INDEX

1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............First Panoramas

2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………........PANORAMA: “Field of view”

3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................Shooting

3.1 The Challenge of Shooting Panoramas

3.2 Necessary Equipments for Shooting Panorama

3.3 Theorical Models

3.4 Preparation for Shooting

4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….VR PANORAMIC TRIPOD HEADS

5. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..............CHOOSING LENS

6. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........CAMERA SETTINGS

7. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..STITCHING

8. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….OUPUT

8.1 Internet or Printed Panorama?..............................................................................................

8.2 Projections Types.………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………

8.3 Virtual Diversity…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

9. Software

1. FIRST PANORAMAS

One of the first recorded patents for a panoramic camera was submitted by Joseph Puchberger in

Austria in 1843 for a hand-cranked, 150° field of view, 8-inch focal length camera that exposed a

relatively large Daguerreotype, up to 24 inches (610 mm) long. A more successful and technically

superior panoramic camera was assembled the next year by Friedrich von Martens in Germany in

1844. As a result, the camera properly exposed the photographic plate, avoiding unsteady speeds

that can create unevenness in exposure, called banding. Martens was employed by Lerebours, a

photographer/publisher.

Because of the high cost of materials and the technical difficulty of properly exposing the plates,

Daguerreotype panoramas, especially those pieced together from several plates are rare.

Following the invention of flexible film in 1888, panoramic photography was revolutionized. Dozens

of cameras were marketed, many with brand names heavily indicative of their time. Cameras such

as;

Cylindrograph,

Wonder Panoramic,

Pantascopic and Cyclo-Pan, are some examples of panoramic cameras.

1851 panoramic showing San Francisco from Rincon Hill

Center City Philadelphia panorama, from 1913.

View from the top of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Albumen prints, February, 1864

2. PANORAMA : “Field of View”

Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that

captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography.

The term has also been applied to a photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio.

While there is no formal division between "wide-angle" and "panoramic" photography, "wide angle"

normally refers to a type of lens, but using this lens type does not necessarily make an image a

panorama.

The most important characteristic of a panorama is the large of view Wide angle of view are

produced in the digital photographic world using special cameras or special cameras or specific

shooting and image merging techniques.

Panoramic angles of view are typically much wider than the normal angle of view of the human eye.

In real world a viewer can only observe 360’ angle of view by physically turning around his/her own

axis.

3.1 The Challenge of Shooting Panoramas

Major aim, and simultaneously the greatest challenge, for every panorama photographer is capturing

a wide field of view.

The easiest way to understand how panoramas are made is use three theorical models

1. Sheet of Glass: The limit to conventional viewing lie at around 120’. This limit also generally

applies to conventional photographic techniques.

2. Glass Cylinder: Position of yourself in the center of glass cylinder. This type of image is

described as 360’.

Note: Problem; You cannot capture any objects positioned either above or below you.

3. A Glass Sphere: Position of yourself in the center of glass sphere. You can cover a horizontal

angle of 180’. This is the ultimate panorama and the resulting image is described spherical.

3.2 NECESSARY EQUİPMENTS FOR SHOOTING PANORAMA

Camera

Wide lens – Fish eye lens

Tripod

VR Panoramic tripod head

Spirit level

Computer

Stitching Software

3. SHOOTING

Parallax, focus, brightness and Color Balance these are the most important points that you should

pay attention.

How can we locate parallax point you must simply locate the no parallax point your particular

camera/lens combination yourself by using trial and error approach.

Adjust your cameras position by using the adjustment plates on your VR Head until no more parallax

error occur.

Preparation

Mount the camera on the VR head and adjust the right/left lens position until it is

exactly above the tripod’s central axis of rotation.

Shift the camera along the forward/backward axis until the middle of the lens is

located roughly above the tripod’s axis of rotation. This is starting point fort the fine-

tunning that follows

Find a scene that includes two clear vertical edges at differing distance from the

camera

Set up your camera so that both objects appear to be lined up behind one another in

the viewfinder.

Select your desired aperture and set the focal distance. Remember, the no parallax

point will change position according to selected focal distance.

Check that you camera is perfectly horizontal using spirit level.

Calibrate the camera position;

Observe the relative positions of the two objects in the viewfinder while rotating the

camera slowly to the left. If the more distant object appears to move to the left, the

no parallax point is further towards the rear of your lens the camera needs to be

moved forward. If the more distant object appears to shift to the right, the camera is

already too far forward and needs to be shifted backward.

Keep trying until the two objects no longer shift in relation to each other when the

camera is rotated. You have now successfully located the no parallax point for your

camera/lens combination.

4. VR PANORAMIC TRIPOD HEADS

A good VR panoramic tripod head enables you to rotate your camera precisely around its no

parallax point and also allows the camera to be tilted backward and forward to enable you to

shoot fully spherical 360’x180’ panoramas.

