PanoTools:
Re: Need help stitching my helicopter panorama!
Yuval Levy 2005-Jun-08 21:05:09
Ed, and the other guys who added to this thread,
Thank you! This thread makes a very exciting reading! I've gone back to the archives to read what I missed while I was away.
I have no experience of chopper shooting, but have a potential suggestion for you based on seek and recover techniques from rescue diving applied loosely.
I assume it is easier for a chopper to keep going at a specific altitude and direction than keep steady at single point. So why not ask the pilot for a predictable movement and time that movement?
Draw two or three axis through the point on the map where you want to shoot (see example based on your map at http://www.photopla.net/MapLowPassesEdited.jpg). Ask the pilot to fly along these axis at constant altitude and slowest possible speed, in both directions. I guess there is a trade off between speed and tracking precision, play with different speeds.
I'd suggest mounting the camera in front or under of the chopper. Fix it so that you do not need to take care of it during the flight. Get a remote so that your only task is to focus on the right moment to trigger. Even better, get a laptop computer and control the camera via USB cable so that the pictures are downloaded to the notebook's drive (get at least 80GB).
To identify the right moment, you will need to aim at a reference. Seat next to the pilot and draw an X on the window in front of you to help you aiming. Let the pilot fly through the axis and notify you when you are on the right GPS coordinate. Remember what you see through the aiming help, so that next time the pilot flies over it you know its time to push the trigger.
I guess your camera can do a sustained 3 shots per seconds? At 50Km/h (30 mph) you would get about 10 shots along the side of one block. At 25Km/h you'd get 20 shots. From the arrows on your image it seems to me that your current "resolution" is less than 10 shots per side of the block.
A videocamera might have a better chance to catch the moment but at a lower resolution. A compromise might be one of the prosumer digital cameras that do also movies. The challenge would be to adapt the fisheye on top of them.
I hope you get a further chance and a different pilot.
Good luck
Yuv
Edward Fink wrote:
> It seemed so much easier before I tried to do it. :)
>
> My lessons so far are:
>
> #1 Don't go with a pilot who says he'll do his best - find one
> that says "I'm damn good - ABSOLUTELY I can maintain exact position."
> (I haven't found this guy yet though.)
>
> #2 Be patient and wait for ZERO wind, even if you have to wait a
> week or more. That tip probably won't help if you are supposed to shoot
> a panorama over a live event. :)
>
> Ed
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