DennisS
Posts: 1292
Location: Los Anglels, United States
Registered: 1 Sep 2007
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Batting Cages
Posted: 8 Oct 2011 at 2:43 GMT
updated: 8 Oct 2011 at 2:45 GMT
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Sony NEX-5, heavily modified Samyang 7.5, mini NN3 and a monopod. 4 around (+5 degrees), 1 sun flare patch (+45 degreed) and 1 hand held Nadir.
www.dlsphoto.net/BattingCages/Panorama.html
I picked this spot because there was detail to be found all around. Large patches of blue sky will always stich without issue. A breeze was blowing, so you will see mis matches in some of the netting. I could not get the entire batting cage facility to hold still for 2 minutes. I think there was also some dust on the lens.
This is as good as anything I can get out of my D300/Sigma 8mm.
Comments, both positive and constructive are always welcome and encouraged.
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John Willetts
Posts: 259
Location: Bath, United Kingdom
Registered: 13 Mar 2008
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Re: Batting Cages
Posted: 8 Oct 2011 at 10:07 GMT
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I absolutely agree with you - and just think what the results with the NEX-7 are going to be. I'm selling my D300 in part-exchange for the Sony.
One problem however: NX2. Does anybody know of a work around to fool NX2 that AWR files are NEF?
And what modifications have you made to the Samyang?
John
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DennisS
Posts: 1292
Location: Los Anglels, United States
Registered: 1 Sep 2007
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Re: Batting Cages
Posted: 8 Oct 2011 at 18:28 GMT
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John,
I would not get rid of my D300. The D300 has a wider bracketing range, better low light quality and it works correctly with any of my countless Nikon lenses. I use f5.6 on the Sigma lens, so lower light panoramas will be easier to get when compared to f11 on the Samyang.
For cycling and hiking, I use the NEX due to it's very easy to pack and carry size.
All modifications to the Samyang lens have been discussed at great length by Smooth and me in previous posts. I will summarize here.
I took the lens apart to:
1) Shave the hood
2) Remove all the shims under the lens mounting flange.
3) Face off .012" from the inside of the mounting flange (the thickness of the thickest shim).
4) Drill 3 small holes into the adapter (using the mounting flange as a drilling template) so I could bolt the adapter directly onto the lens.
I also turned down the OD of the NEX/MFT adapter so I could use a ring clamp.
This lens was never designed to be used on the NEX. With the NEX/MFT adapter, the lens will not focus to infinity. I had to remove all the shims and shave down the mounting flange in order to achieve focus at infinity.
Maybe you could sell your D300 to somone here for the same price the camera store is going to give you in trade in on the NEX?
Dennis
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Smooth
Posts: 3773
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: Batting Cages
Posted: 8 Oct 2011 at 21:13 GMT
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Hi Dennis,
Certainly a challenging spot to shoot a panorama. The netting, like tree leaves blowing in the wind will always be an issue when it comes to stitching and a great way to demonstrate the +45 degree shot to deal with the sun flare mark, as you can't simply clone and heal it away. Though we do see an obvious difference in sharpness on the netting.
The panorama is a very high contrast scene and not so pleasing to my eye. The shadows are far to black and dark even on items close to the lens. It just doesn't look natural to me. This could be corrected by reprocessing in ACR.
I do wonder if you had shot 6 around instead of 4, if you would have needed the +45 tilt shot? Or if you would have had enough overlap to mask it out? I simply haven't had the time to get and play with the Samyang on the NEX since my last offerings.
Regards, Smooth 
www.omnipix.com.au
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DennisS
Posts: 1292
Location: Los Anglels, United States
Registered: 1 Sep 2007
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Re: Batting Cages
Posted: 9 Oct 2011 at 0:18 GMT
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Smooth,
One thing I discovered today is that unless you are dead on with the sun in the exact center of the picture, you will get unsightly flare. It does not matter how many shots around you take, you will get an ugly sun picture.
This shot has the sun just slightly (and I mean slightly) off center. It gets worse the more off center you get.
If you take the camera off the mount and aim it directly at the sun (focus assistant helps out a great deal here) and take a picture, you have a very nice looking sun that can easily be patched in.
So much for my 45 degree theory.
I went back and took a look at other panoramas shot with the Sigma 8mm. The Sigma is much more forgiving and does not produce flare the moment you are just a little bit off center. The Samyang seems to be very bad with lens flare. It is just a matter of figuring out how to deal with it. The Sigma gives a small flare at the bottom of the picture. I usually hold my hand out to block the sun, then take a second picture. I use the second one to cover up the flare in the final pano. Looks like taking a hand held picture of the sun is the way to deal with the flare of the Samyang.
Dennis
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