Did my first aerial panorama

hexacop

hexacop

HexaCop
Sure the Gopro is not the best choice for panoramic images but it works reasonably well.
This is my workflow for aerial panoramas:

  • Lift off the copter at preferred height of 40-160m
  • Enable GPS Position Hold
  • Observe the Jetibox display and rotate the copter in 90°steps, trigger the camera and take 4 pictures (i.e. at 0°,90°,180°,270°)
  • Tilt the camera to -90° and take the nadir picture
  • Land the copter and turn it off
  • Manually take 4 sky pictures at ~ 0°,90°,180°,270° pointing the camera up around 70° plus one additional shoot straight up 90°
Start PTgui

  • load only the aerial images
  • Set Optimizer to Heavy + lens shift and enable the option automatic exposure mode
  • Align Images
  • Now you should get a spherical panorama (without the sky) You can further add CP and optimize it until you get the expected result. You may also want to mask out some parts of the pictures which should not be visible.
  • After you are satisfied with the above load 4 sky images and move them manually to the proper position. Usually the Sunlight will give you a very good idea where to place them.
Generate the image and you should get something like this:

<object classid="clsid<img src=" http:="" www.multirotorforums.com="" images="" smilies="" biggrin.png"="" alt="" title="Big Grin" smilieid="3" class="inlineimg" border="0">27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" id="_360_krpano_id_103241" name="_360_krpano_name_103241" width="600" height="400">
<embed src="http://www.360cities.net/javascripts/krpano/krpano.swf" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="autohigh" flashvars="pano=http://www.360cities.net/krpano/external_embed/gopro-hd-aerial-panorama.xml&epd=http://www.360cities.net/data/embed/plugin_data/gopro-hd-aerial-panorama" height="400" width="600"></object>
Gopro HD aerial panorama in Oberbayern

If you want to produce good quality panorama like the one below, then you will need a better camera and some fisheye lens. This panorama was done with Panasonic GF1 and 8mm Lumix lens.

<object classid="clsid<img src=" http:="" www.multirotorforums.com="" images="" smilies="" biggrin.png"="" alt="" title="Big Grin" smilieid="3" class="inlineimg" border="0">27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" id="_360_krpano_id_971515" name="_360_krpano_name_971515" width="600" height="400">
<embed src="http://www.360cities.net/javascripts/krpano/krpano.swf" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" quality="autohigh" flashvars="pano=http://www.360cities.net/krpano/external_embed/olympiapark-aerial-view.xml&epd=http://www.360cities.net/data/embed/plugin_data/olympiapark-aerial-view" height="400" width="600"></object>
Olympiapark Aerial View in Olympic park
 

Gunter

Gunter

Draganflyer X4
Hexacop, thanks for the insight. I have the new camera now, so I am going to try a panorama this weekend, hopefully the weather is good.

On another note, you are from the part of the world where I go every August, there is a little Stadfest in Arnstorf which I attend with my friends to enjoy some German Weissbier :)

Gunter.
 



B

broadwing

Member
pano's

Gunther,
Nice view from Scotland.

For those pano's we use Canon 500D with 8 mm lens = 6 photo's. Carrier heavy Hexa with MK and 2826.
The hight of this one was 80 meters. Loaction Utrecht, netherlands.

I also have a Gopro set but no priority at this moment. We need time for Video see Show what you have filmed. There is also small behind the scene of that Hexa.

When it will be good weather, clear, w've planned to test 120 meters height. Does someone here experence with that???

Feedback would be great,

Rgds
Koos Maring
 

hexacop

hexacop

HexaCop
What is your opinion on this rig with 6 Hero2 Cameras?
Right now experimenting to shoot 360° video but it is also a great one shoot solution for aerial panoramas...
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Gunter

Gunter

Draganflyer X4
hexacop said:
What is your opinion on this rig with 6 Hero2 Cameras?
Right now experimenting to shoot 360° video but it is also a great one shoot solution for aerial panoramas...
Click to expand...

You should be able to do this with 5 cameras. The gopro can capture from the horizon all the way down to the nadir. You also have to wire up a bespoke camera trigger, but a good alternative because it captures everything in one shot.

Regards, Gunter
via the Samsung
 
Last edited by a moderator:

hexacop

hexacop

HexaCop
Yes you are right 5 cameras would be enough for pictures and panorama photography, but I want to do 360° Video ;-) There the resolution is different and you need 6 cameras.
 




ChrisViperM

ChrisViperM

Active Member
Don't know about your exact set-up and equipment you have on hand, but he SONY NEX5 got a panorama-sweep feature....should be possible to set the camera on ground to shoot in panorama mode, get up in the air and after remotley triggering just jaw the Copter slowly. I use this feature a lot on the ground with really good results. Since it is done "freehand" in a swiping motion it should also work on a Copter.

Chris
 

B

broadwing

Member
Hi Chris,

our setup, heavy hexa (2826, 14"props) with rotating Canon 500 with 8 mm lens.

i think you will never get a straihgt horizon with sweep function. We make 6 foto's in 2 a 3 sec. so almost no difference in light.

The most pano's are made at 100 meter height. Not easy to control.

This proces goes also very good making new sky on the jpg.

Just try your method perhaps new insight.

rgds
Koos
 

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