This document discusses panoramic photography, including: 1. A brief history of early panoramic cameras from the 1840s onward. 2. The definition of a panorama as having an elongated field of view, typically wider than normal human vision. 3. Key aspects of shooting panoramas, such as using a panoramic tripod head, calibrating the no parallax point, and ensuring consistent focus, exposure, and white balance across shots. Specialized stitching software is needed to merge the shots. 4. Considerations for panorama output like projection type, intended display medium, and potential distortion depending on field of view. A variety of stitching software programs are

1. INDEX
1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............First Panoramas
2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………........PANORAMA: “Field of view”
3. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........................Shooting
3.1 The Challenge of Shooting Panoramas
3.2 Necessary Equipments for Shooting Panorama
3.3 Theorical Models
3.4 Preparation for Shooting
4. ……………………………………………………………………………………………….VR PANORAMIC TRIPOD HEADS
5. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..............CHOOSING LENS
6. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..........CAMERA SETTINGS
7. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..STITCHING
8. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….OUPUT
8.1 Internet or Printed Panorama?..............................................................................................
8.2 Projections Types.………..……………………………………………………………………………………………………
8.3 Virtual Diversity…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
9. Software

2. 1. FIRST PANORAMAS
One of the first recorded patents for a panoramic camera was submitted by Joseph Puchberger in
Austria in 1843 for a hand-cranked, 150° field of view, 8-inch focal length camera that exposed a
relatively large Daguerreotype, up to 24 inches (610 mm) long. A more successful and technically
superior panoramic camera was assembled the next year by Friedrich von Martens in Germany in
1844. As a result, the camera properly exposed the photographic plate, avoiding unsteady speeds
that can create unevenness in exposure, called banding. Martens was employed by Lerebours, a
photographer/publisher.
Because of the high cost of materials and the technical difficulty of properly exposing the plates,
Daguerreotype panoramas, especially those pieced together from several plates are rare.
Following the invention of flexible film in 1888, panoramic photography was revolutionized. Dozens
of cameras were marketed, many with brand names heavily indicative of their time. Cameras such
as;
 Cylindrograph,
 Wonder Panoramic,
 Pantascopic and Cyclo-Pan, are some examples of panoramic cameras.
1851 panoramic showing San Francisco from Rincon Hill
Center City Philadelphia panorama, from 1913.

3. View from the top of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Albumen prints, February, 1864
2. PANORAMA : “Field of View”
Panoramic photography is a technique of photography, using specialized equipment or software, that
captures images with elongated fields of view. It is sometimes known as wide format photography.
The term has also been applied to a photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio.
While there is no formal division between "wide-angle" and "panoramic" photography, "wide angle"
normally refers to a type of lens, but using this lens type does not necessarily make an image a
panorama.
The most important characteristic of a panorama is the large of view Wide angle of view are
produced in the digital photographic world using special cameras or special cameras or specific
shooting and image merging techniques.
Panoramic angles of view are typically much wider than the normal angle of view of the human eye.
In real world a viewer can only observe 360’ angle of view by physically turning around his/her own
axis.
3.1 The Challenge of Shooting Panoramas
Major aim, and simultaneously the greatest challenge, for every panorama photographer is capturing
a wide field of view.
The easiest way to understand how panoramas are made is use three theorical models
1. Sheet of Glass: The limit to conventional viewing lie at around 120’. This limit also generally
applies to conventional photographic techniques.
2. Glass Cylinder: Position of yourself in the center of glass cylinder. This type of image is
described as 360’.
Note: Problem; You cannot capture any objects positioned either above or below you.
3. A Glass Sphere: Position of yourself in the center of glass sphere. You can cover a horizontal
angle of 180’. This is the ultimate panorama and the resulting image is described spherical.

4. 3.2 NECESSARY EQUİPMENTS FOR SHOOTING PANORAMA
 Camera
 Wide lens – Fish eye lens
 Tripod
 VR Panoramic tripod head
 Spirit level
 Computer
 Stitching Software

5. 3. SHOOTING
Parallax, focus, brightness and Color Balance these are the most important points that you should
pay attention.
How can we locate parallax point you must simply locate the no parallax point your particular
camera/lens combination yourself by using trial and error approach.
Adjust your cameras position by using the adjustment plates on your VR Head until no more parallax
error occur.
Preparation
 Mount the camera on the VR head and adjust the right/left lens position until it is
exactly above the tripod’s central axis of rotation.
 Shift the camera along the forward/backward axis until the middle of the lens is
located roughly above the tripod’s axis of rotation. This is starting point fort the fine-
tunning that follows
 Find a scene that includes two clear vertical edges at differing distance from the
camera
 Set up your camera so that both objects appear to be lined up behind one another in
the viewfinder.
 Select your desired aperture and set the focal distance. Remember, the no parallax
point will change position according to selected focal distance.
 Check that you camera is perfectly horizontal using spirit level.
Calibrate the camera position;
 Observe the relative positions of the two objects in the viewfinder while rotating the
camera slowly to the left. If the more distant object appears to move to the left, the
no parallax point is further towards the rear of your lens the camera needs to be
moved forward. If the more distant object appears to shift to the right, the camera is
already too far forward and needs to be shifted backward.
 Keep trying until the two objects no longer shift in relation to each other when the
camera is rotated. You have now successfully located the no parallax point for your
camera/lens combination.

