How to Create a Multi Row Panorama
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- In this video, award-winning landscape photographer Les Picker shares tips for creating a multi-row panoramic photograph.
Really Right Stuff Tripod
amzn.to/3taofP1
Really Right Stuff BH-55 Ball Head
amzn.to/36iiiFU
PLEASE NOTE: If you would like to see the finished pano, along with my brief explanation on post-processing it, go to my blog site: lesterpickerph...
My understanding is that is better to have a panning clamp on top of the ball head. That way things are guaranteed to stay level as you pan. I think that is why RRS sells panning clamps. If you use a panning clamp, a leveling plate is not needed.
I understand that setting up the nodal point is a different topic. However it would be useful to explain that the camera/lens should be rotated down and adjusted to ensure the center of the lens is above the rotation point.
Another useful thing to point out is that the exposure should be manually set for the brightest point in the pan to ensure the images are not blown out. Thus would entail checking exposure at various points before starting.
Agreed- smart tips! I read a great book that was recommended to me by some pro's in a forum- it's called "Understanding Exposure." One thing he says is to point the camera meter towards the blue sky when using the meter. This way the sky is not blown out. If you expose for the darker scene it will up things like ISO or slow the shutter to get more light but then the sky can be blown out. Of course this way, the foreground can be slightly darker so it's a trade off. I check not only the meter for each shot but very importantly, the in camera histogram. I find that to be far more accurate than the meter. I also set that to B&W so I can see the contrast better. In raw, as you know, all the color info. is retained.
Do you ever do the vertical pans he is talking about? So you stitch all the horizontal and vertical pans together somehow? Do you just add them to the selections (I use Affinity) and it will know how to do it or is there another workflow? I am relatively new to photography- in any serious way anyway. In the last 3 months I have learning a lot. I have been getting ready for an upcoming trip to Death Valley and Zion- needed to brush up! One thing I learned is how expensive decent new gear costs!
Cheers!
@@MOAB-UT i do it in photoshop but it can also be done in lightroom. Just add to selected photos. Sometimes I do bracketing. In that case I combine the brackets before doing the pano stitching.
Thank you for that informative video. You have a knack for explaining what can be complex issues in an easy to understand manner. That's becoming a lost art.
Thanks for the nod, Rob. As a former teacher I'm known to be long-winded, too!
True story: In my original post, I almost asked if you had been a teacher in your previous life!
This is one of if not the best, most detailed, thorough explanations of the best way to do one of these shots. Thank you!
Thank you, Alexander!
Lester, thanks for sharing. This is great. Lots of depth and small bits of useable info.
Thanks. Stay tuned for a detailed follow-up video on how to properly determine the nodal point.
Les,
Great job on this tutorial as well. Very clear, concise and enough variation for people that it's usable in a lot of ways. Thank you for putting it together!
Tim: Thanks so much for your remarks. Glad it was of some help.
Les,
just curious if you might know why when I shot and processed a panoramic and stitched it back together with 3DVista that the panorama settings didn't upload to Facebook? it works great from my phone's mode for that, but not from the program or Photoshop CS6.
Sorry, Tim. I do not know 3DVista well enough and my skills on FB are rudimentary.
Would have been nice to see the finished shot.
I second that.
I agree and that is why I have posted several of those panos on my website. Just go to www.lesterpickerphoto.com and click on "blog" at the top of the page. Once there, do a search for "pano" and you will see several blogs, including panos of the Hawaii location. Thanks for your comments.
Actually, the link IS there. Immediately under the frame that plays the video is a box that starts with the "Published" date. Just click on "show more" and the link is there.
Stunami, please see my latest blog for a finished pano. lesterpickerphoto.com/2020/02/13/span-classwhitemulti-shot-panos/span/
@@lespicker I started reading the blog and suddenly i read GFX100 and im like WOW ! So jealous! This resolution must be a dream for landscapes :)
Just bought the parts from RRS to make multi row panos.Spent a fortune on RRS stuff myself! Going to try it out on a Colorado trip in Sept.Thanks for taking the time to do the video.In part, your video helped me decide on RRS instead if Gigapan
.More control with a manual set up.
+Lester Picker, a true professor, thank you very much.
+elrana1000 Thanks, Elrana 1000.
Always Great Mr Pickers.
Thank you!
5 degrees is not a set movement for the next shot. The number of degrees will depend on sensor size and the focal length of the lens at exposure. The nodal point is not easy to establish with a zoom lens as it varies depending on the focal length used and most makers dot make life easy by disclosing prime nodal points either. Also the nodal point should be over the centre of the axis used for rotation and for height.
But it is also possible to get panoramas from hand held. Just swing your body round the camera lens not swing the camera round your body.
Given that the error in levelling the half ball on the tripod adds to the error in levelling the ball head, why would you even consider using a ball head as opposed to a panning clamp plate? Seems an unnecessarily expensive way to go. Or am I missing something?
You're not missing anything, you got it right.
Are you using a neutral density filter here? If so, what kind and strength?
Brilliant! You're better than a college professor. Ain't UA-cam grand.
Thanks, Ed, although I'm not sure the college professor comment was actually a compliment!! I agree, though; UA-cam is amazing.
Beautiful presentation sir! Are you still using this setup by any chance or were they becoming too bulky and heavy for traveling?
