Panorama using 20 D ?

[Raj]

I want to take some shots consicutively so that I can stitch them later to get a panorama.

Question is:
I need to lock exposure & focus on the very first shot & then keep shooting till I am done, after that release the lock.
How can I do this in 20 D (focus & exporsure lock at the same time for lets say 7 or 8 shots) ?

Any help is greatly appriciated.

Thanks
- Raj

[Hogster]

Could you use the full manual mode and turn off auto focus?

[Raj]

You mean set aperture + shutter speed + others & do soemthing like set focus manually ?
I can try.
Wont it be better to just set the focus to infinity & lock zoom for focus lock ? (plus set constant iso & apreture?

[Scottes]

Definitely use Manual mode. Scan the area, checking exposure on the way, and get a good exposure that won't blow out detail in one of the frames.

You probably don't EVER want to lock to infinity. Try a little research on "hyperfocal distance" which I always have a hard time explining. Otherwise, set the aperture to something like f/16 and focus on something about 1/3 the way into the scene and then turn off AF.

This post has A LOT of good info: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=49468

[Raj]

This link answers most of my questions Scottes ! Thanks a lot :-)

I will try something this weekend.

Cheers :-)

[drisley]

This is a panorama (http://www.mts.net/~lftbrain/20d/panorama.jpg) I made using the 20D, and 10 handheld shots stitched together in Photoshop CS using File>Automate>Photomerge.
I just set the camera to manual, F8, and then set focus and exposure for about the middle point. Then I just snapped 10 pictues from right to left trying to keep the camera as even as possible. The trick is to get lots of overlap with each picture.
Tripod? We don't need no stinkin' tripds?!

[Raj]

Thanks Drisley. I will give it a try in the weekend

I have PS CS, however I use panorama factory for stitching, does wonderful job.

>> Tripod? We don't need no stinkin' tripds?!
I did some panorama's with my G3 but none of them were using tripod's, all were heldheld. Surprisingly, shooting panorama is only when my hand dosent shakes :-), for all other shots i need a "hand stablizer" in my body rather then a IS in lens or camera :-) :-) :-)

[drisley]

I used to use the Canon software "Photostich", but I tried Photomerge in Photoshop just for the heck of it. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and speed. So I got rid of photostich... one less piece of software to worry about :)
When doing panoramas one of the most important things is getting 50% overlap with each picture.

[Raj]

I think canon's photostich is pretty much useless. Here are some panorama's stictched with panorama factory (nothing great abt them, they are my first panorama's from G3, have posted them sometime back)

http://www14.plala.or.jp/rajkaori/panorama/

Photostich failed miserably with them .... however PF did good job.
Agree with you, I usually overlap 50% of the shot, end up having a large # for one pano, but results are good with lots of details at high resolution ...
You may not be able to notice at such small size.

On the downside, PF is very slow...

[drisley]

I used Photostich quite a bit and it worked great for me.
But as I mentioned, no need to have that extra piece of software when Photoshop does the trick.

[fearby]

Another vote for photostitch - works great and is free!

[Jon]

Photostitch has worked well with me, even doing group shots (only one person moved, thank goodness!).

[Tdragone]

Drisley; what version of Photoshop do you have?


I don't have an option for photomerge in PS 7.0

Is it only in the stripped down versions?

Anyone??

Photostitch does okay for me; but I'm sure photoshop can rival it's quality; and I'm all about reducing the number of apps I use!!

-Tom D.

[Radtech1]

One other thing that has not been mentioned yet (at least I did not see it on a quick skim) is White Balance.

In addition to setting the exposure controls to manual, you need to set the white balance to a speicific Kelvin. In my experience, just setting it to a "mode" will not do. It seems that there is some lattitude in selecting a mode and the colors STILL shift from one frame to the next.

Rad

[Scottes]

One other thing that has not been mentioned yet (at least I did not see it on a quick skim) is White Balance.

In addition to setting the exposure controls to manual, you need to set the white balance to a speicific Kelvin. In my experience, just setting it to a "mode" will not do. It seems that there is some lattitude in selecting a mode and the colors STILL shift from one frame to the next.

Rad, great point. Now how can one tell the actual Kelvin while in the field? I don't think that I'd be too good at guessing. I guess that Custom White Balance would be the answer here, but is there another way?

[Radtech1]

Rad, great point. Now how can one tell the actual Kelvin while in the field? I don't think that I'd be too good at guessing. I guess that Custom White Balance would be the answer here, but is there another way?


Yes, Custom white balance is the one that I use. I don't have my camera in front of me now, but on the 10D it is the setting with the "K" icon. Then go to the wheel menu to set the actual Kelvin. I use the extremely scientific "firing off a few shots and see how they look" method of Kelvin calibration.

Rad

[drisley]

Drisley; what version of Photoshop do you have?

I don't have an option for photomerge in PS 7.0
Is it only in the stripped down versions?
Anyone??
-Tom D.

I have Photoshop 8 (CS)

[Wazza]

I was also thinking the same, about stitching some shots with a 20D. Clearly use Manual, as with most other cameras. Lock the settings, scan the scene, to find any bright spots etc. As I've done before.

But the question, as I've seen when looking through in Manual mode, the 20D starts to change the exposure compensation between +2 and -2. Won't this make the images different tones across them? Is there a way to lock this? (so it doesn't try to correct those dark and light scenes)

I just haven't fully looked into this function of the camera yet, only done straight shoots so far. :)

[drisley]

When you are in manual mode, the exposure and aperture are locked.
What you see in the viewfinder is not the camera changing exposure compenstaion, but rather it's light meter giving proper exposure values.

[Wazza]

Cheers for that info. Just had to make sure, before I attempt anything. I've done manual controls on my old Sony V1, and could keep the shots all the same throughout a panaramic. :)

[Raj]

When you are in manual mode, the exposure and aperture are locked.
What you see in the viewfinder is not the camera changing exposure compenstaion, but rather it's light meter giving proper exposure values.

Very useful piece of info !!
Thanks drisley :)

[Johnny V]

It's best to shoot Raw so you don't have to worry about color temp and also in Photoshop CS ACR there are vingetting tools just in case of lens fall off.