debbie-joy
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Registered: 8 Feb 2006
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I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 8 Feb 2006 at 2:58 GMT
updated: 8 Feb 2006 at 2:59 GMT
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Hi All,
I have read so much about panorama's on various websites now that I am more confused than before. 
I'm in Australia and would like to create 360 degree panorama's (both indoor and outdoor), but don't know where to start.
I don't own any equipment (except a computer, XP and photoshop 7). I've worked with SLR's about 10 years ago and would like to buy something mid range (I don't think I could afford the pro gear).
What do I need and what model do you think I should start with:
Tripod?
Spirit-level?
Camera?
Lens or lenses?
Software? eg. Skypaint? Panotools?
Anything else?
I don't know what goes with what. And is it a catch 22? Do I start with the camera and lens and then chose the software or is it the other way around?
Please help.
Thanks in advance,
dj 
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VRobject
Posts: 145
Location:
Registered: 10 Feb 2005
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 8 Feb 2006 at 12:57 GMT
updated: 8 Feb 2006 at 13:01 GMT
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Hi,
You should start by choosing a camera and a lens …
One of the best solutions for panoramic photography is the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens + Nikon D200 (or the D70s, half the price of a D200) … 6+2 pictures are enough for a 360° pano.
You also need a panoramic head: Manfrotto/Bogen, Agnos, 360Precision etc. and a good tripod.
Software: PTGui works great with the 10.5mm lens – www.ptgui.com
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debbie-joy
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Registered: 8 Feb 2006
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 9 Feb 2006 at 22:13 GMT
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Hey VRobject,
That's great! I really do appreciate the prompt feedback and excellent information. (I'm surprised that with all the pano buffs on here noone else was able to share their product knowledge)...
Thanks for your help!
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NYCreate
Posts: 496
Location: North Yorkshire & Northern England, United Kingdom
Registered: 21 Aug 2005
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 0:33 GMT
updated: 10 Feb 2006 at 0:35 GMT
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If you just starting out there are many camera lens combinations to consider..
If you want dslr then take you pick. a popular one besides the D70 is the Canon 350d. And common a lens besides the 10.5mm nikon is the sigma 8mm. This lens give a wide field of view so technically you can do a ful spherical image with 3 shots.
If you want to go for a cheaper option then the nikon coolpix cameras are a very good choice (8400, 8700, 8800) using the FC-E8 or FC-e9 nikon fisheye lens'.
Software wise, I highly recommend PTGUI from www.ptgui.com.
Although the software looks very daunting at first its quite easy to pick up and EXTREMELY good value for money. It seems to take anything you throw at it. It will produce all types of pano's including full spherical.
Tripod. A good sturdy tripod is essential (unless your a pro like andrey) Manfrotto is a popular choice.
Pano tripod head. Take a look at www.agnos.com, All you need for almost all camera combinations.
Obviously these are just suggestion so up to you where you go and what you choose, but good luck and welcome the world of pano's!
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Algenon
Posts: 135
Location: Australia
Registered: 29 Jun 2004
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 5:49 GMT
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Hi,
one of the most popular lenses for producing panoramas (NO apostrophe needed here!) is the Nikkor 10.5mm. This allows 7 or 8 shots in total to produce the 360.
Cameras nowadays are disposable so I would suggest a Nikon D50. This has better dynamic range that both the D70 and D100.
A good tripod is helpfull.
A means of rotating the camera is also helpfull, but if you are shooting outdoors scenes, particularly with any action, then the tripod and rotator will often be unhelpfull.
So I would suggest;
Nikon D50
Nikkor 10.5mm lens
This tripod
www.feisol.com/3402.htm
This rotator with a 24 click base
www.stereoscopy.com/jasper/panorama.html.
Software should be PTGUI.
There are many helpfull people on this site, in particular you should look at the help pages from John Haughton. Much can be learned from him.
To see some stunning hand held 360s look at some of Andrey's work.
The pano head that I suggest will not suit some of the purists, but it works very well indeed and is easy to carry and setup.
