Why you need a dedicated camera for panoramas at all

Demand for panoramic photography keeps rising. It is not simply that the results are beautiful and let photographers realise what they had in mind aesthetically. Panoramic images of this kind can only really be viewed on a computer, where the full capabilities of a modern graphics subsystem can be used to display them. Spherical projection introduces a certain amount of distortion into the scene, and presenting that elegantly in print is all but impossible. Handled well, though, it can produce a genuine sense of standing right there in front of the image.

The panoramic camera matters enormously, and the experience of a wide range of photographers demonstrates it convincingly. Even fairly seasoned enthusiasts, perfectly comfortable operating a camera, can run into trouble with panoramic work. The reason is straightforward: not only the absence of habit and specific skills, but inadequate hardware. The problems show up as:

• stitching seams;
• badly blown highlights;
• a tilted horizon.

Alongside the necessary experience, built up gradually, you will also need equipment from the leading manufacturers. Gear from lesser-known brands may well perform at the level of MiJia bodies and lenses - but take my word for it, better to play safe and buy equipment of known quality. Besides the camera for shooting panoramas and a lens, you will also need a tripod and a panoramic head. In theory any model of either will do. As one old photographer used to say, "you can take a good picture with a tin can." It is only a question of quality and of how comfortable the work is, particularly for beginners.

Adjustable focal length turns out to be a serious advantage even for a reasonably experienced amateur. It means a single lens can produce both quick panoramas and highly detailed ones running to between 8 and 12 frames. In other words, one kit is enough to handle a range of photographic problems. The head should come with an adapter that lets you shoot the nadir; without one, that shot is considerably harder and you end up improvising.

There are no particular requirements for tripods. That said, the heavier and more stable the support, the easier the photographer's job. Only a substantial base will offset the load of camera and head combined. Tripod height matters just as much. Even where there are no bushes, parapets or other obstacles in the way, it is well worth presenting the image as though seen through the eyes of a notional observer - and for that the lens needs to be at least 1.5-1.6 m off the ground.

Further considerations for panoramic equipment

This way of shooting largely assumes manual mode and working in RAW. The conclusion is obvious: those are precisely the functions that need to be implemented flawlessly. Focus settings are found by trial and error, and the easier they are to change the better. If you are likely to shoot often in dim locations, the camera's ability to suppress noise becomes critical. White balance is less decisive, though that comes down to the taste of the individual operator.

Besides a good camera, panoramic photography normally involves a remote release. If the frame is taken without touching the camera or the tripod directly, the risk of blur is reduced to a minimum. Some photographers work around not having a remote by using the self-timer, but that only works with a well-drilled team on location. Another option is a cable release.

Consumer photographic equipment is, in principle, capable of shooting a spherical panorama. But only in principle. In practice it usually produces a low-quality image at low resolution, and the whole appeal of this kind of photography evaporates immediately. On top of that, the sensor cannot cleanly handle sun-filled windows, light sources and other bright points; they come out as blown-out patches.

Rescuing that in post is essentially impossible, which is exactly why you end up taking a lot of frames and combining them afterwards. There is, of course, equipment that will capture a panorama at the press of a single button - but it is extremely complex and expensive, and used mainly by professionals. Even for amateurs, we would not recommend economising too hard: the results are often dispiriting.

Lenses for panoramic photography

These are chosen first and foremost by angle of view. Wider coverage means fewer frames are needed for a good panorama. Suitable options are:

• wide-angle zooms at the short end;
• ultra-wide-angle models;
• fisheyes.

It is the fisheye specifically that lets you get away with 3 to 8 frames. By comparison, a typical 18 mm kit lens calls for three rows of shots with 12 positions in each row - and those still have to be supplemented with the zenith and nadir. A photographer choosing a 17 mm ultra-wide will need 18 shots in total. Importantly, none of this depends on which particular 360 panorama camera is paired with the lens, whether that is a consumer digital compact or thoroughly modern professional equipment.

But not all fisheyes are alike. A full-frame fisheye produces images that fill the frame completely, with the diagonal corresponding to a 180-degree field of view. Focal length varies between 15 and 16 mm, though on APS-C sensors that figure becomes 10.5 mm. Circular models do not cover the whole frame area but produce a circle within which the field of view is roughly 180 degrees in any direction. Their focal lengths correspond to 5.6-8 mm, or 4.5 mm.

What else to know about the 360 panorama camera, and other details

A spherical panorama can be shot with any DSLR or mirrorless body. A spherical panorama camera does, however, impose certain requirements on sensor size and characteristics. The larger that sensor, the fewer frames you can get away with for a given lens. Higher resolution improves the sharpness and detail of the panoramic image. These general statements only hold completely under one important condition, though: that everything else is entirely identical. In real photographic practice, a weaker sensor can to some degree be compensated for by increasing the angle of view - which is why there is no sense in claiming the job can only be done with high-end, expensive equipment.

Having settled one aspect of the camera for a 3D tour, we should return to the lens. Its critical parameter, as already stressed, is focal length. Shortening it widens the view and reduces the number of frames needed to cover the full sphere.

The question may arise as to why telephoto lenses are used at all, rather than only fisheyes. The answer is clear enough: a "photographic eye" with a focal length beyond 100 mm loses out badly on convenience - you need hundreds of frames - but in exchange it pushes the sharpness of the finished image to its limit. Significantly, even within one and the same class, the characteristics of individual lenses show through very strongly.

Any shortcoming makes itself felt immediately, whether that is poor sharpness, colour casts or flare. Unfortunately, anomalies like these cannot always be smoothed away even with painstaking work in a graphics editor. The conclusion is as clear as a good lens: choosing the glass needs to be at least as meticulous as choosing the body, and you will need to assess how it performs across different settings.

The third component, the panoramic head, does not deserve to be thrown overboard either. This positioning device provides accurate rotation around the no-parallax point, also known as the nodal point. If that rotation is properly calibrated, the final scene will compose well afterwards. Get it wrong and the flaws appear immediately - even careful assembly will leave a pile of mismatches behind. The more straight lines and bands you shoot, the more sharply those defects show. Any kerb, windowsill, car body or other straight edge will instantly betray a photographer who did not prepare properly.

Most people prefer universal heads, because they are very convenient for building multi-row panoramas. If you know for certain that you will only ever shoot with one specific lens, a single-row head is acceptable. But even once you are used to one, trying something new and running experiments of varying boldness is entirely reasonable. When choosing a head, pay attention to the length of the arms as well. Manufacturers usually state whether their product is intended for small or large cameras, or else list compatible models. The lower rotator should be limited in cross-section, with no protruding parts, since those will get in the way of shooting the nadir. Another important factor is the maximum load rating: it should exceed the mass of your shooting equipment, so that pressure accidentally applied from above is not fatal.

Tripods are chosen according to the weight of the equipment in use. For the same reason as in the previous point, allow a safety margin of two or even three times. But a tripod also has to cope with vibration, because otherwise you can forget about sharp images. One more detail is the optional fitting of different feet onto the legs, which lets you work more confidently on every kind of surface. As for carbon, metal or wooden tripods, there is essentially no difference between them - simply pick a model to suit your taste and your wallet.

Article by Ekaterina Mazurova

See also:

• ​Shooting spherical panoramas with a DSLR or mirrorless camera
• DSLR versus a 360 camera: which is better for shooting interior virtual 3D tours?
  
• The best 360 cameras for shooting virtual tours in 2019
  
• Equipment for shooting 360° spherical panoramas and virtual tours