Thank you for watching. The fact is that I still use the exact same setup, despite its weight.
Very helpful. This is the best video on UA-cam to watch if you're looking for info/tips on how to shoot a panorama photo. Thank you, Les, and keep up the great work.
+Elber Gonzalez
Thank you, Elber. Much appreciated.
Do you adjust exposure for each shot?
Do you combine both vertical and horizontal pans so up/down, left and right?
DG: You cannot adjust exposure for each shot. That would create an absolute nightmare for post-processing. Shoot for the highlights and you'll be able to recover enough shadows with most late model cameras. On your second point, I am a bit confused. If you mean can you combine horizontal and vertical shots in a single pano, the answer is no. Thew rule is to shoot vertically for horizontal panos (i.e.: wide landscapes) and shoot horizontally for vertical panos (i.e. a waterfall). There are exceptions, but that guideline should help.
@@lespicker Thanks. Your way is faster for sure but recently I adjusted so each photo was exposed correctly it seemed to make editing easier actually. There is also way to fist stitch vertical panos together, then merge them with horizontal panos. One guy in Ytube does it. I agree that these are not common methods but I think they can work.
How do you adjust multi-row, up and done overlap rotation?
Please explain how you setup the tripod's leveling base, relative to the rail... I have the same rig, expect I'm using a Ball head (BH40).
SJ: I'm not quite sure what you are asking. I, too, use a ball head (BH-55). The leveling base is also sold by RRS. It fits on the tripod and replaces the existing plate. It is well worth the expense. Go to their website and see which one you need for your tripod. If this does not answer your question, try asking with more detail.
@@lespicker thanks, no worries, I've since spoken to RRS... all good. I wasn't sure why I had two swivel bases on my setup (one on the swivel base, and one on my BH40 head)... turns out I didn't need two, but I ended up with the nicer ball head that has one at the Arca-Swiss mounting plate.
Thanks for the video. What exposure settings and focus point did you use? The DOF of a 200mm lens is pretty shallow to be capturing the foreground rocks and the distant cliffs without making adjustments. The hyperfocal distance at that focal length is way beyond the foreground as well. Thanks.
Lester, now there are several options for motorized panos that you can control with apps on your phone or tablet. Have you tried any? if yes, what are your thoughts?
Hi Sean. Yes, I've tried two and here is my review of one of them (lesterpickerphoto.com/2013/06/27/the-gigapan-epic-pro-a-review/). In short, I found them to be too unwieldy, heavy and bulky for my needs. They also have some major flaws inherent in their design and manufacture.
@@lespicker excellent review and just reading about it being a "beast to carry" immediately had me back tracking, then you add in the wind portion and poor stability. Ill just go with your RRS recommendations instead. Thank you!
Hi Les - just viewed this and wondered if you posted the final image at all? Thanks for all the tips.
Hi Vanessa:
Thanks for commenting. I did post the final image on my blog site, but did not provide the link here. I will do so as soon as I am back in town. Currently in Maine teaching a photo workshop and then off to Nepal on assignment. Look for the link in late November or so. Thanks for your patience.
I did go to the site and I couldn't tell which one you have.
also im having trouble finding a tripod to add the balance lever
Do you know how many degrees of rotation each lens has, how I can get the info, or how to work it out?
Andy, I'm not quite sure what you are asking, but I'll hazard a guess. If you are asking how many tick marks on the tripod you have to advance after each shot, then what I do is take the first shot (good to have a practice shot anyway), making a note of where one the dial I started. Then go to the next position using the 1/3 overlap method. Now look at how many ticks you advanced. Now just advance that exact same number of increments for every subsequent shot. For the second ro9w, go back to where you started, lower your frame 1/3 and repeat for as many rows as you require. Hope that helps. Good luck!!
@@lespicker Yes, that's about it, but I wondered if there was information available that said how many degrees of rotation different lenses need?
@@andysuzierawlins5462 I do not believe there is a standard reference, at least not that I am aware of. It depends on the lens, the tripod head and if you are using a zoom, what the focal length is. Once you determine it for any specific lens/focal length/tripod combo, you can create a chart and use that for future sessions. Personally, that would not work for me, as it is so simple to use the method I described above. But, try it if you think that would work for you.
@@lespicker thanks, its just I struggle with spatial orientation in opposition to me. So I need simplicity
Would you mind to share what Pano head you are using?..thanks
I use the Really Right Stuff (RRS) BH-55 ball head with the RRS multi-row pano package.
I advise to use the Cognysis 3x stackshot and their rotary tables. Fantastic stuff!
You did an excellant job with this Lester, I am just starting with my investment in Gitzo & RSS. Thank you.
Thank you, Virginia! I'm so happy it helped. Feel free to write me with any questions you might have. My website is www.lesterpickerphoto.com
Very interesting technique, Lester! Regarding the process of “overlap”, I found the fantastic FLM CP26 Travel Tripod is superb, because the ball head “Pan” function has a setting that adds a 15 degree “ratcheting” functionality to the panning movement! This permits precise overlapping of images throughout the panorama. Plus, the 10x carbon fiber legs and ball head are precision-engineered this support a maximum load of 26lbs, which obviously would easily handle your Nikon kit. If interested, FLM-Canada serves the US. Tell them Steve highly recommended them! Thanks, and Happy Holidays!
