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Tech cam stitching workflow?

triangle

Member
Hello

I've recently had the chance to shoot three images (12mm shift either side of centre) using my Alpa STC, Rodi 32mm and IQ260. So far, I haven't done any shift work with my Alpa, just single images. However, it has only just occurred to me that I don't actually know how best to put these images together into a single image ie. the best workflow. I have my LCCs and use Capture One and Photoshop on Windows. Is anyone able to point me to a workflow description - I'm not even sure what point I apply the LCCs, if I just develop one image in C1 and then copy the settings to the other two and so. Yes, very new to this and not having much luck finding an answer here or elsewhere on the net.

Ty in advance

Andrew :)
 

jagsiva

Active member
Hello

I've recently had the chance to shoot three images (12mm shift either side of centre) using my Alpa STC, Rodi 32mm and IQ260. So far, I haven't done any shift work with my Alpa, just single images. However, it has only just occurred to me that I don't actually know how best to put these images together into a single image ie. the best workflow. I have my LCCs and use Capture One and Photoshop on Windows. Is anyone able to point me to a workflow description - I'm not even sure what point I apply the LCCs, if I just develop one image in C1 and then copy the settings to the other two and so. Yes, very new to this and not having much luck finding an answer here or elsewhere on the net.

Ty in advance

Andrew :)
My workflow is:

a) C1 - LCC, Exposure, WB, sharpness, noise for all images. Do as much of the adjustments needed here as possible as you are working on the RAW files. fixing exposure etc. later in the converted file leads to typical PP issues (banding, artefacts etc.)
note: copying and applying settings from one image to the rest is a good start, but does not always work, especially for WB.

b) PS or AutoPano - Stitching. The simple "realign" images choice works best.

c) PS (rarely) for Nik or On1

TIPS:
a) I find getting exposure balanced across the images is quite easy. However, WB can be a pain. In some rare cases, I have found it near impossible.
b) In cases where you have shifted too much into the limits of the lens' IC, banding may occur on the LCC application, even into the areas that were within the IC. In these cases, I find that cropping the image and the LCC (copy and apply the crop so it is identical), prior to creating and applying LCC helps a lot.

I cannot express how much I'd like to see stitching supported in C1. I'd like to be able to stitch my RAW files and my LCC files. Perhaps in C1P 10!

PS. In the example you have above, you can reduce the effort with just two shots. No need for he centre shot.
 

jagsiva

Active member
If not every frame shares the same white spot (for WB picking tool), how do you align WB?
This is exactly the issue. I have found that even balancing on the same point across multiple frames, sometimes (admittedly quite rare) still does not balance.

One could try a gray card in each frame, although i have not tried this myself...but not sure how this would be different from selecting the same point in the scene on multiple frames.

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium-...elp-wb-exposure-when-shifting.html?highlight=

OP sorry for derailing this into a discussion on WB :) But as you can see, there is a lot of black magic in this stuff.
 

Jamgolf

Member
I second Jagsiva's choice of Autopano Pro for stitching.
Infact I entirely agree with whatever he said.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
WB can be controlled well in C1 especially on a 12mm stitch as that only has about 20% or so of new image area. The bigger issue on the 32 Rodie will be the need for a CF on the stitches as the light fall off is still considerable. Not to mention the mustache distortion. (items on the edge get shorter and fatter). No way I know of to fix the distortion.

For the WB, I tend to use C1 to get a WB off a rock or other object in the image, setting my WB, then coping those setting to the other two images. This gets you in the ball park, you may need to tweak it slightly.

You can also use the WB tool in C1 and WB the LCC's. LCC's can show the effects of filters, or if you shoot into the sun, or on a sunny day, they can take on a yellow cast. When this occurs I always just use the WB tool in C1 to click on the LCC and get a grey point. You can also set this same grey point on your files as a starting point. For my work, Phase One in the daylight WB setting on the back always loads the files at 5000K (I can't remember where the tint starts), and I most times will move off of that to a cooler setting. However with the excellent controls in C1 in the local adjustments, most times I will tweak WB in the files with adjustment layers, i.e. for sky, water, trees etc. This process takes more time in processing, but the control you have with C1 to me is worth it.

CC does a very good job of WB balancing in it's auto pano structure, and Ptgui and Kolor also do. The main area that I find that WB can cause problems, is a sky, where the shades of blue will change a bit when shifted. But again, the modern stitching software can do excellent work. I have run thousands of images this way, and the end result works for me. The

My work flow is the same as jagsiva.