Don't get off you bike because those in other time zones are slow to offer help. It is also true that your question comes up ALL the time. A look back over other posting can be helpfull.
Kind regards ........... Algenon
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John Houghton
Posts: 3487
Location: Hitchin, United Kingdom
Registered: 17 Jan 2005
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 9:29 GMT
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The Jasper link above doesn't work because of the surplus stop character at the end. Should be:
www.stereoscopy.com/jasper/panorama.html
Debbie, you don't have to go out and buy all the kit at once in order to start making panoramas. The first decision will be the camera and lens. The main contenders here are the Nikkor Sigma and Peleng 8mm fisheyes and the Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye. Which of these you choose affects the choice of camera: Nikon D50/D70 etc, or Canon 350D etc. There's a very useful comparison review of the Nikkor and Sigma lens by Michel Thoby at
minilien.com/?4Jk5eiYswp
There are other possibilities too. You might see what other people are using by visiting the World Wide Panorama site where there are a large number of panoramas displayed together with details of the equipment used:
geoimages.berkeley.edu/wwp/index.html
PTGui, already recommended, is an excellent stitcher, and will do everything that you want. Pano2QTVR is free and will generate the cubic QTVR file.
You don't need anything more to start to learn the art of producing 360x180 panoramas. I produced this one with just a hand held Canon D20 + Sigma 8mm:
homepage.ntlworld.com/j.houghton/barfordb.htm
However, for easier stitching, a tripod and panorama head are a good idea for outdoors, and a virtual necessity indoors to avoid parallax errors with nearby objects. There's a huge range of tripods available, and nearly all will do the job. It's a question of balancing weight, size, sturdiness and cost. There's no reason why you should not have two tripods: a light portable one, and a heavier more rigid one when you have the car. The Manfrotto 755B is quite nice, with its levelling head built in, but heavier than the Feisol suggested by Algernon.
A panorama head is perhaps the most difficult choice. Many people start off with a home made head. It's not difficult to make a simple bracket that holds the camera in portrait orientation with the entrance pupil of the lens in line with the tripod axis of rotation. I made one for zero cost using a short length of wood and an old flash bracket. It works perfectly well. Commercial heads are more complicated and cumbersome because of the need to accommodate a wide range of cameras and lenses.
A lot depends on how many panoramas you are planning on making and what for. Are you wanting to produce dozens per week of adequate quality in a commercial venture, or a relatively small number of high quality panoramas on a more casual basis?
John
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flatron
Posts: 10
Location:
Registered: 22 Nov 2005
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 14:31 GMT
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really usefull info here guys, thanks
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eagle
Posts: 80
Location: Kona, Hawaii,
Registered: 16 Jan 2006
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 15:20 GMT
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I have the Jasper panohead. It's good but I have since replaced it with an agnos. Much much better results with it.
r,
eagle
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debbie-joy
Posts: 3
Location: Australia
Registered: 8 Feb 2006
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 10 Feb 2006 at 23:35 GMT
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Brilliant answers guys...I'm very impressed, thx so much. I will ask the guys here at panoguide to maybe put together a variety of 'start-up' kits for beginners, including a selection of camera makes and models, tripods etc, with the links to your websites above for further details. This would not only save us beginners confusion, but also free up the forums!  Anyway, I appreciate all of your indepth answers, I now feel confident I know what I'm looking for. It's time to go shopping for equipment! Cheers! dj
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Gede
Posts: 44
Location: Alkmaar, Netherlands
Registered: 19 Jan 2006
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Re: I'm new to pano's...I need your help...where do I start?
Posted: 11 Feb 2006 at 5:00 GMT
updated: 11 Feb 2006 at 5:03 GMT
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The ideal start-up kit...
My wifes Sony-Ericsson handphone and PTGui
Its downsized from about 6500x2500 pix wide to 500x118..
Still about 220 deg x 30 deg and shot by hand !
regards,
Bert
www.bali3d.com/
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