Thanks, Steve. Great tip. I will definitely look into it.
Lester Picker Great, Lester! You know, in my 35+ years of commercial photography using tripods, I have never seen one with the functionality, build, and that simply exudes Quality like the FLM Tripod mentioned above. I’m actually debating on getting a Leveling Base for it and my other tripods, as I’ve done some panoramic photography as well, and have “paid my dues” in terms of losing some image information due to panning on a Not-Quite-Level tripod. Regards, Steve
I shoot a very simple system compared to this. I use a GigiaPan motorized head (now2016) and just pick the upper left of the image (camera mounted on Gigapan head) then choose the lower right. Having previously established the angle of view with the lens used you simply start the process and the head goes to work and captures the rows and columns with a 1/3 overlap. As well, I shoot triplet expsores at each location for HDR processing. You can set the time between triplets when the haed moves; I use 6 secinds with my Fuji mirrorless. I used manual pano systems before but this is way better and probably cheaper than the equipment Lester uses. Just another option...
John: I really appreciate your suggesting this option, which works for some people, but not all. I have extensively tested the Gigapan Epic Pro (see my review here: www.lesterpickerphoto.com/2013/06/27/the-gigapan-epic-pro-a-review/). It is fine in concept and on windless days with very slow-moving clouds. It is nothing short of a windsail in even moderate winds. Also, in the time it takes to stop shaking once it comes to a stop, multiplied by so many shots, I could have done two panos and had a snack. Seriously. There are other flaws with the system, as you'll see when you read my blog.
I found the company to be very responsive and hope they continue to refine a terrific concept. Perhaps I will revisit their offerings in the near future.
Hi Lester,
I use the Epic 100 that works great with my FujiX-T1. You tried the pro model which is much bigger. The middle model is great for mirrorless cameras. You can take off the button taping assembly (not needed with my camera as I use a release cable like the pro model and save more weight). The cloud moving issue is there no matter what you use; even worse is no clouds! :-) Waiting is definitely part of this kind on photography. I worked at a sight for several monthes before getting a few good captures....Generally though, this works excellent for me and starting post with hi rez HDRs is great but not for everyone. I use AutoPano Pro to stick HDRs together then clean-up in Photoshop.
Thanks this is great for me a new pano shooter.
+Dallas Thomas You are most welcomne, Dallas. Glad it helped.
Hi Les. Good lord, there are some nasty folks out there. Good, helpful video. I have the same three-section Gitzo, BH-55 and a single-row RRS panning clamp, rail and clamp. I'm not using a levelling base but I'm fussy about getting the spirit level bubble just right on the rail and panning clamps and I'm getting good results. What do you see as the advantage of a levelling base? I'm really enjoying panos and I'm just putting in my order for the RRS gimbal and rail you're using. What focal length were you using with the 70-200mm? Best regards.
Thanks for the video. I note your shutter speed is rather fast. Hence, even with one-third overlapping, potentially there will be stitching problems in the sea, as the tidal waves for adjacent shots may not blend nicely, even if slowing down the shutter by using ND filters. How then do you solve this problem?
Hi there Lee YH dont think he use any nd filter (at least not a dark one), because if he's as you noticed using a rather fast shutter speed, it wouldn't allow any light coming in, if he use a dark nd filter that is. (I see he use a Filter holder, but I believe he use it only for the lens hood ;)
I think there won't be any stitching problems.. of course the stitching program (or you manually also would if doing it manually in photoshop or another software), when stitching, you overlap the images and then mask/delete details, so it won't get any hard edges, and notice any stitching.
if he used a slower shutter speed, he would get "blurry" sea, and foliage/plants as well.. and thats totally fine, if you want that effect on the entire image.. but if you want sharp.. you have to do it like he ´s doing it. But again, theres not a "right" way to do it.. it all dependes on whats your vision ;)
My first 360 panorama I used my 24-105 at 24 on my 5d mark ii, and I had lost my tripod plate, so I had to improvise!.. I used a tree trunk with a winter beanie under the lens to keep it a bit up... and the result?.. it was outstanding! (but I had to stitch it manually!.. also the 24-105 at 24mm gave me some vigneting on each frame, so I had to work a bit with each image.
What is the device you have attached to the tripod?
GQ, not sure what you refer to. The camera is mounted onto the Really Right Stuff pano gear. If instead you are referring to the black pouch that hangs from he side of the tripod, that is just a filter case, which I did not use for this pano. If I'm not addressing your question, please write back with specifics.
Excellent tutorial Lester. Thanks.
Thanks, David. Much appreciated.
Im assuming yes... but Are you shooting with manual focus?
Yes, I am. I believe I mentioned that in the video, but it is critical to keep one focus point throughout. My suggestion is to set your camera for the hyperfocal distance. There are numerous smartphone apps nowadays that will calculate that for you given your camera and lenses. I hope that helps.
Professional in action
Great video Les thank you. Please consider in future ending the video showing your final stitched image.. i was looking frwd to seeing it.. anyway. ty
Thanks Aaron. I will try to get the pano processed soon. I travel so much I just haven't had a chance to get to this! In any event, stay tuned for a companion video on how to figure out your lens' nodal points.
I totally understand and thanks again. Keep up the breathtaking work!
Funny, not a word about exposure, focus settings and f-stops. To lock down the camera every time after moving a little may not always be necessary imo, especially with fast shutter speeds.
