MP Panorama Exposure Control

[LarryM]

I've just uploaded my panorama photos from a recent trip and noticed many of the panorama sets are overexposed compared to single photos and movies where the auto exposure mode usually gives me a good picture. I need to go back and try to learn just how the Mavic does the panorama camera setup, but in the meantime can anyone suggest a workflow for making good panorama shots?

 

[Rbruz]

I just shoot 100% manual then stitch them in photoshop

 

[BossBob]

When taking panoramic shots with a dslr the recommendation is to set the exposure for the subject deemed most important and fix it there. You’ll get some under and or over exposure but it will be correct for the chosen subject.

 

[LarryM]

For stitching panorama photos I've used these programs:
DJI phone app - seems to only use low res pictures and only load to Skypixel Website
DJI Media Maker program - does ok job with stitch but that's about it
Lightroom - usually does a good job
Hugin (open source) - has a huge amount of versatility but I've only started trying to use this program.

Here's a 34 photo merge out of Lightroom
View attachment 20181014-0902-PANO0001-Pano.jpg
There are still a couple smudged areas in the stitching, but my big problem is that I've lost almost all of the overcast sky detail (I think because the sky photos were overexposed).

Incidentally, Hugin (and Lightroom) can merge HDR renditions so I might solve my problems by taking several sets of panoramas at different exposures.

 

[Constant Drone]

When taking a panorama you are exposing the film plane to a wide range of different values of light. So while the ends of the panorama looks to be a perfect exposure the center can be over exposed due to camera facing into the sun at this point. Most panorama cameras will capture a perfect exposure at the start of the photo and the camera holds that exposure through the whole shot so if light values change as the camera rotates the final product will suffer. Experiment is the best solution. Or shoot on a cloudy day when all light values are equal.

 

[Julio9956]

When taking a panorama you are exposing the film plane to a wide range of different values of light. So while the ends of the panorama looks to be a perfect exposure the center can be over exposed due to camera facing into the sun at this point. Most panorama cameras will capture a perfect exposure at the start of the photo and the camera holds that exposure through the whole shot so if light values change as the camera rotates the final product will suffer. Experiment is the best solution. Or shoot on a cloudy day when all light values are equal.

Or maybe add an ND filter.

 

[LarryM]

I definitely need to pay more attention to how I set up the Mavic panoramas. This cloudy day the auto expose on a single shot picture used an exposure of 1/2400 sec, f 2.2, ISO 100 and the same shot in the panorama sequence used a shutter speed of 1/1200 sec. I was using a ND8 filter but as some of the panorama sky pictures had shutter speeds up to 1/4000 maybe a darker filter would have given better cloud detail. I think my approach will be to try to make sure I use a manual fixed exposure and also to take two or more sets of pictures with different shutter speeds - as backup and also to use for HDR composites. Here's a Hugin version of the above panorama set.
View attachment 20181014-0902-PANO0001-PANO0034-B.jpg

 

[Constant Drone]

A ND filter would help when the camera points towards the bright spot but then the other areas would be too dark.

 

[genesimmons]

the best thing u can do for good panos is use litchi, i dont use dji go for panos, it takes them way to fast and i have had the props in the shots and as u mentioned it can screw up exposres because it taks the photos to fast, litchi allows u to choose how much time bewtween shots so it can focus properly and meter the light properly, yes its slower but u will have an even exposed pano in the end, also litchi allows u to choose how wide u want, 90-180-225 degress or anythng in between, dji u cant, u can also adjust how many rows and how many pics per row, dji again cant do that, litchi is the king of panos in my mind, i then merge all the raw files in light room

 

[lertsek]

I've been having good luck with just pointing the drone towards the sun and then adjusting the shutter speed to remove all the zebra stripes except over the sun and bright clouds and take the first picture right at the sun. Here is a flattened pano sphere stitched and edited using the free ICE app.

 

[Armand V Cpt]

I always manually took photo’s with my P4 Standard and stitched them afterwards in Affinity Photo. Got really great results. I learned to lock your exposure on the frame of importance (mostly the middle one) and then I sometimes drop the EV a click or two darker if I know the sun will be in one of the frames. As long as you lock the exposure. I recently upgraded to a MPP and love the Pano modes.

 

[Bhally]

I do mine manually too with my MP put the camera into "portrait" and manually do my settings so they are fixed then they are stitched in Lightroom seems to work out OK.

 

[unboxing_indonesia]

Never set automatic, always use manual setting