6. 4. VR PANORAMIC TRIPOD HEADS
A good VR panoramic tripod head enables you to rotate your camera precisely around its no
parallax point and also allows the camera to be tilted backward and forward to enable you to
shoot fully spherical 360’x180’ panoramas.
There are various different types of VR heads;
The 360’ Precion Absolute
The Dinaour Manfrotto 302
Head Modifications Manfrotto Lite
Hommade Aluminium L-plate
5. CHOOSING LENS
The choice of lens (fish eye or Wide Angle) depends on the use for the finished panorama. Low
resolution is often sufficient for panoramas shot for interactive display on a computer monitor,
whereas large format high en printed output usually requires the additional image data reserves
inherent in a more complex shoot.
For example: 16 shots with 12mm lens are required to produce the same result as six shots with
10.5mm fish eye lens.
Fish eye lenses
They are well suited to panorama photography, as they cover very wide angles of view and allow
you to shot complete 360’ panoramas using a small number of shots. A modern DSLR equipped
with a high quality fish eye lens can usually cover a 360’ field of view with four, five or six shots.

7. Choosing the Best VR Head for the Job
 Versatility
Will you be shooting single row or multi-row image sequences?
 Handling
Will you be changing cameras on the road?
 Precision
What subject are to be captured (architecture or landscape)?
 Portability
Where will you be shooting?

8. 6. CAMERA SETTINGS
A number of well exposed single images do not necessarily make a good panorama when they are
stitched together. A panorama must make a coherent overall impression and the automatic camera
functions that are such a great help when shooting single images are a problem.
A photo with a sharpbackground but a blurred foreground can not be stitched together with a
neighboring shot in which the camera focused an the foreground.
You should switch off autofocus while shooting panoramas in order to ensure that the focak distance
remains consistent if the focal characteristic of each shot are tos tay the same. This is the best
achieved by manually setting your lens to its hyberfocal distance.
Hyperfocal distance scales are very rare in modern autofocus lenses and they would be very useful
addition for every panorama photographer.

9. 7. STITCHING
Two neighbor images can not simply be pasted on top of each other due to the perspective it
changes from image to image. Solution is; using specialized panorama software. When we
use panorama (stitching) software to merge images into a panorama, the perspective of the
individual images and their position in relation to each other are altered so that the resulting
panorama image appears seamless to the viewer.
Being a Tailor
This process is like one performed by a tailor who chooses his materials carefully so that they
match and uses a pattern to cut , pin, and stitch complete item of clothing. This will help to
stitch our individual source images together to form the complete panorama.
“Our aim is make wearer invisible”
Just as individual steps a tailor makes are invisible tor he wearer, the basic processes
involved in stitching digital images are invisible to the software user.
What Does Stitching Software do?
 Firstly we should check the quality of each piece of material before using it.
 For satisfactory results; same thing should be true for panorama source images
 Each image must be taken from the same view point without parallax error.
 Also the focus gradient (influced by focal distance and aperture) must remain
constant and brightness and color temperature (white balance) should be the same
throughout the sequence.
 Even if these conditions are fulfilled, it is still virtually impossible to shoot a perfect
source image.
The necessary connection are either made by stitching itself or by other, specialized software
designed to correct optical anomalies.

10. Perspective
Panorama makers used an indirect route to reach their goal making multiple “normal”
images and distorting them appropriately so that they fit together with in the cylindrical
form. This is exactly method stitching software uses to merge multiple images into single,
digital panorama.
 Nikon users; The Nikon RAW converter, Nikon Capture Nx automatically corrects
chromatic aberrations when processing Nikon RAW image data.
Flat images distorted as if they were to be paste on the inside of cylinder or sphere.
This process determines not only the field of view but also the general looks of the
panorama.
(Add pictures for presentation)
Our pins: “Control Points”
This step will be performed fort he whole image sequence until all of source images are
sequence until all of source images “pinned” together. So, 360’ panorama until the two ends
of the cylindrical image meet.
Optimizer software compares all of the selected control points mathematically and
sastiscally, calculating the optimum position for all of the source images in relation to one
another. Most stitching programmes have blending, algorithms built in.
Post Processing
Well created panorama depends on success of merging. You can often witness that are
where straight lines or edges are not reproduced smoothly .These are usually due to wrong
alignment, imperfect corrections of optical anomalies or objects within the frame that
moved while being shot. (Like; people walking and clouds)

11. 8. OUTPUT
8.1 Internet or Printed Panorama?
We can use interactive QuickTime panorama format if we want to see our result on a computer
monitor. This way offersuch multifarious possibility for linking panoramas, text, and maps to form
virtual tours. It is really large subject but I will try to summarize important points here.
8.1. A - Viewing on Monitor
Suitable for viewing on a monitor is simplest form of panorama output; the scaled-down image file
for internet viewing of for sending as a e-mail attachment.
8.1. B - Printing
Displaying a panorama in printed form is the most complex and of course expensive form of
panorama output but also often the most visually appealing.
8.2 Projections
The projection type is important when you consider exactly how you would like to present your
panorama. The projection type determines what will be reproduced and how it will look like. The
general visual appearance and with the effect of the panorama on the viewer differs substantially
from projection type.
Panorama projection types are closely related to cartographic projection types. The major difference
between them lies in the fact that a panorama is used to depict the photographers immediate
environment not the entire world.