Les, Excellent video with nice details.
+SHIBU GEORGE Thanks for your kind comments. The ball head is a Really Right Stuff BH-5. The remainder of the setup that is quick-clamped onto the ball head is also Really Right Stuff. Look under their panorama equipment and you can put together a system that meets your requirements.
Mr. Picker,
Thank you so much for all of your videos that you shared with us. I'm so happy with fallowing you, seeing and learning special points. All of them are result of your experiences in many years. I have 2 questions. When we are using long lenses like 70-200 in Multi or single row, where have to be the focus point? Because the depth of fields of this lenses (Ex. 200mm), are very short. So front or back objects will be out of focus.
Can I focus again in each shut?
I am wondering about sharpening.
Sincerely.
Naser, good question that I get asked a lot. This is perhaps the biggest problem for pano shooters. You really cannot refocus for each row since the lens perspective will change, making stitching difficult if not impossible. Results will be awful. Instead, try shooting your panos at f11-f16 and gently sharpen in post. I suggest you use the hyperfocal distance as your focal point. Distant objects will still be in focus.
Most excellent tutorial. Thank you for "paying-it-forward" (also visited your site and suggest others do as well)
peace
sc
+Coolumbo Thank you, Coolumbo for your very kind comments. Happy 2016 to you!
Thank you very much for your prompt reply.
Thank you for the video! One question though, how did you choose your focus point for the shots? Are you just shooting at infinity?
Good question. The best bet is to focus at the hyperlocal distance. However, this very much depends on the subject. If you are shooting a scene that is far away, then a simple infinity setting is fine. If you have foreground objects, then it becomes a decision of what you want in sharp focus. In that case, hyperfocal distance works well.
Thank you for a very detailed explanation on setting up for pano photography. I have a question however, when you shoot to increase the upper detail and lower detail of the landscape, I notice you tilt the camera. Does this give parallax issues? Slopping up and down. Is it better to raise or lower the camera parallel to the original settings? Your comments would be very gratefully received. Thanks in advance TonyH
Hi Tony: The short answer to your question is "yes" it does present a slight parallax issue. Technically it would be better to raise and lower the camera, but that in itself presents far more difficult issues almost guaranteed to compromise the resulting image. In practical terms, the slight tilt to accommodate multi-row panos is easily dealt with in whatever post-processing software you will use.
@@lespicker What kind of issues does raising and lowering camera present? Doesnt seem that , that method would be more difficult than the panoramic head method.
I’m learning so much from you about panoramic photography, what aperture would you recommend for a 70-200 set at say 200. Thank you.
Eddie: I would stick to the preferred aperture for your specific lens, typically f8 or f11.
Great tips Lester !!....I'm surprised you didn't shoot this in the early morning? Better light. Cheers.Dave
Thanks! You are right about the early morning being better, but sometimes you have to take what the photo gods give you!
Thanks Les for the very well articulated tutorial, one question about your filter holder, it looks to be a bellow, never seen that before, although it is probably for no light leak. Can you elaborate on that bellow looking filter holder. Thanks again !!
The bellows is a Lee filters contraption. It serves as a lens hood and its accordion build allows you to angle it perfectly to block light. Here is the link to it on Adorama's site: www.adorama.com/lemwh.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAxuTQBRBmEiwAAkFF1qyzS7J-woNunRTyh4FNYxL56MHoCre4p7fZ5hI0-m9ZBjAzjP8vWRoCD3oQAvD_BwE
Hi Les,
many thanks for this nice instructional video on how to shoot multi row panoramas! It was to the point and very nicely delivered! I'd like just to ask if it possible for you to share some tips on the use of polarizing filters when creating panoramas, since the different orientation of the camera throughout the series of shots would invariably introduce some inconsistencies on the final image, which would be especially visible on the sky. Many thanks again and I hope this request may be considered for one of your next tutorials on the subject!
Best regards,
Marco
Hi Marco. Thanks for your excellent question. Please see my response on my blog: www.lesterpickerphoto.com/2014/03/30/pano-question/
I was looking for a quick explanation on how to best create a multi row panorama. Honestly.... this one was waaaay too long 😉
Thank you for the informative video. Which RRS Pano-Gimbal head are you using on this setup?
Snoboardz:
You are most welcome! Thanks for commenting. I am away on assignment right now, so I can't get you the exact RRS equipment numbers. But if you take the time to go through the replies to several others (below), I have given those details a few times before. In any event, if you purchase the RRS kits, they are complete with everything you would need to do the panos. Best of luck and if you need the exact numbers, please write to me via email in 3 weeks. You can find my email on my website.
Les
This a very helpful video about panoramas. My question is about the actual gimbal head or panorama head you are using. Are there any other more affordable kits that do the same functionality as this setup? I mean this is the high end of this kind of setup but Im not sure yet whether Im willing to spend that much money on this.
What other options are there? The Nodal Ninja is also expensive and there are the Sunwayfoto or Fotomate. Any experience with those?
+Danny Ben-Yakar Thanks for writing, Danny. I believe that Manfrotto and Nodal Ninja also make multi-row pano equipment, but there are others, too. I also came across a do-it-yourself setup. Try a Google search and you will see them. Good luck with your panos!
