and it's not so bad to use. (just don't bother with its HDR-Pano-Merger, it boosts the dark-frames too much and the whole thing goes noisy).

Good Luck

[dr croubie]

Alternatively, for the swing-panoramae, when I first started out I just had a Samyang 35/1.4, I got a $10 tripod ring off ebay in china (the one that fits the 100L macro also fits the samyang), when I mounted that with the foot pointing forward, the hole in the foot was pretty damn close to the nodal-point of the lens, so it rotated around just fine on a cheapo ballhead and gorillapod.
Not very stable though, i'd definitely recommend getting a real tripod.

Also, the tripod I've got is the Vanguard 283CT, the centre column comes out and tilts at any angle, if I wanted to I could tilt the column back right into the corner of the room to get as wide as humanly possible (without drilling a hole in the wall...)

[danski0224]

Wow. Lots of stuff here.

Looks like some really specialized stuff is needed to pull it off correctly... plus the talent to use it.

What about using one of the TS lenses and shifting? I realize you may only get 2 frames to stitch together without moving the camera.

[DBCdp]

Yes Danski, I do use RRS but not the panorama line of accessories. Want to, but can't justify it yet. I first got the flash bracket kit for shooting weddings. Of course I use their L brackets on my camera's so they clip into the ballhead, I use a BH-40 on a Slik CF tripod that I got for $60 on ebay...one bottom leg tightening mechanism had the epoxy broken, so I sanded it down and reapplied epoxy to get a nice Carbon Fiber tripod for $60. Used left over epoxy from a sledgehammer handle if you can believe it! lol

Anyway, I use the rail that the flash bracket mounts on to get the nodal point. I don't take a bunch of pictures, just look at live view while rotating or swiveling the camera on the mount to check for parallax....line up two vertical objects, one relatively near the other at some distance (a fence post and a telephone pole for example) slide the camera back until the two stay in relation to each other and there it is. You can then mark the rail as to the lens and focal length to make it easy to go right back to that point next time.

I use Photoshop CS5 to stitch the pictures together in an automated fashion, no work on my part. I hear CS4 is as good or maybe better in that regard.