Question about Panaromas

[cal_gundert05]

I know you can create a panorama by setting up your tripod, taking a pic, rotating the camera so you have some image overlay, taking another shot, etc and them stitching all the shots together.

But can you also take a "panorama-type" shot by taking multiple shots "head-on" while moving sideways along a path parallel to what you're shooting (like a landscape)?

For example:

-----HERE'S THE LANDSCAPE-----
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' ' '
==YOU MOVE ALONG HERE===

Each ' represents your line of site for 1 shot

Does that make sense? Would this look weird?

 

[fmw]

Assembling them will be a problem because the perspective will change as you move. The idea of assembling shots from a single perspective is that they will match at the point where they are attached to each other.

 

[cal_gundert05]

Assembling them will be a problem because the perspective will change as you move. The idea of assembling shots from a single perspective is that they will match at the point where they are attached to each other.

I think I know what you mean, but what if the shots were taken so close together that the change in perspective was negligible? That would take A LOT of shots, though.

 

[Torus34]

If you keep the camera level and move it so that the side edge of one frame is exactly the same as the adjacent side edge of the next frame, there should be no problem.

 

[fmw]

I think I know what you mean, but what if the shots were taken so close together that the change in perspective was negligible? That would take A LOT of shots, though.

No, the problem is at the joint where you assemble the images. You need to overlap a little. If the perspective (angle) is not identical, the overlapped section will be visible because you are shooting the two different shots from two different places. I would recommend shooting them from the same place. As soon as you move the camera (as opposed to swinging it on a single axis), you introduce a lot of variables. I don't think it can be done without a special track unit such as they use to shoot movies.

My favorite tripod has a ball head because it is so fast to adjust. I don't think an assembled panorama can be done with a ball head either. It would have to be done with a head that has separate tilt and pan controls.

 

[fmw]

If you keep the camera level and move it so that the side edge of one frame is exactly the same as the adjacent side edge of the next frame, there should be no problem.

Sure, but this is next to impossible to do.

 

[Mohain]

I've seen someone do this with decent results. It wasn't perfect but it was 'good enough'. I think it was handheld too. Make sure you overlap by about a 3rd and you should be OK. I'll see if I can find a link.

 

[Illah]

The only way the walkabout method could work well is if you were shooting pretty long, any type of wide angle would suffer from the perspective issues fmw pointed out. Early in film school we actually had a similar experiment and fmw is right that the edges won't match.

If you want to do it I'd recommend LOTS of overlap, so basically you'd only be using the middle 20% or so of the frame, then stiching those tiny chunks together. It's be really tough though - you'd need a path that's not only perpendicular but nearly perfectly level and in the middle of the subject (i.e. no low looking up at a building or high looking down - the perspective issues would be magnified quite a bit).

--Illah

 

[W.Smith]

The idea of assembling shots from a single perspective is that they will match at the point where they are attached to each other.

The more wide-angle the shots, the less "they will match at the point where they are attached to each other".
Panorama's from a single perspective are less distorted if assembled from (as many as possible) overlapping tele shots.