iPhone fisheye: unexpensive spherical panoramas

Written by Eric Rougier ,

-> Read the complete article & HOW-TO: iPhone fisheye, unexpensive spherical panoramas

Video : Make a hand-held 360x180 panorama in 3 mnts

Written by Eric Rougier ,

This video explains how to create a hand-held spherical (360x180) panorama in 3 minutes. No tripod, no pano head, no photoshop. Just a camera, a fish eye and your hands.



English soundtrack : View the video on YouTube -  Download the HD AVI video in ZIP
French soundtrack : View the video on YouTube -  Download the HD AVI video in ZIP

Thanks to J.B. and the PanoGuide forums for help, english translation and voice over.

View the panorama / Quicktime VR

The panorama render 5000 x 2500 JPEG

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Video : create a full Quicktime VR 360-180° in 10 minutes

Written by Eric Rougier ,

English soundtrack : View the video in a new window - Download the video in ZIP format

French soundtrack : View the video in a new window - Download the video in ZIP format

View the panorama / Quicktime VR fullscreen

The set of 8 photos used the video (4 Mo)
The panorama render 5000 x 2500 JPEG

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Basic information to create a clean Quicktime VR 360°-180°

Written by Eric Rougier ,

Basis

Hardware - Camera : Nikon and 10.5mm / Canon 1DS or Mark x DS and 15mm Sigma / Canon 20D and 10-22mm, Canon 5D x, etc. - Support : a panoramic head (Panosorus, Manfrotto, Kaidan, 360Precision...) - A good tripod

Nikon 10.5mm - Sigma 15mm - Canon 10-22mm...

Preliminary settings

- Photo : The camera must be set to manual mode for focus, exposure and white balance to avoid any offset of the point, light and color setting between images.
- Camera + head : Beyond the correct mounting of the head and camera on the tripod, you have to define the nodal point to get pictures that are easy-to-assemble.

Nodal point documentations

- Alain Hamblenne wrote a documentation on an adjustment method called "the grid":
http://www.outline.be/quicktime/tuto/ (available in english and french)
- Arnaud Frich is giving large details on the topic and on the ways to operate these different settings (french only):
http://www.arnaudfrichphoto.com/guide-photo-panoramique/point-nodal.htm
- Manfrotto also has a page dedicated to the subject:
http://www.manfrotto.com/303SPH/main.php?cnt=howto

Shooting 1 row of 6 horizontal pictures + 1 top + 1 bottom view the video There are many ways to "shoot" the bottom (nadir) : - 1 view by handholding the camera after taking good marks and placing yourself out of the shooting field. - 2 views with the camera inside the head, above the screwing joint of the tripod (add a logo to hide the remaining circle). - 2 views by making sure, if your head allows it, that the camera is outside the monopod if you are sure not to have problems with paralax and/or offset. - etc

Creating the bottom picture (nadir)
Whatever software you're using (Photoshop, The Gimp...), your goal is to stitch all 2 or 3 images to get a bottom image free of any part of the tripod/head.
[EDIT] You can now directly add the NADIR picture in PTGUI (or in some other softwares) to save more more time. All other steps in the video stay the sames.

Stitching
It can be done using multiple softwares with different processes, including:
- RealViz Stitcher : http://www.realviz.com
- PTGUI : http://www.ptgui.com
- PTmac : http://www.kekus.com/ptmac/
- Autopano Pro : http://www.autopano.net

Publishing (flat, Flash, Java, Quicktime VR, etc)

After stitching and rendering, the resulting image (spherical, cylindrical, etc.) can be displayed "flat" or interactively through the Flash, Java or the Apple's Quicktime VR technologies.

- Realviz Stitcher enables a direct Quicktime VR and and Flash rendering
- CubicConverter is an excellent conversion software: http://www.clickheredesign.com.au
- Flash Panoramas : http://flashpanoramas.com/player/
- Krpano Flash player : http://www.krpano.com
- Immervision Java and Flash Player : http://www.immervision.com

Enjoy your shooting...

