Fun with $200 Point and Shoot Camera & Photoshop's Panorama Functions

[Jeremy Ordan]

I don't know what is up with me and long thread titles lately...

Ever since I made the transition to the D200 I have missed having a small lightweight camera that I can take anywhere. This summer, while on a trip to Baltimore with my girlfriend, I purchased a cheap $200 Panasonic Lumix DMCLZ7 (in case anyone is interested). I figured it would be good to bring into the ballgame with a 6x zoom, mega OIS, and a f2.8-f4.6 aperture setting and then after the game I would give it to my girlfriend for her taking drunken pictures of friends.

While I have never been a fan of Ken Rockwell and his BS opinions he does have that infamous article on why camera doesn't matter.

Here is a panorama that I stitched with PS CS3's Photomerge automation using 12 images taken with this camera at the most recent disappointing loss of the Carolina Panthers (these are my season tickets in case anyone wants to buy a couple of games worth). These were just taken handheld by rotating my torso while sitting in my seat... hardly optimal shooting conditions. This is a $200 camera and the results are incredible (note: the original file was MASSIVE 147 inches by 40 inches after crop... this is shrunk to 10x2 & 72DPI)

Original just cropped and resized
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7852/1195172395.jpg

Overprocessed for fun
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7852/1195172424.jpg

Upon inspecting the full resolution versions, it is pretty sharp (I didn't apply any sharpening to these), and certainly sharp enough to print. I would say that upon close inspection that this $200 camera using the AUTOMATED IDIOT-PROOF stitch function in Photoshop is every bit as sharp as my $500 framed panorama of Yankee stadium I have on my wall.


Needless to say, I plan on bringing this point and shoot with me whenever the occasion merits something small that can fit in the palm of my hand. I like this little camera and it goes to show: just because you have a $1000 lens on a $1000 camera, sometimes you can get almost identical results with something that costs 1/10th the price :)

[Rick Meyer]

Hey Jeremy-

I really dig these shots...I keep meaning to consider taking some panorama shots...and now that I have CS3...I really should start playing around with this feature more. I'm impressed!

[egproductions]

Nice job.

Sharp lenses are easier to produce on smaller sensor cameras. Also the algorithms applied to the photos within a lot of consumer cameras include excessive sharpening.

Would it be ok to post a composite I did in this thread?

[Jeremy Ordan]

Would it be ok to post a composite I did in this thread?

By all means. I actually have a 27 image photomerge file of the charlotte skyline shot with my 17-55 f.28 on the D200.... it's awesome but just need to resize and what not.

[HorseFilms]

Very cool, Jeremy! I love being able to get good results out of inexpensive equipment.

[egproductions]

This was done with the rebel xt with stock lens. I threw on a polarizer and masked out the sky in post in order to lower the saturation of it. The original is a 41MP made up of 30 images. The final product has a reduce noise filter applied to make it match a 3d model that was made of the building pre-construction. There are a couple of small perspective issues and dare I say one larger one (my client hasn't noticed in fact they are in love with it and placed it on the cover of an offset printed progress report.) It might be one of those things only a photographer would notice.
http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7912/1195238859.jpg

[Rick Meyer]

Okay...I'm confused. I'm new to the stitching procedure and in fact haven't done it yet so I am a virgin to the possibilities. But, I usually think of stitching panoramas. Could you please explain the difference between this shot made with 30 images vs 1 image, yielding the same photo from the correct perspective? Its a great shot...I just dont understand the value of the stitch...is it to give it a very hi res?

[egproductions]

One reason is what you mentioned, which is the resolution for a very large print. Chances are that in the future they are going to display a mural of the building as it was when it was first built.


The real reason for it was in order to copy the 3d model of the building. I had to place head on to take the photograph. I couldn't move backward because there was a building behind me. Because I was so close I would have had to use the lens at 18mm which would have caused color fringing and converging of vanishing points which is what you typically want to avoid most in architectural photography. It basically accomplishes what a tilt ans shift lens would on a low budget. A wide shot would pronounced the perspective and low angle that I was shooting at. Heres a pic of the shot at 18mm. Notice how it looks more like a worms eye view and everything is converging.

http://www.dvxuser6.com/uploaded/7912/1195342316.jpg

[Rick Meyer]

Yes, oddly enough I do see that. However, slightly. Thanks for the explanation. Now it makes sense.

[alwayslearning]

I've not done this stitching thing yet. I'm intrigued by what you folks are doing and saying about it though. I found this tutorial I'm going to try: http://www.creativepro.com/story/howto/25060.html

Just thinking about it though, it seems that I would be able to get really nice exposure of individual parts of scenes and stitch them together where there is a high dynamic range? I'm going to play with that some.

Larry

[MattinSTL]

My cousin wanted to buy a p/s cam yesterday and based on Jeremy's results I talked him into going with a panasonic from costco. It was slightly bigger then some of the other options in that price range, but still very small. We went over to my brother's house with the new cam and got a criticism for not getting the tiny pentax p/s that he bought... so we got out both cams and took identical pics. It was no comparison... that little panny p/s is amazing. Even comparing the shots to my normal Nikon pics was a little shocking.

Moral of the story... it's better to have a camera even if you don't have the ideal camera... I did a gig recently where they told me to get 2 pics for the dvd surface and jacket... and I freakin' missed my opportunity because my dslr wasn't handy. I'm buying one of these things soon.

Have you guys seen that there are now p/s cams with 12+ megapixels? Is there even any point in that much res coming through a p/s lens?

[Jeremy Ordan]

Have you guys seen that there are now p/s cams with 12+ megapixels? Is there even any point in that much res coming through a p/s lens?

@ 10MP glass is outresolved, so 12MP is almost pointless except for cropping images.

That being said, these P&S cameras are great, especially after you have gone D-SLR and want something that is small, weighs nothing, and can have a 10x zoom.

Canon actually has some amazing cameras that are <$300 and have IS & 10x zooms. That's incredible.

[alwayslearning]

While I have never been a fan of Ken Rockwell and his BS opinions he does have that infamous article on why camera doesn't matter. I went and found that article you mentioned Jeremy. Thanks for mentioning it. I thought it made some very good points so I'm posting a link to it here.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/notcamera.htm

Larry

[Eastside Parkway]

I have never been a fan of Ken Rockwell and his BS opinions

That's sad that you think that. For the past few years I've based just about every photo purchase I've made on his advice. I think his opinions are very valuable.

[Wild Imagination Films]

I agree wholeheartedly with Ken. Equipment allows you to do only what you are able to do. Good equipment doesn't add to the difficulty level. However, I have captured some of my most pleasing images with my Nikon AF and the Petri before it. All my D50 does is let me capture images more easily. It has never taken a picture for me.

[egproductions]

Any camera won't take good pictures unless you know how to use it. With that being said:
you don't learn how to take good pictures on a consumer camera, they are counter-intuitive. Once you know how a good picture is taken, it's just a matter of figuring out how to do what you want using the p&s.