There are various different types of VR heads;

The 360’ Precion Absolute

The Dinaour Manfrotto 302

Head Modifications Manfrotto Lite

Hommade Aluminium L-plate

5. CHOOSING LENS

The choice of lens (fish eye or Wide Angle) depends on the use for the finished panorama. Low

resolution is often sufficient for panoramas shot for interactive display on a computer monitor,

whereas large format high en printed output usually requires the additional image data reserves

inherent in a more complex shoot.

For example: 16 shots with 12mm lens are required to produce the same result as six shots with

10.5mm fish eye lens.

Fish eye lenses

They are well suited to panorama photography, as they cover very wide angles of view and allow

you to shot complete 360’ panoramas using a small number of shots. A modern DSLR equipped

with a high quality fish eye lens can usually cover a 360’ field of view with four, five or six shots.

Choosing the Best VR Head for the Job

Versatility

Will you be shooting single row or multi-row image sequences?

Handling

Will you be changing cameras on the road?

Precision

What subject are to be captured (architecture or landscape)?

Portability

Where will you be shooting?

6. CAMERA SETTINGS

A number of well exposed single images do not necessarily make a good panorama when they are

stitched together. A panorama must make a coherent overall impression and the automatic camera

functions that are such a great help when shooting single images are a problem.

A photo with a sharpbackground but a blurred foreground can not be stitched together with a

neighboring shot in which the camera focused an the foreground.

You should switch off autofocus while shooting panoramas in order to ensure that the focak distance

remains consistent if the focal characteristic of each shot are tos tay the same. This is the best

achieved by manually setting your lens to its hyberfocal distance.

Hyperfocal distance scales are very rare in modern autofocus lenses and they would be very useful

addition for every panorama photographer.

7. STITCHING

Two neighbor images can not simply be pasted on top of each other due to the perspective it

changes from image to image. Solution is; using specialized panorama software. When we

use panorama (stitching) software to merge images into a panorama, the perspective of the

individual images and their position in relation to each other are altered so that the resulting

panorama image appears seamless to the viewer.

Being a Tailor

This process is like one performed by a tailor who chooses his materials carefully so that they

match and uses a pattern to cut , pin, and stitch complete item of clothing. This will help to

stitch our individual source images together to form the complete panorama.

“Our aim is make wearer invisible”

Just as individual steps a tailor makes are invisible tor he wearer, the basic processes

involved in stitching digital images are invisible to the software user.

What Does Stitching Software do?

Firstly we should check the quality of each piece of material before using it.

For satisfactory results; same thing should be true for panorama source images

Each image must be taken from the same view point without parallax error.

Also the focus gradient (influced by focal distance and aperture) must remain

constant and brightness and color temperature (white balance) should be the same

throughout the sequence.

Even if these conditions are fulfilled, it is still virtually impossible to shoot a perfect

source image.

The necessary connection are either made by stitching itself or by other, specialized software

designed to correct optical anomalies.

Perspective

Panorama makers used an indirect route to reach their goal making multiple “normal”

images and distorting them appropriately so that they fit together with in the cylindrical

form. This is exactly method stitching software uses to merge multiple images into single,

digital panorama.

Nikon users; The Nikon RAW converter, Nikon Capture Nx automatically corrects

chromatic aberrations when processing Nikon RAW image data.

Flat images distorted as if they were to be paste on the inside of cylinder or sphere.

This process determines not only the field of view but also the general looks of the

panorama.

(Add pictures for presentation)

Our pins: “Control Points”

This step will be performed fort he whole image sequence until all of source images are

sequence until all of source images “pinned” together. So, 360’ panorama until the two ends

of the cylindrical image meet.

Optimizer software compares all of the selected control points mathematically and

sastiscally, calculating the optimum position for all of the source images in relation to one

another. Most stitching programmes have blending, algorithms built in.

Post Processing

Well created panorama depends on success of merging. You can often witness that are

where straight lines or edges are not reproduced smoothly .These are usually due to wrong

alignment, imperfect corrections of optical anomalies or objects within the frame that

moved while being shot. (Like; people walking and clouds)

8. OUTPUT

8.1 Internet or Printed Panorama?

We can use interactive QuickTime panorama format if we want to see our result on a computer

monitor. This way offersuch multifarious possibility for linking panoramas, text, and maps to form

virtual tours. It is really large subject but I will try to summarize important points here.

8.1. A - Viewing on Monitor

Suitable for viewing on a monitor is simplest form of panorama output; the scaled-down image file

for internet viewing of for sending as a e-mail attachment.

8.1. B - Printing

Displaying a panorama in printed form is the most complex and of course expensive form of

panorama output but also often the most visually appealing.

