Straightforward, but this was confusing in #9.
"... take a photo, and turn the camera left or right, not the drone, just the camera, take a photo, ..."
A couple of photography questions
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"... take a photo, and turn the camera left or right, not the drone, just the camera, take a photo, ..."
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I got the hover, the yaw will need the dictionary. I am glad I got this now as it will give me plenty of time to practice before my holidays.
It means to turn the drone left or right.
It's very simple
Start at one side of your intended panorama, take the first image *click*, turn the drone leaving a generous overlap, *click*, turn further and *click*.*click*. etc.
Stitch the images to create the panorama.
And once you master the basics of a simple panorama like that. it's not much harder to go large like this 3-row grand panorama, where I shot the top row from left to right, then right to left for the centre row and back from left to right for the bottom.
As well as side overlap, you have to make sure that the rows overlap top/bottom too.
When stitched that comes out like this:
As well as side overlap, you have to make sure that the rows overlap top/bottom too.
When stitched that comes out like this:
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Those are stunning; however, @Jug's Life said he moved the camera not the drone.It means to turn the drone left or right.
It's very simple
Start at one side of your intended panorama, take the first image *click*, turn the drone leaving a generous overlap, *click*, turn further and *click*.*click*. etc.
Stitch the images to create the panorama.
He did and it confused everyone, because that's not what you do.
You have to move the drone to move the camera.
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That's interesting the way you did that. You took the photos in landscape rather than portrait and stitched them as a montage rather than a panaroma. The stability at 0.8 is incredible. I don't think any in camera stabilisation would be that good. For a camera I would think that would be a tripod only.
It's just a normal 3-row panorama.
I used landscape mode because the Mavic 3 pro (like most DJI drones) doesn't have the option to roll the camera to portrait mode.
13 of the shots were at a full one second.
Only five shots were at 0.8 sec.
Having still air helps and I pause each time after moving the drone to make sure it's at rest for the shot when I'm shooting at night.
I've shot hundreds of panoramas with the Mini 3 Pro. The in-drone stitching would have been amazing a couple of decades ago, not so much now.
For stitching I use PTGUI, which is expensive but excellent. My version is old (like my computer) but I've used it for years so more than got my money's worth.
ptgui.com
There are free options such as Hugin, and inexpensive programs such as Panovolo (developed specifically for drones) that I'd try if my computer was modern enough to run it.
www.panovolo.com
When shooting panoramas I mostly use the panorama mode on the drone, making certain I'm saving the individual images as well as the stitched image. Depending on the scene I might use auto-exposure or I might fix the exposure (and shoot several panoramas to HDR merge).
For single shots I save JPEG+raw, and usually shoot exposure bracketed.
I shoot a lot of 360° panoramas, so if you have questions about those I might be able to help.
www.360cities.net
For stitching I use PTGUI, which is expensive but excellent. My version is old (like my computer) but I've used it for years so more than got my money's worth.
Photo stitching software 360 degree Panorama image software - PTGui Stitching Software
PTGui is image stitching software for stitching photographs into a seamless 360-degree spherical or gigapixel panoramic image
ptgui.com
There are free options such as Hugin, and inexpensive programs such as Panovolo (developed specifically for drones) that I'd try if my computer was modern enough to run it.
PANOVOLO : Panorama Stitching Tool for Drone Photography
PANOVOLO is a panorama stitching tool designed specifically for drone photography. Use it to create beautiful panoramas in seconds.
www.panovolo.com
When shooting panoramas I mostly use the panorama mode on the drone, making certain I'm saving the individual images as well as the stitched image. Depending on the scene I might use auto-exposure or I might fix the exposure (and shoot several panoramas to HDR merge).
For single shots I save JPEG+raw, and usually shoot exposure bracketed.
I shoot a lot of 360° panoramas, so if you have questions about those I might be able to help.