Les
+Lester Picker Thank you very much :)
Their tri-pods and mono-pods are top quality. Here’s their panoramic head:
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1434448-REG
Lester, I LOVE the detail of the video. When searching for equipment I am having a very hard time finding what I need. What brand are you using for your "Rail". I really like your setup and stability.
brittney wesley Hi Brittney. Thanks for your nice comments. I use Really Right Stuff (www.reallyrightstuff.com) for my ball head and rails. Although they are expensive, they are incredibly well engineered. The ball head holds even the heaviest loads and the rails are precision all the way. I beat them up quite a bit and they work as well as the very first time I used them. FYI, a ball head and rails are only as effective as the tripod on which they are mounted. I use a Gitzo 3541, but any similar sturdy tripod will do.
Seeing the end product would have been nice to see.
Hi Lester,
I have found your tutorial very interesting but could you please tell me where you are focusing.
Hi, John. Sorry it has taken me so long to respond, but I am in Sri Lanka right now on assignment. In this case I was focusing about one-third of the way into the scene in order to get sharp focus throughout.
Hi John:
I can't remember right now, but for a distant landscape I usually focus at our near infinity. For a landscape with a foreground object I focus on the hyperfocal distance- about 1/3 into the scene. Hope that helps.
Les
Thankyou very much Lester,enjoy your trip.
john
What kind of filters did you add in the front of the lens?
Hi Erik:
Good question. The fact is there are NO filters in front of the lens. What you see is an adapter ring for when I take single images and need to slip in a graduated neutral density filter. You should always avoid using any filters when shooting a pano, as the differential effect of a polarizing filter, for example, as you rotate the camera would result in issues that are impossible or very difficult to correct. It is better to shoot a bracketed exposure at each stopping point in your pano series if the dynamic range is too wide.
Hope this helps.
Les
Dear Lester, thanks a lot for your advice and quick replay! I really value this a lot because I know that social media gives a lot of work. Your videos are so interesting. I like your pictures on your studio walls a lot, they look amazing. Greatings from Dubai, Erik
Erik:
I have been to Dubai twice. I led a group of clients there for a photo workshop en route back from Sri Lanka. I'd like to talk more with you about Dubai. Please write me directly via email.
Thank you!
Hi Lester, this is my email: erik.dewilde@icloud.com
I am living here since six years and I do many photoshooting in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I did some nice rooftop shoots from Dubai.
Very informative video. Ive shot a few panos so far and I know what you mean by needing to shoot more pictures than you think you will need. I learned that the hard way (rookie mistake.) I only had three rows of photos in my panos. Despite using a tripod and being reasonably accurate with the amount of pan and tilt between each shot, my finished stitched panoramas had huge gaps along the edges. Almost looked like I was drunk when doing the shooting. Live and learn!
Btw, do you have any tips for dealing with moving objects? Although I like doing panos of natural scenery, I am planning on doing some panoramic photography in a city soon. As such, I'll be dealing with traffic and pedestrians. I predict that some of the time, I might end up with cars partly cut off at the edge of frames or cars / people appearing twice in adjacent shots.
Anzaeria: Thanks for the compliment. I think we all make that mistake when we first start. However, the idea of being drunk while doing panos might help!
You might be on to something there with the drunk panos! With regards to shooting panoramas in an urban environment with cars, I guess one way to deal with moving subjects is to use a 10 stop ND filter to make moving traffic disappear from the photos. The downside that I could see from that would be since the exposure times would be so long, the shadows might have moved a fair bit in the meantime. I guess I could wait for a break in the traffic for each shot.
Gidday Lester, certainly did like the information and the time you spent making this video but that damned wind was peeing me off. I am still not 100 % sure on calculating the nodal point so as to avoid parallax error but she'll be right. Thanks again...cheers
Won’t you need a computer with incredible processing power to handle all the megapixels?
It sure would help! However, if you have the time, you can let even a less powerful computer churn through the files. Alternately, you can shoot with a wider perspective and have fewer files to process.
Les,
Thank you for the wonderful video! Awesome setup!
What are the Really Right Stuff part numbers in your setup?Swivel BaseRailAnything else?
Thanks!
+Woof Eeka
Hi Woof!
I suggest that the best thing to do is to go to the Really Right Stuff site and click on the "Panorama" banner. Then spend some time looking at the literature, product descriptions, and video clips so you can decide what will work best for you. My setup is for multi-row panos. Every photographer will want to tailor the setup for their own needs. I also find that calling the RRS staff really helps; they are terrific.
They also offer complete pano kits, either single row or multi-row.
I hope this helps.
Les
Excellent video.
Would you please be able to write down the names of the RRS equipment that you have used atop your tripod?
Thanks
Really Right Stuff BH-55 ball head with Quick Release, leveling base.
Do you need an L Plate as well for the camera?
Yes, you need L-plates for all RRS gear. There are imitation plates made in China, so you might want to check them out. I prefer to use the RRS plates due to their quality control. However, I have no idea if the Chinese knock-offs are good. Some of my clients report good results.
Thanks again Lester ! I guess I will stick to RRS, driven partly by my humanitarian desire to reduce the US trade deficit !
LOL!
Hi les
Really enjoyed viewing your video not sure i would agree with the last comment that you talk to much, am a teacher by profession not in photography but i have been taking photos for the past 35 years. One thing my students like really well is an item or topic well explained and you did this very well in my opinion..