Click to view the Panorama, Quicktime VR fullscreen (1.8 MB)

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Playing with the spherical head 360Precision "Adjuste"

Written by Eric Rougier ,

360Precision "Adjuste" clickstop	360Precision "Adjuste"

nadir Canon 5D/Nikon 10.5mm	nadir Nikon D70/10.5mm 360Precision Adjuste(-15°)	nadir Nikon D70/10.5mm

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A smaller hole on the nadir = less work in Photoshop

Written by Eric Rougier ,

Click to view the Quicktime VR (1)		Click to view the Quicktime VR (2)

Quality

There is almost no quality difference in the overlapping area with the zenith if you shot your pictures with a closed enough aperture, choose FINE or RAW as your saving parameters and with an angle allowing a good overlap.The following details are from a 'normal' render (0°) and a render with tilted images (-15°) of 10.000x5.000 pixels/Smartblend.

zoom (0°) - zoom (-15°)	zoom (0°) - zoom (-15°)

Horizon

The current available softwares (Stitcher, PTGui) allow to align a panorama with a single click.

Exemple and images

You can find here the final fullscreen Quicktime VR file and all the composing images
- Download the ZIP file 6+1+1/-15° (21 MB)
Note: The nodal point of my images is not really... not at all perfect :-)

Panoramas, Quicltime VR : Small nadir and Eiffel tower

Softwares

The stitching can be done with Stitcher Unlimited (http://stitcher.realviz.com), PTGUI 5.x (http://ptgui.com)..., etcYou can see here the four steps to create this panorama with Stitcher : from the loading of the 'fisheye' images, the automatic stitching and aligment, to the final render of the panorama (using smart blending option)

[1] Loading fiseye images	[2] Automatic stitching	[3] Aligment

[4] Result	[5] Rendering parameters	[6] Final render

Nadir Patching

The correction of the nadir can be done easier and quicker now. It's possible, if it doesn't have a lot of details, to use only the "patch" tool without using the 8th photo (often taken handheld). For more information, watch the video about the realisation of a Quicktime VR : Open the video in a new window - Dowload the video (ZIP 32 MB)

Hardware / Pano head

For all these tests, I used a Nodal Ninja 3 (http://nodalninja.com) panoramic head because it has a very small base. (Thanks to Bill Bailey for his help)

Nodal Ninja 3	Horizontale screw	Nodal Ninja 3 + Nikon camera

Pro • Not expensive $2xx • Light, small, compact & easily transportable • Very small 'click stop' base: 5 cm (see above)

Cons • Does not support Nikon D2X, Canon Mark II, DS, 1Ds, or similar sized larger DSLR’s

[EDIT] Check the Nodal Ninja for the new pano head : http://nodalninja.com

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Quicktime VR in 3 shots with a Nikon 10.5mm on a Canon 5D

Written by Eric Rougier ,

[EDIT] The Nikon fullframe cameras (x1 rather than x1.5) now allows to disable DX Lens recognition, like the Nikon D700 and the Nikon D3. Electronic AF and diaphragm coupling remain the same.

As a result you get a spheric view of three pictures, without having to shoot the zenith and nadir. After removing the Nikon sunshield, the angle covered is about 200° (!) on the Canon EOS 5D "fullframe" sensor.

This technique offers a lot of benefits and makes the life of the pan photographer easier, whether when shooting fast action scenes, or when shooting in reduced spaces or in difficult conditions. More than an 8mm fisheye, Sigma or Nikon, this lens associated with this camera give you original and high quality panoramas with less contraints.

Below are some Quicktime pictures assembled with PTMac, PTGUI or Realviz Stitcher.

Note: Be careful not to scratch the front lens (or worse) when attempting to remove a portion of the lens hood !

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Playing with the spherical head 360Precision "Absolute"

Written by Eric Rougier ,

pano head 360 Absolute

View the video (1 MB)

For most spherical heads on the market, setting the "nodal point" requires patience and a minimum knowledge. Even when it is set, vibrations, transportation, shocks... will make you the operation regularly (most of the time, when you do not have time to do so).
360Precision works on the opposite principle: it has been designed for a couple "camera body + lens". It has no customizable setting, apart from the spirit level. > view the video

Pro • Precise : vey, very precise • Compact, it can easily fit into a photo case / bag. • Resistent and reliable, it looks sound as a rock. • As it is preset, you only have to screw it on the camera Cons • Expensive : £520. But you'll find it more cost-effective than you think, compared to other heads of the same category.

