memories from Prague (August 2008 - Panotools)

[Valentin Arfire]

hello friends

Lately I've decided to finish the panoramas I took in august 2008 in Prague when participating to Panotools meeting (by the way, this year promises to be an excellent one organized in Plymouth by my friend Ian Wood - don't hesitate to ask and maybe we'll meet there).

here are a few from Prague, a wonderful city that I'm not sure I did any justice in my pictures

http://www.360cities.net/image/6-aug-2008-ciprian-and-marinela-prague#117.61,5.14,49.9

http://www.360cities.net/image/ciprian-and-marinela-prague-square#252.85,-21.75,28.3

http://www.360cities.net/image/5-aug-2008-prague-vltava-terrace#308.60,3.30,70.0

http://www.360cities.net/image/6-aug-2008-prague-astronomical-clock#0.00,0.00,70.0

http://www.360cities.net/image/3-aug-2008-prague-cathedral#43.50,0.90,62.6

http://www.360cities.net/image/4-aug-2008-prague-under-charles-bridge#55.50,10.90,70.0

http://www.360cities.net/image/8-aug-2008-prague-night-view-from-the-charles-bridge#287.50,7.00,70.0

 

[Asher Kelman]

http://www.360cities.net/image/6-aug-2008-prague-astronomical-clock#0.00,0.00,70.0

Individual cutouts from your panos are great ways to enjoy these panos. I like the way you have reflections in the base of the sphere.

There are so many wonderful memories of Prague. I stayed in a hotel just of the square in front of the Astronomical clock.

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

thank you Asher

thank you for the interest and the kind words;
I am sure the photographic quality of my work has improved in the last 2 years and I'll do my best to continue this.

The Prague is fascinating indeed - one can find interesting things at each corner

 

[Asher Kelman]

Valentin,

I do think that you might consider making one flat picture crop from each pano to interest flok to see the work you do. It's like a shop window.

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

I hope you and others may enjoy those images

 

[Valentin Arfire]

and those

 

[Asher Kelman]

Valentin,

how do you make these wonderful "orange peel" extractions from your spherical panos? What software does that?

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

usualy I use pano2vr, but there are also other programs that stitch different projections - like PTGUI or hugin

 

[Rachel Foster]

This one is especially enchanting. The sky looks ethereal.

 

[Valentin Arfire]

thank you Rachel for the interest and the kind words; often the story behind the photo equals it in interest ...

So on this one along with the numberous Germans, Englishmen and Americans who were enjoying a beer, I tried to take a look at the sunset after a brief shower - the reason for the picture's clarity

Smetana was absent and - my fault - there was only one yellow boat on Vltava at each moment, but since I took several shots, it appears like rush hour on the river

 

[Asher Kelman]

usualy I use pano2vr, but there are also other programs that stitch different projections - like PTGUI or hugin

Rectilinear cuts I understand. But which software allows one to unwind the sphere and get the sine wave curve as you have shown such as this interesting unwound sphere!

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

I strongly recommend this program
http://gardengnomesoftware.com/pano2vr.php
it makes a lot of projections with pictures

 

[Asher Kelman]

That's excellent software. Can one export the selected portions to a simple TIFF?

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

it is really a versatile and very intelligent program dealing with panoramic projects
here is a link with film tutorials where examples are explained

http://gardengnomesoftware.com/tutorial.php

and along with your favorite photo-editor (Photoshop, Corel, The Gimp) will make an unbeatable pair

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

That's excellent software. Can one export the selected portions to a simple TIFF?

Hi Asher,

One of several input projections is equirectangular (the elementary panorama projection on the surface of a sphere), and one can convert to, amongst others, rectilinear (like what our flat sensors record). The Pano2VR program is intended to manipulate 360x180 degree panoramas, and convert them to virtual reality Flash or Quicktime images, but it could also be used to produce (rectilinear) partial images (although the original pano stitcher would be a more obvious program to do that with).

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,

One of several input projections is equirectangular (the elementary panorama projection on the surface of a sphere), and one can convert to, amongst others, rectilinear (like what our flat sensors record). The Pano2VR program is intended to manipulate 360x180 degree panoramas, and convert them to virtual reality Flash or Quicktime images, but it could also be used to produce (rectilinear) partial images (although the original pano stitcher would be a more obvious program to do that with).

Bart,

I like the idea of being able to get an interesting area from the projected sphere and make them rectilinear. I kep finding interesting portions of Valentin's panos that I capture n part with screen capture but would love a better way.

I'd like to take pictures of spheres with the 8mm Sigma as Nicolas Claris does and then be able to extract particularly interesting views I wouldn't normally be able to capture so easily.

Asher

 

[Valentin Arfire]

hi Asher

here is a picture made with 8mm Sigma on crop sensor

http://valentin.europhoto.ro/transfer/photo_8.JPG


and one on fll frame with 10-17 tokina (at 17mm)

http://valentin.europhoto.ro/transfer/photo_09.JPG

the images are CA corrected

one needs to use a stitching program like PTGUI or open source hugin to extract different projections.

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Bart,

I like the idea of being able to get an interesting area from the projected sphere and make them rectilinear. I kep finding interesting portions of Valentin's panos that I capture n part with screen capture but would love a better way.

Hi Asher,

Well, when one already has the original pano-tiles then it's easier to use the panostitcher software to extract rectilinear excerpts from it.

I'd like to take pictures of spheres with the 8mm Sigma as Nicolas Claris does and then be able to extract particularly interesting views I wouldn't normally be able to capture so easily.

One doesn't need a circular (on a 35mm full-frame sensor) fish-eye lens to construct a virtual reality 360x180 degree panorama, although it does require fewer tiles to get it all. I've settled for a full-frame (non-circular) 15mm Canon fish-eye for relatively fast captures of decent quality. While it requires more tiles to complete a full 360 degree view, it also gives a higher resolution (due to higher magnification) for subsequent manipulations than the circular alternatives. For even hgher quality one needs to use longer focal lengths (rectilinear designs) yet. It's a choice between aquisition speed and quality, so nothing new.

A good pano stitcher such as PTAssembler can convert the specific lens design projection (equisolid fish-eye, for the Canon EF 15mm) to retilinear. PTAssembler can distinguish between 2 possible Fish-eye lens designs (equisolid and equidistant), not all stitchers can make that distinction.

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Asher,

Well, when one already has the original pano-tiles then it's easier to use the panostitcher software to extract rectilinear excerpts from it.



One doesn't need a circular (on a 35mm full-frame sensor) fish-eye lens to construct a virtual reality 360x180 degree panorama, although it does require fewer tiles to get it all. I've settled for a full-frame (non-circular) 15mm Canon fish-eye for relatively fast captures of decent quality. While it requires more tiles to complete a full 360 degree view, it also gives a higher resolution (due to higher magnification) for subsequent manipulations than the circular alternatives. For even hgher quality one needs to use longer focal lengths (rectilinear designs) yet. It's a choice between aquisition speed and quality, so nothing new.

A good pano stitcher such as PTAssembler can convert the specific lens design projection (equisolid fish-eye, for the Canon EF 15mm) to retilinear. PTAssembler can distinguish between 2 possible Fish-eye lens designs (equisolid and equidistant), not all stitchers can make that distinction.

Cheers,
Bart

I was just thinking of using the 8mm Sigma because Nicolas uses it for small spaces and it allows a good work flow in covering a lot of small spaces for a virtual tour.

I have to buy a new 15mm fisheyes as unfortunately it was stolen at a wedding last year, LOL!

Asher