Have a couple of questions if you get time to answer do you use manual exposure or auto and roughly whats aperature gives you best results.
And please ignore those who are rude to you its a sign of little intelligence, you seem a really nice person so keep up the good work.
Ps if you want really good panoramic photos come to ireland were i live.
Martin
+Martin McCrory
Thanks so much, Martin! To answer your questions: I always use manual exposure and manual focus. If you don't do that, the camera will make changes that will be difficult if not impossible to correct in post. Also use manual ISO and WB. The best aperture depends on your camera system. For Nikon, f11 is usually the sweet spot. .
BTW, I am planning a trip to Ireland. I was going to do it in late May-June, but instead I am heading to Iceland again. Would love to hear your suggestions for time of year and places to go. Please go to my website and contact me through there.
Thanks!
Les
Les,
Thanks for posting your informative videos. Everyday I learn something new. It’s a fun journey. It was really eye opening for me that in your other video about the nodal point that you said that you take pano’s with a zoom lens. The thought never crossed my mind, however once I thought about it more it makes total sense for all the reasons you stated (mainly to pack in the pixel count into the final image). If you have time I have a few questions/scenarios for you that maybe you could help me with getting my mind straight:
What are your opinions on the Gitzo tripods vs the RRS tripods? Are the Gitzo better, if so why do you think? I have the RRS TVL-34 tripod and the BH-55 ball head. I am looking into possibly purchasing a RRS pano gimbal set (likely the good fluid one with ball bearings and needle bearings), like you have, for the main reason being that I am always looking to tinker and improve my skill set / knowledge. I do photography as a life long passion / hobby. Currently I guess that I have taken the more amateur approach to landscape photography, which is to use my Canon 16-35mm wide angle lens on a tripod, set up exposure bracketing +\- 1 or 2 stops and then in Photoshop Lightroom using HDR efex Pro I would compile the three images in one creating a vibrant HDR image. For clarity I always try to shoot in F22 or as high of a Fstop number as possible with ISO 100 on my Canon 6D entry level full-frame 20.2MP (much lower MP than your camera). My next question to you is do you ever do bracketing when taking your individual images? For example have you ever stitched together a -1 stop pano (compilationof multiple photos), and then a neutral 0 stop pano, and then a +1 stop pano, and then tried to combine them into an pano HDR image? I don’t know if I am getting ahead of myself or not, but I am always thinking and trying to get these ideas straight in my mind. I also purchased a AI device called Arsenal that introduced me to the idea of advanced photo stacking, which gets me thinking about whether or not any pano techniques exist for stacking the same images, but with varying focus points (hence creating a master image with near and far objects all perfectly in focus). Arsenals software will automatically do this, but unfortunately at this time saves the resultant image as a jpeg instead of a RAW file. So I don’t think that it would be of use for this application. Following this logic however, it seems like I would need countless photos to make this happen... multiple photos for the pano, with multiple exposures for future HDR, with each individual photo being taken multiple times at different focus points. My mind is hurting thinking about this... I know that this is over complicating things, but I don’t don’t know when enough is enough in the pursuit for perfection. Perfect composition, perfect color range, perfect focus, high density of pixels, etc. I am driving myself nutty and this process is sucking me in like a black hole.
Another separate thought/issue/mystery came to my mind as well. I then started thinking about how my images would vary in exposure&brightness if one of my 200mm pano images contained the sunrise/sunset, while the 2-3 images next to it didn’t. In a normal photograph the metering would average the whole scene including the bright part with the sun. Hence, under exposing other areas of the photo to prevent the sun’s light detail from getting blown out. If the sun is comprised of most of the frame, that can’t be good? I am of the impression that it isn’t that good for the cameras sensor anyway taking a picture looking into the sun, although I am not going to pass up a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Sorry for all of the amateur questions. I am unsure as to how I should go about handling this situation. I am open to help/suggestions from anyone in the community as well.
Thanks!
Dave
I want all of this equipment. What's a ballpark on the price of all that equipment here including the filter on the front of the lens that I really want!
Vic:
Ballpark... the Gitzo 3541 is about $800 and the RRS BH-55 ball head is about $800. Plus, you should have the leveling base and I'm not sure of that price. Hope that helps.
Les
Lester Picker That gives me a good starting point. Thanks!
can you post a link to the rails and leveling base?
Thanks this video is great!
Go to Really Right Stuff and pick and choose from their entire line of rails and bases. A great company with beautifully engineered products. Expensive but well worth it in my opinion.
Dear Les, I watched your video several times. It's both educational and very inspiring. I just acquire a pano system from RRS to add it on my Gitzo tripod. One question I have for pano photography is about focus during taking multi-rows pano shots. Specifically, In the situation where objects at the leftmost shot is at a distance to camera than that for objects at the rightmost shot, can I or should I change focus for a clear picture? I believe I should refocus the lens, but will that cause problem in stitching? Thanks in advance.
JC: As you suspected, you must keep the focus constant. The way to handle this is to use hyperfocal distance and a small aperture. A shortcut way to do this is to focus 1/3 of the way into the scene.
Dear Les, Thank you for the reply. To avoid diffraction, there is a limitation for the smaller aperture to choose. Do you have any suggestion on how to choos a smaller aperture before diffraction taking effect?