Robert Prior, Panorama photographer | 360Cities
360° panorama photographer from Canada, North America. Robert Prior is an amateur photographer whose fascination with 360° panoramas honestly has not...
www.360cities.net
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As I have the Mini 3 Pro I have the option do portrait mode once I learn how to fly it. I am not sure i will ever get the level of stability you got on that shot to stitch 18 photos together.
if it makes you feel better, you have zero control over the "level of stability" of your drone. It only depends on wind speed/gusts and whether visual assist camera sees stable landscape under the drone.
Your Mini 3 Pro is pretty stable. If you are high at 120 m you will not notice any parallax error. If you are low you might if you are close to something and you take a while to shoot the panorama.
I suggest you use the automatic panorama modes. The drone will take the pictures as fast as it can which minimizes time to drift (only noticeable if you are low and close*) and for the light to change and clouds to move (more noticeable). The only downside is you then have to wait for the drone to stitch the images to make its own panorama (which you are going to ignore). The upside is that while the drone is taking the pictures you can be focused on flying rather than photography (situational awareness is always a priority).
If you are shooting a panorama manually the trick is to only yaw the drone — only left/right stick — and use the gimbal. And leave 1/3 to 1/2 overlap between images.
(This is one reason I use the panorama mode. I've shot manual panoramas since the 80s, and I still sometimes miss a frame when shooting, especially if I get interrupted by a higher-priority task — and flying safely is always a higher priority than getting a picture, so scanning the sky and locating where that engine noise is coming from will always trump remembering where I am in the panorama sequence.)
If you are just starting out and don't have software that will handle panoramas for you then I suggest you look at Panovolo — download the free trial and see if you like the user interface and the results.
If you want a cheaper alternative to Photoshop, I recommend Affinity Photo. Most of the functionality of Photoshop for a much cheaper one-time price. Currently on sale for 30% off, too. I have the full suite (Photo/Designer/Publisher) and am very happy with them.
Best Photo Editing Software | Affinity Photo
The first-choice photo editor of millions of photographers, artists, and other professionals around the world – try Affinity Photo for free today!
affinity.serif.com
*I usually shoot three, sometimes four, spherical panoramas when doing my 360°s. This takes a few minutes, and during that time the drone sometimes moves a bit. Not much, maybe a metre, but enough for parallax error to be visible if I'm close to something. And more obvious on a day with gusty winds. (Higher speed but steadier winds have less drift, which is why I don't believe that the only factor affecting stability is drone speed — response time also seems to be a factor.) I've learned that in those conditions I should shoot a quick panorama using automatic exposure mode first, then shoot my bracketed panoramas.
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Thank's for the very detailed reply. Does the in drone stitching give the same resolution as taking the frames separately? When my fuji x-h1 does the stitching in camera the resolution is dire. I have a copy of photoshop which my daughter is good at using. Perhaps when I get brave I will try and fly as high as 120m. I understand what you mean about parallax error. I was hoping to try to fly this afternoon after work but the wind was too strong, 20mph gusts, for me to practice. Tomorrow morning is looking good but I am going out tonight and by the time I am compus in the afternoon the wind will be back up to 20mph, Sunday is just as bad. Where I live in London there is plenty of room to practice, but because the space is so big, when there is wind, it will always be a problem. I would need to go to the park for a bit of shelter.Your Mini 3 Pro is pretty stable. If you are high at 120 m you will not notice any parallax error. If you are low you might if you are close to something and you take a while to shoot the panorama.
I suggest you use the automatic panorama modes. The drone will take the pictures as fast as it can which minimizes time to drift (only noticeable if you are low and close*) and for the light to change and clouds to move (more noticeable). The only downside is you then have to wait for the drone to stitch the images to make it's own panorama (which you are going to ignore). The upside is that while the drone is taking the pictures you can be focused on flying rather than photography (situational awareness is always a priority).
If you are shooting a panorama manually the trick is to only yaw the drone — only left/right stick — and use the gimbal. And leave 1/3 to 1/2 overlap between images.
(This is one reason I use the panorama mode. I've shot manual panoramas since the 80s, and I still sometimes miss a frame when shooting, especially if I get interrupted by a higher-priority task — and flying safely is always a higher priority than getting a picture, so scanning the sky and locating where that engine noise is coming from will always trump remembering where I am in the panorama sequence.)
