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DPChallenge Forums >> Photography Discussion >> Leveling Tripod for Panoramas????
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 12/24/2004 12:01:31 PM · #1
I have a couple of questions about doing a panorama shot.

If your lens has a 75-degree field of view, would that be the optimum amount of rotation on the tripod? In reality I guess you would want to rotate a few degrees less than that to get a good overlap for stitching.

What is the best way to get your tripod set up perfectly level? I have tried to get it level with the tripod level but it never seems to be exact, and my camera makes the âswoopâ in an arc to the horizon. I have set the tripod up so the center spot in the viewfinder locates on the horizon in both directions as well as in the middle of the shot, this seems to work best for me, but I want to know of a more accurate way, but still keep it simple.

Of course all of this is just so I can use as much of the individual frames as possible, which would enable me to use less frames to make the Pano.

Thanks for any input on this.

Dick
12/24/2004 12:36:26 PM · #2
Hmmm, can't say as I have a lot of experience at panoramas but the last one I did I overlaped about 10 degrees or so for each shot and it worked with the stitching program I used. I think I remember reading somewhere to use up to 20 degrees. I'm sure someone with more experience will post and correct me if I'm off.

As for level have you tried the small stick on levels? You can stick one to the verticle post below the head which helps give two perspectives.
12/24/2004 12:46:16 PM · #3
jbsmith:

Thanks for the input. I have tried the stick on levels but I find it quite time consuming. About the time I get it level one direction a rock moves or a leg finds a hole and I start over again. Gitzo makes a tripod with a center post that levels independently from the legs, but I don't need to spend more now.
 12/24/2004 01:39:39 PM · #4
I think it's more important to overlap the frames by a percentage of the width, rather than a fixed number of degrees. Either way though, I think 20 is the number I remember too.

My tripod (SLIK) has a circular bubble level built into the top of the center post under the head.

Possibly more important is whether the head rotates on an axis at the center of the lens/sensor plane. A lot of digital cameras have the lens mounted far offset from the tripod mount, introducing a different kind of error.
 12/24/2004 01:58:24 PM · #5
Paul,
Not having the center plane of the lens centered over the pivot point would be a problem, I've got that part under control.

I guess the best thing is to just go do it and find out what works best for me. I never tried to rotate a given amount before and only did it by guess and be damned. I thought I might improve with a more defined approach.

By the way could you tell me how long a post can be. I was just trying to start a new thread, which amounts to half a page of text, a link, and two thumbs. It only loads about half of it in the preview window.

Thanks
Dick

Message edited by author 2004-12-24 13:59:37.
 12/24/2004 02:04:55 PM · #6
Originally posted by autool:
By the way could you tell me how long a post can be. I was just trying to start a new thread, which amounts to half a page of text, a link, and two thumbs. It only loads about half of it in the preview window.

The preview truncates, but the post can be essentially any length. However, make sure you copy all of the text to the clipboard before you hit the submit button, as sometimes the server will time-out while you are writing the long post and discard the whole thing.

The safest thing is to write the comment in a separate text document (if you don't need too much formatting) and then copy&paste it to the site.
 12/24/2004 02:07:54 PM · #7
Paul,
I wrote the text in Word and pasted it in the box. Added the link and two thumbs. Should I assume it will put the whole thing in the post?

Dick
 12/24/2004 02:08:50 PM · #8
Originally posted by autool:
Paul,
Not having the center plane of the lens centered over the pivot point would be a problem, I've got that part under control.

I wish I did!
Originally posted by autool:

I guess the best thing is to just go do it and find out what works best for me. I never tried to rotate a given amount before and only did it by guess and be damned. I thought I might improve with a more defined approach.

My tripod has little markings on the top, with radii at about 15 degree intervals. You can move it one or two marks to make the spacing consistent.

My Canon S1 IS has a panorama mode where, after you snap a frame, it shows about 20% of the just-shot image in the viewfinder as you line up the next shot.
 12/24/2004 02:09:03 PM · #9
Dick,

If your tripod is relatively level and you only move your camera about the vertical axis of rotation, you should do just fine. I use Panavue to stitch and I usually don't even a tripod and it works fine. I have found that using the manual stitch option works best, ie. you choose the registation marks (control points) in the overlapping photos yourself.