I'm sharing a pano image of the San Francisco Bay at below link with you. The image was a speechless one, but after loading to Nat Geo, it got largely compressed such that the majestic scene cannot be properly presented. Still, hope you like it!
yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/photos/11256175/
Multi row? Looks incredible
Single row only. Much appreciated your comment.
Hahahah this is so funny... I came to this type of photography from model/erotic photo (my line of work) and feel like learning chinese. I do enjoy this kind of info since I was always interested in landscape photography. Thanks for the info, very, very useful.
Thank you, Valentin. Welcome to the weird world of landscape photography!
Complimenti, fantastica strumentazione. Hai mai testato Epic Pro Pano?
I was wondering why the 70-200 lens , why not 50 mm its a landscape?
Good question. On the face of it you would naturally think that, being a landscape, use a wider angle of view, right? Well, when creating a pano the aim is to get as many pixels as possible from the image. If I shot with a 50mm, I might have 4 or 5 images that would comprise the scene. That would give me 4 or 5 images, multiplied by the pixels that my sensor records, minus the 30% overlap, of course. But, if I use a 200 mm to record that same scene, it might take 3 rows of 10 images per row. That adds up to 30 images multiplied by the number of pixels my sensor records (then subtract that 30% overlap). That is one heckuva lot more pixels in the final image. That allows one to blow up that image really large. If you go to my website (www.lesterpickerphoto.com/commercial-installations/), you can see an image I took of Baltimore Harbor at night. It consists of 28 images merged into one pano. The image we hung on that hospital wall is 30 feet wide by 10 feet high!! It is so detailed, you can actually see people standing in the windows. Take a look at the video on the bottom of the page. Hope this explanation helps.
thank you
Thank You , I learned a lot ;)Where can I see the end result ?
Best Regards,Didier
Thanks for posting, Didier. See my response about two messages down from here. Best wishes.
How to create a pano. then not showing the result was like watching the Grandprix then leaving with a couple of laps to go... A big fan overall Lester but Photography is always about the end result.
Great video! How does a nodal "rail" differ or give you an advantage over something like a standard L bracket?
Hi Jake:
Good question. An L bracket does not give you anywhere near enough room to move your camera front to back to set the nodal point of the camera. The nodal slide has mo0re than ample room to accommodate any lens.
Les
Hi Lester, I see that you have the RRS 192 PPP rail , I have right now the MPR-CL II nodal slide, I'd buy this one maybe a year ago that have not the fore-aft orientation to accomodate a 70-200 ( canon ), now I WANT to make panos with a 70-200 with the MPR-CL II so I will have to buy the B2-mAS mini clamp to have the fore-aft orientation, do you think the the MPR-CL II ( 7.4" long ) will work with a 70-200 or I must buy the 192 Rail ( 7.6" long ) that have the mini clamps package
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1301197-REG/really_right_stuff_192_precision_plus_pkg_rail_clamp_package_mpr_192.html
www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1301206-REG/really_right_stuff_mpr_cl_ii_rail_nodal_slide_7_4_189mm_for.html
waiting for your answer
Thank you
Steve, thank you for writing. I'm not certain enough to give you a definite response. I suggest you call RRS. Their people are terrific and will give you an answer.
"Good enough for government work" so funny!
Thank you
Thank you for the wonderful video. What does a one third over lap translate into the 'degree' turn on the tripod head?
It will vary, depending on the focal length of the lens. With a Nikkor 200mm mounted on my Nikon D810, it translates to 5 markings on my Really Right Stuff ballhead. A quick way to test that is to start on any degree marking, take a shot, advance enough for 1/3 overlap and see where the ballhead is now. Voila, you have it!
Hope that helps.
Does the camera person have OCD or ADHD or something? Moving the camera around so much is annoying.
Easy now, Richard! My wife was the video person and it was her first time ever doing this. So, if you'd like to, you can complain directly to her. But for health reasons (YOUR health), I warn you against that course of action!!! Seriously, though, I apologize for the video quality. We should have rehearsed it first. I have improved our technology with a gimbal head and better techniques. Stay tuned for other videos. And thanks for taking the time to comment.
very interesting thanks
Excellent
Good info, thanks :)
You're most welcome, Daryl.
mirror up! shoot! sound like a firing squad
These ultra-mega expensive head and L-bracket cost as much as a Gigapan pro head which does limitless multi-row gigapixel panoramas and is completely automatic/robotized.
Why are tripod accessories so expensive
Two things, Denis:
First, you should read my unbiased review of Gigapan. They sent me their equipment to review and, quite frankly, I found that it has a few serious problems that limit its usefulness (www.lesterpickerphoto.com/2013/06/27/the-gigapan-epic-pro-a-review/).
Next, as far as the cost of the brackets, I agree with you that they are expensive. However, in fairness, Really Right Stuff makes incredibly well built equipment with extremely fine tolerances. They also hold their value quite well. If you do not own any, go to their website and check out the quality.
Best wishes,
Les
I'm not saying it's better i'm just saying $500 for 400g of alluminium bent 90 degrees with two scales on it is really demotivational, eventhough it will probably outlive me.
Also i've checked really nice stuff some time ago, i really hope those guys get more notice!
They have really nice gear and i love how their reviews for their products are very informational unlike other companies that just point out to their most expensive thing.