Panorama, Quicktime VR : Paris, hotel de ville

View the panorama, Quicktime VR (1.8 MB)

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Quicktime VR : Nadir creation and patching with Photoshop

Written by Eric Rougier ,

Opening CubicConverter	Loading the image previously rendered in PTMac	Saving the side containing nadir with the "hole.

Opening Photoshop	Loading the Nadir with the hole from CubicConverter and the picture of Nadir made during the shooting	Assembling, placing and modeling the two images with the Warp module Edit -> Transform -> Warp

Fine placing and cutting	Correction of the density of the added central part. Note: You can set this correction in "grayscale" not to be influenced by colors	Color enhancement of the added central part

Editing of details and backup	Replacing the side containing nadir with the hole in CubicConverter	Final conversion in CubicConverter and saving as a Quicktime file and an image (TIFF, JPEG format...)

Quicktime VR "fullscreen" (1.3 MB)

Another instance made the same way (without any link to Paris, but fun and pretty technical :-). Note that the mirror on nadir has not been shot from the "nodal point", in order to avoid the camera to be reflected. Original idea: Marco Luethi : Panorama, QUicktime VR fullscreen (1.5 MB)

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Manfrotto 304 VR : a cool "do-it-yourself" panoramic head

Written by Eric Rougier ,

For years, I have been using for panoramic shootings a 303-Plus (+) head. I have decided to switch to a 303-SPH which is a very good choice to expand its use to Quicktime VR 360°/180° shootings. After a few days of use and tests (with all due respect for its manufacturing and design quality), a few issues appeared : Inaccuracy of the swing system : the system only holds marks for each degree to align by hand in front of a spot but there is no blocking mark. Reproducing 2 (or more) identical views is therefore impossible once the swing position has been changed. => replace by a thinner horizontal 300N or MA300.

Incapacity to separate the camera and the head then placing it back quickly without changing a bit the settings of its stand rail => add a 323 quick-release bracket. Incapacity to shoot a nadir (vertical) view outside of the tripod without changing the head or tripod configuration (if you can hold your camera with your hand, for a night-20-second-long exposure without moving, please contact the Guiness Book of World Records). => add a vertical 300N.

338 fine tunes and level

vertical 300N

The lens is too close to the tripod for vertical shooting =>vertical 300N: +15cm No micro-positioning plate for ultra-fine positioning as on the 303 Plus for instance No spirit level => add a 338 plate from my old 303 Plus (+) Relative elasticity of the main rail (which "crimps" a bit even with light cameras like Canon 20D, Nikon D70, etc. => screw the 357 from former tilt axis over the rail supporting the square

outside tripod rotation

quick release 323

View the video of the first test (3 MB)

The accessories available in the Manfrotto catalog allow to slightly modify a 303 SPH and avoid some of these issues. Add-ons include: 300N (x2), 338 plate, 357 rail and 323 quick release (see pictures above). This "304 VR" (with its imaginary reference) is indeed a simple DIY device, but it can now meet 100% of my needs for shooting 360-degree-views (most of which are night-shot landscapes).

Many Quicktime VR head models are available which will suit your needs and budget (less expensive and lighter than the assembly demonstrated above :-). Don't spend a lot if you just want to make a few tests or if this type of shooting is not an every-day practice. (see various models and links at the bottom of this page)
This configuration is more stable when used with cameras with no grip (avoiding to increase the distance of the offcentered weight of the camera).
The grip/screw under the head is the one from the original tilt axis of 303 SPH, kept to serve as a hold and to increase portability once the head is bent.
The parallax is not perfect on the view taken "outside" the tripod due to the extreme offcentered position of the camera regarding the tripod's central screw and to the flexibility of the support rail screwed on the 338 plate. The defect is minor (especially if you don't use the central part of the bottom image) and the pictures stitch pretty well in the various software.
HERE is an example of one QTVR with objects close to the lens.

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