Owen
 12/24/2004 02:09:34 PM · #10
Originally posted by autool:
Paul,
I wrote the text in Word and pasted it in the box. Added the link and two thumbs. Should I assume it will put the whole thing in the post?

Dick

That should work fine : )
 12/24/2004 02:12:24 PM · #11
Owen,

I have done that too. What I am trying to do is use as much of the original image as possible to keep it as "rich" as I can. I find that just shooting and stitching (manually) I lose quite a bit of the original.

Dick
 12/24/2004 02:14:36 PM · #12
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by autool:
Paul,
I wrote the text in Word and pasted it in the box. Added the link and two thumbs. Should I assume it will put the whole thing in the post?

Dick

That should work fine : )


I will go ahead and post it. If it screws up how do I get rid of starting a messed up thread?
 12/24/2004 02:18:54 PM · #13
Don't forget, just because you make the tripod level doesnt make the scene level. Level the camera by eye while viewing the scene through the lens.
 12/24/2004 02:24:04 PM · #14
Originally posted by jmlelii:
Don't forget, just because you make the tripod level doesnt make the scene level. Level the camera by eye while viewing the scene through the lens.


Got it! Both the level thing and the posting thing.

Thanks Guys.

Dick
 12/24/2004 02:39:45 PM · #15
Panarama Factory makes a great program for stiching
and can creat 360 tours as well bit it does an amazing job with the stich as well as correcting any barrel distortion for your specific lens and camera

Panarama Factory

Message edited by author 2004-12-24 14:40:01.
 12/24/2004 04:43:02 PM · #16
I often take my panorama shots with the camera oriented vertically. This way I can get an even higher resolution photo while keeping the angle of view around 40-50mm. This helps minimize barrel distortion.

T
 12/24/2004 05:45:58 PM · #17
Originally posted by timj351:
I often take my panorama shots with the camera oriented vertically. This way I can get an even higher resolution photo while keeping the angle of view around 40-50mm. This helps minimize barrel distortion.

T

ding, ding ding...that answer is correct. Works the best for me. More pictures, but definitely a better "view!"
 12/24/2004 06:37:38 PM · #18
T and T,

That is a great idea. Do you use an angle bracket to keep the lens in alignment with the pivot center? Maybe I am being to anal about it.

Thanks for the additional help,
Dick
 12/24/2004 07:47:51 PM · #19
I find that when I shoot panos I usually shoot them vertically. I can use something like the 24-70 (at 24) which gives 50° FoV vertically (on a 1.6x cam). I usually overlap about 15-20%. I use landmarks to judge overlap.
The majority of my panos have been shot hand-held. This is by necessity, since I can't often take a tripod on business travel with me. Well, I could, but I'm already hauling enough stuff, and I don't check luggage.
 12/24/2004 08:12:17 PM · #20
I started photography by shooting panoramas, hence my username (it rhymes with panorama).

Could you post some of your panos? Perhaps you are being too anal about it. Honestly, I shoot 90% of my panoramas handheld, pausing no more than one or two seconds between each frame. I use 66% overlap so a 180° averages about 12 shots in landscape orientation. A lot more if I tilt the camera vertically into portrait. Even though I fire the camera so rapidly and the rotation of axis is not perfectly level, I still get good results. I use Panorama Factory to stitch.

If I do use a tripod (for night panos), my Velbon has a bubble level but I hardly rely on that either (too lazy). I just pan the camera left and right and eyeball it to see if the horizon stays level. It works for me.

//www.dpchallenge.com/portfolio_mgr.php?collection_id=2776
 12/24/2004 09:56:20 PM · #21
Mostly an experiment, I took the following panorama using a Sigma 105mm lens with the camera mounted vertically on a tripod. There are 3 rows and about 10-12 columns (rotation on each row was not consistent). I am ill-equipped for dealing with nodal points and such, but would probably not attempt another one like this without an adequate pano head. Please don't concern yourself with the hole in my image as it's not actually necessary for my final prints. I am to blame, but it's the camera's fault. ;-)



Doing small panos in one direction is not so bad handheld or otherwise, especially if parallax is not a big issue. Stitching many images, particularly in two directions, can get hairy pretty quickly. I believe a pano head eliminates a great deal of hardship.
 12/24/2004 11:14:08 PM · #22
Great shot dwoolridge! Wondering why you used a 105mm lens instead of a wide angle? For the detail? Shorter focal length (maybe 50mm or less) would've eliminated the need for 3 rows.
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