Also, i'm surprised you actively answer stuff on comments.
So a little question.
The gigapan pro is not as useful as a little tripod planning but do you think it's useful buying their less expensive model (400-500 bucks) which is suited for point and shoot cameras? I mean it probably makes something easier in the workflow
Also thanks for linking that review it helped.
Denis Slavcheff I'm pretty passionate about photography and helping people progress in their photo skills, so I tend to respond to most questions. In any event, I think we agree that the RRS prices are too high, but then again, what alternative do I have. I do wish there were other options. In fact, I recently bought a spare tripod mount from China that imitates a RRS bracket and it worked just fine and cost 1/3 as much!
As far as the lower cost GigaPan for PAS cameras, I really do not know enough about it, not having tested it myself. However, conceptually I'm not sure it makes sense for a couple of reasons. First, most PAS users want to travel light. With GigaPan you still face the issue of transporting bulky equipment. Second, most PAS cameras nowadays have built-in pano functions that are pretty damned good. My iPhone 5s is superb for that. I use it all the time for quick images when I'm blogging or need to make notes of where I was shooting.
Les
www.lesterpickerphoto.com
Lester's videographer seems to be a fan of complementary inflight drinks. Thanks for making the vid too :=)
LOL! The videographer is my wife!
+Lester Picker :=)
I was so looking forward to seeing the end result, but nothing to support the info given in the video. Disappointed!!!! Life too short to spend time going over to websites to see work.
Julia: Sorry you were disappointed and unwilling to take the time to click over to another site. We are constantly improving our video capabilities and will be launching a revamped site this fall. In the meantime, best wishes for some great panos. And, thanks for taking the time to comment (despite life being too short!).
Nice & Thanks :)
Thanks for this, very helpful. But the cameraman needs to stop moving so much. Just keep it wide, period.
Thanks, Alexandre. I have to laugh, since my wife was the camera person. How about I let YOU tell her that??!??
Brilliant photographer, just not exactly UA-cam quality aka short attention span.
Great instruction. It might be way better to shoot these videos yourself by locking down a couple 4K cameras, like a GH4, which allows you to punch in during post to show detail.
Your cameraman is ADD. Really distracting all the twitching and zooming in / out. Makes it look real amateur. Take off Auto Focus as well and use a wind screen on your mic and apply post processing the audio for clarity. You are over exposed by at least 2 stops as well so your head is a weird clipped yellow.
Don't mean to be a bitch but the video is not consistent with your very detailed / technical approach to image capture. Shoot me a message if you want help on your next vid - would do it for free to learn what you do.
Hi Zebulon:
I'm laughing reading your comments. I totally agree with them and really do appreciate your taking the time to critique this video. My reason for laughing is that the "pro" who did the video was my wife, who had never done this before (and, in fact, she DOES have ADD!!).
In fact, I would love to have help with video production, since I never shoot video, except on my iPhone every once in a while for my travel blogs. Let's correspond. Best thing is to go to my website (lesterpickerphoto.com) and get my email address. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Les
Lester Picker
Cheers!
For those out there who want to shoot this style of vid:
Use a multi-cam approach where you have 2 cameras locked down: one for the wide shot that is the main camera with the best direct wired mic audio (GH4), one zoomed in for detail of what you are explaining and the last one can be slowly floating around handheld (could be an iPhone) to add visual interest. Make sure all are recording audio then syncing them in FCP is a breeze with the MultiCam feature.
During your presentation make running notes of what you might want to have a close up of then shoot that right after your program to cut to during the edit. That way you in effect have a 4 angle presentation that can be shot and edited with a crew of one. For extra credit: record your audio to a Zoom so you have stereo for the ambient and direct wired mic for clear talent audio. You can mix to suit in post.
Oh and . . . a good video shoot starts with a good location. No direct sun and no wind ;-)
You disappointed. After all this watching for 15 minutes, you didn’t show your final output picture. We were eager to know how a multi row pano looks like. You made us fools and finally you didn’t show. For what this video? Lot of confusion. It took 10 minutes to explain about the tripod adjustment which is not practical to everyone to follow. I didn’t like it.🙃🎃
🎥 👍
Les talking...
In my humble opinion when I saw the title I was hoping you would teach how to take a multi row Panorama picture, but what I saw was a show off of accessories material and none technical camera settings.
Sorry to disappoint you, Hugo. Obviously no videoclip is for everyone. However, I would like to point out that this was not intended as a "show off of accessories." I use this setup every time I am on assignment. And, judging from the majority of comments here, most people were able to get something from the video. I'm hoping you do find instruction that meets your needs. I am also happy to answer specific questions you might have.
36 pixels lol
Hey! How about some better video production and planning. This is just painful to watch and listen to.
JB: Thanks for your comment. I agree with its pitfalls, although with 610 positive comments, 106 negatives, and 136,000 views it must hold some value for my viewers. In any case, be advised that we are in the planning process for better planned and professionally produced videos. This video was produced spur-of-the-moment as the opportunity presented itself, recorded by my wife. And, for your sake, I won't share this comment with her!! Best wishes for great panos.
Lester - class response. Not sure I would have been as kind and thoughtful as you were. Free is free..thank you for your time showing us a few tips!
@@roresteen Thanks for your support, Rob. I guess that's why Ben & Jerry's makes so many flavors of ice cream!