Hardware

hardware

What type of computer is usable

Almost any, as long as it is running some version of Windows, Mac O.S., Aqua or Linux. We recommend you to use a reasonably fast computer, since rewarping images and blending them are quite CPU intensive. A slower computer just means a longer wait, though.

Memory Matters

While a fast processor will speed up the creation of digital panoramas, memory seems to be the single most important hardware requirement. I've stitched 6 and 8 frame panorama's together with as little as 512MB when I had a 3MPix camera, but with my new 8MPix, I can't process more that 3 images with 512MB. Jumping up to 1GB of RAM let's me build and manipulate huge digital files. Remember, image manipulation software nearly always stores images in memory uncompressed, so my 3MPix images (2048 x 1536) take up 24MB of RAM.
Jeff 21:33, 7 Dec 2004 (EST)

Cameras

Currently content still on Camera Kits and Cameras pages

Lenses

Narrow lenses (field of view < 90 degrees) are often used to create high quality panoramas for print. Wide angle lenses are more often used to create lower quality panoramas for web display, etc. Popular narrow lenses
Popular wide angle lenses

Peleng f3.5/8mm	fisheye lens covering a 180 degrees field of view
Sigma f4/8mm	fisheye lens covering a 180 degrees field of view

Panoramic Heads

When combining multiple images, it is critical that each image be captured from the same point of view. This optical center of the lens is commonly called the nodal point, although it is more correctly referred to as the rear entrance pupil. The nodal point is located inside the lens; in the wide angle lenses used for panoramic imaging, the entrance pupil tends to be near the front of the lens.

A standard tripod mount rotates the camera around the mounting screw in the camera; the simplest nodal point adapter simply shifts the camera back to move the lens's nodal point over the axis of rotation. More complicated brackets allow the camera to rotate vertically around the nodal point around the nodal point as well as horizontally.

Flashes

Currently content still on Flashes page

Miscellaneous

Click here to see an alphabetical list of panorama related hardware manufacturers.