If you are just starting out and don't have software that will handle panoramas for you then I suggest you look at Panovolo — download the free trial and see if you like the user interface and the results.
If you want a cheaper alternative to Photoshop, I recommend Affinity Photo. Most of the functionality of Photoshop for a much cheaper one-time price. Currently on sale for 30% off, too. I have the full suite (Photo/Designer/Publisher) and am very happy with them.
Best Photo Editing Software | Affinity Photo
The first-choice photo editor of millions of photographers, artists, and other professionals around the world – try Affinity Photo for free today!
*I usually shoot three, sometimes four, spherical panoramas when doing my 360°s. This takes a few minutes, and during that time the drone sometimes moves a bit. Not much, maybe a metre, but enough for parallax error to be visible if I'm close to something. And more obvious on a day with gusty winds. (Higher speed but steadier winds have less drift, which is why I don't believe that the only factor affecting stability is drone speed — response time also seems to be a factor.) I've learned that in those conditions I should shoot a quick panorama using automatic exposure mode first, then shoot my bracketed panoramas.
There is an SD card in the control and drone, should I load both?
Thanks
Just for clarity, you don't need to fly at 120m to get great panoramas. As long as the focal distance of your photos is at infinity or near infinity ( and with a tiny sensor anything over 20m is already at infinity) everything will be fine. And even a bit of parallax is not a problem in most cases.
Ideally stitch on your computer, the in-drone stitching does reduce the resolution and overall qualify.
Ideally use raws or jpeg+raw for best quality.
You only need SD card in your drone, that's where photos and videos will be stored.
Also, we've got some (hopefully) helpful tips:
www.panovolo.com
Ideally stitch on your computer, the in-drone stitching does reduce the resolution and overall qualify.
Ideally use raws or jpeg+raw for best quality.
You only need SD card in your drone, that's where photos and videos will be stored.
Also, we've got some (hopefully) helpful tips:
How to Record and Stitch Drone Panoramas : Panorama Stitching Tool for Drone Photography
How to Record and Stitch Drone Panoramas General tips for recording drone panoramas Safety First: Always prioritize safety and legality when flying your drone. Familiarize yourself with the local regulations and guidelines. Location and Subject: Choose a captivating location and subject, keeping...
www.panovolo.com
@mrfish, when you're exploring panoramas, don't let the better be the enemy of the good. You can certainly get much better results using individual photos and stitching them yourself. But, the panoramas stitched by the drone are pretty darn good. And they're more than adequate for sharing on phones, tablets, and computers with less than wonderful graphics capabilities.
I'd suggest shooting some automated panoramas on your next flights, after the wind settles. I can almost guarantee that you'll be stunned with the results and you'll have some good fun, too.
I'd suggest shooting some automated panoramas on your next flights, after the wind settles. I can almost guarantee that you'll be stunned with the results and you'll have some good fun, too.
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Hi
In the end I didn't go out last night, so I got up this morning for a play. I was surprised how easy it was to get the basics of flying. I took 4 photos that I stitched together in Photoshop, I only used the jpegs, not the raw files. I was surprised that the final size after cropping was only 10mb.
Any and all constructive criticism greatly appreciated.
Would I be better to start in the middle and then work left and then right or do it as a sweep from left to right? This was done as a sweep from left to right.
Untitled_Panorama-1 by william Heron, on FlickrIt's always better to start at one end and pan across toward the other.
It makes it easier to keep track of your overlaps.
the jpegs your mini3 shoots may be half the linear resolution of dngs. 4000x3000 dng, 2000x1500 jpeg. No idea why dji does it in some drones.Hi
In the end I didn't go out last night, so I got up this morning for a play. I was surprised how easy it was to get the basics of flying. I took 4 photos that I stitched together in Photoshop, I only used the jpegs, not the raw files. I was surprised that the final size after cropping was only 10mb.
Any and all constructive criticism greatly appreciated.
Would I be better to start in the middle and then work left and then right or do it as a sweep from left to right? This was done as a sweep from left to right.
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