12. Comparison of the 3 Main Projection Types
Advantages:
1. Flat Projection:
Perfect for reproducing fields of view up to 90’x90’.
Well suited to architectural photography. Straight lines reproduced in a rectilinear way familiar to the
human eye.
2. Cylindrical Projection:
For angles of view of up to 360’ horizontally, and 90’ vertically.
The curving of straight lines is unusual but interesting.
The greater the vertical angle of view, the more stretched is the final image.
3. Spherical Projection:
For angles of view of up to 360’ horizontally and 180’ vertically.
The curving of straight lines is unusual but interesting.
Default projection type for flexible multi-format reproduction/display.
Good basis for output as interactive panorama.
Disadvantages:
1. Flat Projection:
Distortion that appears for field of view greater than 120’x120’ is generally too severe.

13. 2. Cylindrical Projection:
The distortion produced by vertical angles of view greater than 120’ are no longer acceptable.
The curvilinear appearance of straight lines can appear unaesthetic.
3. Spherical Projection:
Extreme distortion towards the poles.
The curvilinear appearance of straight lines can appear unaesthetic.
Panorama can appear compressed in the middle latitudes.
8.3 Virtual Diversity
The projection type can, however still be altered after a panorama has been rendered. For example,
a spherical panorama can be converted to a flat or cylindrical panorama using tools.
Theoretically, transforming one projection type into another is a loss-free process-at least in the
cartographic world where reproduction is based on vector data. However transforming projections
always leads to a loss of the rasterized pixel data that makes up a digital image. Also it is possible
preserve more image quality if you select your desired projection type before you render your
panorama.

14. 9. SOFTWARE
Some background knowledge helps us to avoid making basic mistakes from the outset or at least
allows correcting mistakes effectively during stitching process.
Stitching software is available in many forms free, highly specialized open source algorithms right up
to complex software suites that offer functionality way beyond the stitching process.
Most programs offer free downloadable test versions and most are supported by internet forums.
These days there are a multitude of stitching and viewing programs available.
-Panorama Tools, is basically a loose collection of software tools designed to distort, correct, align
and transform digital images for the specific purpose of creating digital panorama with best results.
Problem is tools themselves are not easy to operate don’t have user graphical interface. Before start
you need background knowledge.
-PT Gui (Panaroma Tools Graphical User Interface introduced in 2000) and PTMac (Panaroma Tools
for Apple Macinosh-2002) are both based entrirely on Panorama Tools and are stiil clearly related to
the original program.
-Realviz Stitcheer (called Auto Desk now) probably was first available modern spherical panorama
stitching program with user friendly GUI.
They demanded perfect parallax correction and exposure as well as good composition on the part of
photographer in order to produce error-free panoramas.
All modern programs can easily handle simple situations in which a panorama tripod head and a long
lens with no distortion are used to shoot a subject with obvious , easily-overlapped features. The
situation becomes more complex when the photographer user extreme wide angle or fish eye
lenses, or when the frame includes objects at close distances or if the sequence is shot with little or
no regard for the no parallax point.
Every photographer shoots different subejts under different conditions and the results must be
judged in context. If you are shooting in studio, moving vehicles people or clouds are not a problem,
where as object at multiple distances can be troublesome. On the other hand , if you are shooting a
broad landscape, you probably have no parallax problems, but are more likely to encounter
differences in the color of the sky between shots, or to have problems with moving clouds or trees.

16. Up till now : Pros and Cons
About Shooting Process
 It is mostly impossible that shooting without special panoramic tripod head to see
seamless results.
 If you planning to work outside, you must consider weather conditions.
 There mustn’t be any moving objects (cars, people, clouds, birds…)
 Nearest object should be at least 5mt far away from camera. (Otherwise it will caused
perspective problems)
About Equipments
 Nodal Ninja the special head for panoramic tripod head has a lot of advantages. One
of them is ; plates which provides you by difference shooting choice. Owing to these
little plates you can decide how many image you take.
 Camera settings are also most important point to have best result. That’s why you
must check it before each shot if you use it in manual mood.

17. SOURCES:
Tools: http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm
Output: http://www.hdrsoft.com/
Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography, WOESTE Hararld.
Panoramic Heads : http://www.chem.uky.edu/xray/people/Parkin/panohead/panohead.html
History of Panoramic Photography : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoramic_photography

18. SELEN GÜRÜN
RECEP EMRE KOCA
Media Technology - Media Distribution /FHV /2011