8.2 Projections

The projection type is important when you consider exactly how you would like to present your

panorama. The projection type determines what will be reproduced and how it will look like. The

general visual appearance and with the effect of the panorama on the viewer differs substantially

from projection type.

Panorama projection types are closely related to cartographic projection types. The major difference

between them lies in the fact that a panorama is used to depict the photographers immediate

environment not the entire world.

Comparison of the 3 Main Projection Types

Advantages:

1. Flat Projection:

Perfect for reproducing fields of view up to 90’x90’.

Well suited to architectural photography. Straight lines reproduced in a rectilinear way familiar to the

human eye.

2. Cylindrical Projection:

For angles of view of up to 360’ horizontally, and 90’ vertically.

The curving of straight lines is unusual but interesting.

The greater the vertical angle of view, the more stretched is the final image.

3. Spherical Projection:

For angles of view of up to 360’ horizontally and 180’ vertically.

The curving of straight lines is unusual but interesting.

Default projection type for flexible multi-format reproduction/display.

Good basis for output as interactive panorama.

Disadvantages:

1. Flat Projection:

Distortion that appears for field of view greater than 120’x120’ is generally too severe.

2. Cylindrical Projection:

The distortion produced by vertical angles of view greater than 120’ are no longer acceptable.

The curvilinear appearance of straight lines can appear unaesthetic.

3. Spherical Projection:

Extreme distortion towards the poles.

The curvilinear appearance of straight lines can appear unaesthetic.

Panorama can appear compressed in the middle latitudes.

8.3 Virtual Diversity

The projection type can, however still be altered after a panorama has been rendered. For example,

a spherical panorama can be converted to a flat or cylindrical panorama using tools.

Theoretically, transforming one projection type into another is a loss-free process-at least in the

cartographic world where reproduction is based on vector data. However transforming projections

always leads to a loss of the rasterized pixel data that makes up a digital image. Also it is possible

preserve more image quality if you select your desired projection type before you render your

panorama.

9. SOFTWARE

Some background knowledge helps us to avoid making basic mistakes from the outset or at least

allows correcting mistakes effectively during stitching process.

Stitching software is available in many forms free, highly specialized open source algorithms right up

to complex software suites that offer functionality way beyond the stitching process.

Most programs offer free downloadable test versions and most are supported by internet forums.

These days there are a multitude of stitching and viewing programs available.

-Panorama Tools, is basically a loose collection of software tools designed to distort, correct, align

and transform digital images for the specific purpose of creating digital panorama with best results.

Problem is tools themselves are not easy to operate don’t have user graphical interface. Before start

you need background knowledge.

-PT Gui (Panaroma Tools Graphical User Interface introduced in 2000) and PTMac (Panaroma Tools

for Apple Macinosh-2002) are both based entrirely on Panorama Tools and are stiil clearly related to

the original program.

-Realviz Stitcheer (called Auto Desk now) probably was first available modern spherical panorama

stitching program with user friendly GUI.

They demanded perfect parallax correction and exposure as well as good composition on the part of

photographer in order to produce error-free panoramas.

All modern programs can easily handle simple situations in which a panorama tripod head and a long

lens with no distortion are used to shoot a subject with obvious , easily-overlapped features. The

situation becomes more complex when the photographer user extreme wide angle or fish eye

lenses, or when the frame includes objects at close distances or if the sequence is shot with little or

no regard for the no parallax point.

Every photographer shoots different subejts under different conditions and the results must be

judged in context. If you are shooting in studio, moving vehicles people or clouds are not a problem,

where as object at multiple distances can be troublesome. On the other hand , if you are shooting a

broad landscape, you probably have no parallax problems, but are more likely to encounter

differences in the color of the sky between shots, or to have problems with moving clouds or trees.

Up till now : Pros and Cons

About Shooting Process

It is mostly impossible that shooting without special panoramic tripod head to see

seamless results.

If you planning to work outside, you must consider weather conditions.

There mustn’t be any moving objects (cars, people, clouds, birds…)

Nearest object should be at least 5mt far away from camera. (Otherwise it will caused

perspective problems)

About Equipments

Nodal Ninja the special head for panoramic tripod head has a lot of advantages. One

of them is ; plates which provides you by difference shooting choice. Owing to these

little plates you can decide how many image you take.

Camera settings are also most important point to have best result. That’s why you

must check it before each shot if you use it in manual mood.

SOURCES:

Tools: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

Output: http://www.hdrsoft.com/

Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography, WOESTE Hararld.

Panoramic Heads : http://www.chem.uky.edu/xray/people/Parkin/panohead/panohead.html

History of Panoramic Photography : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoramic_photography

SELEN GÜRÜN

RECEP EMRE KOCA

Media Technology - Media Distribution /FHV /2011