Working up the 3 images in C1, and their apporpriate LCC's Many times I will work up the center image, LCC, adjustment layers etc, then copy all of that to the shifts. Of course the LCC will not work, but that is a simple change to the correct one. You also may have to tweak the layers to fit the shifts. But this is also pretty easy in C1.

Once ready, process the files and then load into CC and run the auto pano stitching process, most times the Auto setting works. Then tweak with Topaz Clarity.

I have been stitching files since early 2003, (in an attempt to gain in native resoluiton) manually, then with a zork on 35mm. Even then the 3 files had to be very closely worked prior to the stitching, which was done manually. Stitching software has come such a long way that the process has been greatly simplified.

Paul C
 

jagsiva

Active member
WB can be controlled well in C1 especially on a 12mm stitch as that only has about 20% or so of new image area. The bigger issue on the 32 Rodie will be the need for a CF on the stitches as the light fall off is still considerable. Not to mention the mustache distortion. (items on the edge get shorter and fatter). No way I know of to fix the distortion.

Paul C
Paul, agree on the need for CF for the 32HR. Not sure how it affects flat stitching though....if you're not moving the lens, should the vignetting not be aligned from frame to frame?
 

jagsiva

Active member
Not to mention the mustache distortion. (items on the edge get shorter and fatter). No way I know of to fix the distortion.

Paul C
Timing could not have been better....have not tried it yet, but I'd think distortion correction would be part of this.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Paul, agree on the need for CF for the 32HR. Not sure how it affects flat stitching though....if you're not moving the lens, should the vignetting not be aligned from frame to frame?
What I found was the CF made a huge difference in light fall off on shifts. The LCC will also help but shifting the 32 to 12mm on my 260, without the CF, the increase in noise on the shifted portion of the image tend to be too much for C1 to account for. Not in the brighter parts of. File but in areas that need some recovery.

I don't believe that the C1 correction for mustache distortion has any effects on shifted images as mine are still showing the effects. The 32 seems to show this issue considerably worse than the 40mm. After using the 32 I went back to my 40mm and can see some mustache distortion but it just not so damning as what I found with the 32mm i.e. The squatiness and elongation problems. Like with a car in the edge of a 12mm shift. Just looks terrible.

There must be some sample variation on this distortion for sure as most folks don't seem to notice it. But I did immediately on the 32mm.
If there such same V then shame on Rodenstock for allowing a lens through QC with it so harsh.

Paul C
 

triangle

Member
Thanks, you amazingly helpful people :) Went to bed knowing nothing, now I'm all set to stitch :) Thanks again ... in Tasmania on holiday at the moment but back home in Perth on Xmas eve and will give this a crack then.

Thank you all ...

Andrew :)
 

triangle

Member
So, thank you all for your advice. I've made progress but am coming unstuck when stitching after processing. All my images have an horizon line but this is always broken (ie. it does not meet correctly) every time I stitch. Interestingly, the unprocessed RAWs exported as TIFFs stitch perfectly with no issue so i am assuming something like the lens correction function in C1 may be causing a problem when I stitch or that I need to supply more info about the shifts and lens etc for C1 to process the shifted images properly? Any further advice? This is the case with both Photoshop and Autopano Pro, I should add.

Ty

Andrew :)
 

jagsiva

Active member
So, thank you all for your advice. I've made progress but am coming unstuck when stitching after processing. All my images have an horizon line but this is always broken (ie. it does not meet correctly) every time I stitch. Interestingly, the unprocessed RAWs exported as TIFFs stitch perfectly with no issue so i am assuming something like the lens correction function in C1 may be causing a problem when I stitch or that I need to supply more info about the shifts and lens etc for C1 to process the shifted images properly? Any further advice? This is the case with both Photoshop and Autopano Pro, I should add.

Ty

Andrew :)
It could be lens profiles...but could also be auto levelling. I think C1 can automatically level the horizon based on what back you used (the IQ supports this as far as I know). That could be your issue. Not sure, as I don't use the auto level.
 

triangle

Member
Ok, fixed. Downloaded C1 v9, used the new Rodi 32mm profile, applied 12mm and -12mm shift in the lens correction movement settings, blended in Photoshop using blend images only and voila! Perfect :) The new 32mm profile in C1 v9 made a huge difference so thanks to Digital Transitions :) Thanks, Jagsiva, for taking the time to respond, yet again - you've been a great help.



A :)
 

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