on 4/10/02 8:24 AM, w shumaker at rlist@xxxxxxxx wrote:
> I got the Xpan because I do a lot of panoramic shots and I have not
> been satisfied with the process of stitching. See for example:
> http://www.zuik.net/Stitched_80mm_r.jpg Notice how the horizon bows.
> Perhaps better software would help. This came from a hand held shots
> taken with the 35-80/2.8 lens and stitched with a version of photovista
> that comes on a Sony Vaio. See also www.panoguide.com for some of the
> issues involved with stitching shots from a rectilinear lens. I will be
> headed to St John next week and the thought of stitching panoramas of
> waves on beaches did not appeal to me.
If you don't mind using the tripod you may want to look into a dedicated
panorama camera bracket. I got a Kaidan Kiwi, which I haven't used
extensively yet... but it looks to be the ticket. Holds the camera in
portrait orientation, has provision for setting the rotation to be around
the 'nodal point' of the lens, and the newer Kaidan models come with levels
to make the setup square and level. Setting the camera level and rotating
about the nodal point are two keys to getting good stitching without
excessive distortion. Kaidan recommends using a moderate focal length lens
i.e. 35mm or 50mm for panoramas, since you are using portrait the horizontal
coverage is less but you just shoot more images. The less extreme focal
length has less distortion at the edges of the images, so they stitch easier
and look cleaner.
For a quick and painless two-image stitch, not quite as wide as an X-pan,
you could use a 24-shift lens. Full shift left, take image, full shift
right, take image, and you get about 110 degrees horzontal coverage, maybe a
bit more, without as much distortion as the 18/3.5 at the edges.
--
Jim Brokaw
OM-1's, -2's, -4's, (no -3's yet) and no OM-oney...
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