Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Hi all:
These are my VR tools:
1. Canon 400D
2. Sigma 8mm f3.5
3. Manfrotto 755B MDeve
4. 360Precision Absolute Head
5. PTGui 8
No matter what settings I try, I still cannot produce high resolution VR with my Canon 400D and Sigma 8mm.
1. Is a Full Frame Sensor Camera such as Canon 5D Mark II NEEDED to produce high resolution VR?
I know that with Full Frame Sensor Camera, one only needs to take 4 shots: 3 around with 1 zenith and later just patch the nadir with logo.
2. Does a Full Frame Sensor Camera produce images that are much EASIER to stitch compared with those produced from Cropped Sensor one?
I am still in the process of learning to get the best VR results from my equipments.
In a few months, I plan to do HDR VR professionally for hotels, resorts, and commercial buildings.
If you have any advice on how to produce high resolution VRs, please share with me.
Thanks!
David
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by aaronspence on Wed, 2010-03-17 07:01.G'day Dave,
A full frame sensor isn't needed to produce high resolution... although I'm not sure what high resolution figure you're looking for, or what pixels size you're getting with your current setup.
Ptgui in the 'Create Panorama' stage has a 'Set Optimum Size' option which will give you an idea of the maximum pixel resolution you can get from your given camera/lens combination.
You will get higher resolution when using a larger focal length lens, which will also require you to shoot more images. eg I used to shoot with a Nikon D200 10Mp + Nikon 10.5mm full frame fisheye lens. 6 horizontal shots + Zenith resulted in a 10,600 x 5,300 pixel file.
Thanks,
Aaron Spence
http://panedia.com
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by davidsunrise on Wed, 2010-03-17 15:32.G'day Aaron in Gold Coast, Australia:
Thank you for your sharing and information! I appreciate it.
Out of my curiosity, I checked your truly amazing portfolio (mostly outdoor):
http://www.worldwidepanorama.org/worldwidepanorama/wwppeople/html/AaronS...
And this interactive map is just what I want to be able to develop:
http://maps.panedia.com/?pano=2756&mt=s&zoom=-1
I will have to learn more about tweaking the Google map.
From the number of panos that Panedia produced, I assume you guys spent very little time in post-production, maybe it's like batch-stitching? If that's so, your equipments must be consistently leveled and perfectly precise in their settings.
By the way, these are examples of high resolution Panos that I want to be able to make:
http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/cockpit1.htm
http://www.gillesvidal.com/rue89/airbusA380.htm
I wonder if Gilles Vidal panographer is using 1x Crop Factor camera such as Canon 5D...
To produce that kind of detailed pano, do we need a camera with 1x Crop Factor or the 1.6x Crop Factor one will do just fine? If 1.6x Crop Factor will do the job well, what kind of recommended settings to use? I did try many settings and all failed in producing the desirable quality like the one made by Gilles Vidal.
To make VR of moving object (people), I think a 1x Crop Factor camera can minimize the ghosting effect greatly as one needs to take only 3 shots around as opposed to 4/6 shots around. Is this a correct assumption?
Based on your experience, what's the best fisheye lens for Canon for producing high resolution detailed VR?
Sorry for so many questions...and thanks for your time to read them.
Thanks,
David
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by Aldo Hoeben on Wed, 2010-03-17 16:37.The biggest reason photographers like Gilles use a fullframe camera is that they perform a lot better at high ISO (low light) with (relatively) fast shuttertimes.
Shooting-wise (number of shots, speed of shooting) there is not much (if some) difference in shooting with an 8mm fisheye lens on a cropped sensor vs using a fullframe sensor with eg the Nikkor 10.5 or the Tokina 10-17mm.
Last time I saw Gilles in action, he was using a Canon 5D with Nikkor 10.5. But that was 1.5 years ago. Here are the panoramas he was shooting then:
http://sziget360.com/archives/photog/Gilles+Vidal
It would not surprise me if he uses a 5D MarkII now.
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by Doug Aurand on Wed, 2010-03-17 17:05.David
What do you consider "high resolution"?
I use a Canon XTi/400D, Sigma 8mm f/3.5, Nodal Ninja 3 and PTGui 7.3 and can get Equirectangular Projections a little over 8000 x 4000 pixels.
This size is fine for full-screen viewing.
Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by Virtual Tours N... on Fri, 2010-10-22 04:23.I agree with Doug but....
Isn't it better to reduce the higher resolution raw files you get from a full frame sensor camera to the size you want, rather than reducing the lower resolution raw files from a cropped frame sensor camera to the size you want?
Perhaps no one can tell the difference between your panos made from lower res raw files now, but just take a look at a seven year old web site with seven year old panos made from a seven year old Minolta 7Hi digital camera. http://www.virtualtoursnewfoundland.com
Yikes!
Greg Sparkman
Virtual Tours Newfoundland
Phone: 709-739-0199
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by Doug Aurand on Fri, 2010-10-22 16:20.Greg
While I suspect David made a decision a while ago, his question is too simple; Full Frame Sensor vs Cropped Sensor
Currently you can buy a Canon 5D MKII with 21mp or a Canon T2i with 18mp, using fisheye lenses that ptoduce an image thats 180° diagonally, they would be so little difference in the resulting virtual images it would be hard to justify the 300% difference in price.
There are other benefits from the 5D like the improved performance in low light like Aldo mentions and I think full frame sensors tend to have less noise if I recall.
But there are a lot less expensive ways to get more resolution than a camera full frame sensor.
David needed to let us know what level of resolution he wanted and we could answer his question better
Douglas Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
Re: Full Frame vs. Cropped Sensor Camera
Submitted by James Neiss on Sun, 2010-10-24 14:13.I don't know what your skill level is, but one other thing to consider are your post production practices. Most of my stitched images look like crap until I tone and apply unsharp mask to make them pop in photoshop.
I shoot with a nikon D300 and noticed that my nikon 10.5 glass is much sharper than my Sigma 8mm.
Jim Neiss
Web: http://downtown360.com
Email: jneiss@downtown360.com
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