How to shoot panoramic shots EOS 10D

[agentm]

I have propably the most dumb question on this forum. :roll:

Coming from a point and shoot camera that has a Panoramic mode button I was looking for the same on my new 10D. So, how do you shoot panoramic photos if there is no shooting mode for it on the camera, and if there is, where is it??

Thanks
Henk

[Belmondo]

As I understand Panoramic Mode, it is a feature on some P&S cameras that crops the top and bottom of an image to make it look wider when printed. You can accomplish the same thing with any digital camera in post-processing (i.e. cropping the image to taste).

The better way to do it these days is to take several overlapping images and piece them together using image stitching software.

[BoySpot]

If shotting pictures to stitch together, don't use too wide a focal length. The edge distrotions make it harder for the software to do a good job. I may get flamed for this but Ihave found the Photostitch software that comes with the camera does a reasonable job. It can handle lots of images at once so don't be afraid to use a longer focal length. You can always crop the overall image afterwards.

[Jim_T]

Just get a 12mm lens, you won't need pano :-)

But really.. I've done it.. I've taken four shots (two over two) and stitched them together.. It worked pretty good. I find Canon's photostitch software works well.

One thing to consider is that the P/S cameras lock the exposure info in pano mode so all shots after the first one are exposed exactly the same. This is a major advantage.. I don't know if there is a way of doing this on a DSLR.. This makes it difficult, because when you stitch the images together there are somtimes suble differences in exposure to correct.

The P/S cameras usually show you a bit of the last shot in the display.. Of course DSLR's can't do this..

[Webster]

One thing to consider is that the P/S cameras lock the exposure info in pano mode so all shots after the first one are exposed exactly the same. This is a major advantage.. I don't know if there is a way of doing this on a DSLR.

Check your manual, under "Manual Mode"

[Hatem Eldoronki]

The 10D doesn't have a Panorama mode. But you can still "do it yourself": it's better to have the camera on a tripod, to maintain the same horizontal level of the shots you'll be taking. Use the telphoto end of your lens to minimize distortion of the perspective. Then what you do is, you take your first shot, while holding down the * button to lock your exposure. Then you take your second shot, while overlapping some of the elements from the first shot, and you'll still be pressing the * button. Never let go of it until the series of shots composing the panorama are done. That's the general idea. There's two ways for doing this whole thing: you either have the camera rotate around it's axis while mounted on the tripod, or, you move the camera parallel with the scene you're shooting. Each has it's visual effect, and necessity..

[Andy_T]

One thing to consider is that the P/S cameras lock the exposure info in pano mode so all shots after the first one are exposed exactly the same. This is a major advantage.. I don't know if there is a way of doing this on a DSLR.

Check your manual, under "Manual Mode"

ROFLMAO :lol:

So that's what 'Manual' mode actually means....

Best regards,
Andy

[Webster]

If you are rotating the camera, you should really rotate around the nodal point of the lens. But that's not easy (it usually requires some additional hardware), and rotating around the tripod mount is good enough in most cases. Different types of stitching software have varying degrees of success in compensating for this issue. Canon's PhotoStitch prefers images rotated around the nodal point.

[pradeep1]

I use the techniques presented on this website and find it to produce truly wonderful image:

http://www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/

The software to do this is available at the same site:

http://www.tawbaware.com

Good Luck. 8)

[Mark Kemp]

Yep - photostitch works well enough.

Use a reasonable focal length.

set manual everything - shutterspeed, aperture, focus and white balance.

Put the camera on a tripod and get it level.

Set the head to allow rotation but no tilting.

Attach a cable release if you have one.

Focus on the 'main subject'.

Move the camera to point at one end of the view you want.

take a shot.

rotate the camera until about 1/3 of the view you just shot is still in the edge of the view finder.

take the next shot.

keep doing it until you reach the end of the view you want.

on your PC open photostitch.

import each of the shots in the order that you took them.

press the stitch button.

now you have a fantastic panorama.

experiment with the settings to see what you like.

make any unsharp mask, colour adjustments etc as you normally would.

I have also done the same thing as Max Lyons suggest on his website and it is not too much harder.

I have even done a couple of vertical panoramas this way with quite pleasing results.

[Hatem Eldoronki]

Here's an example, with a 28mm focal length lens, using Canon's Photostitch; 11 pictures heavily overlapped (and thats because my camera was tilted; and that was taken when I still couldn't afford the 17-40mm lens :idea: ) (I also used Photoshop's Free Transform tool to edit the perspective)

http://www.eldoronki.net/Viper2.jpg

[agentm]

Thank you all for the advice. Excellent shot of that DODGE ! wow