Tips on using photosynth and panorama for that matter, i think they both are bad

[dkp23]

Any tips on using this app? for Photosynth i can get around 3 or 4 pictures and then at that point, impossible to get it lined up correctly so it can auto take a picture once your square is green and that diamond hits the edge. After that, no matter where i position the phone, the box will be red and says it can't take. Now first, i see a tip that says some pictures needs to be tapped manually, is there a way to turn off auto so i can take every picture myself? If not, any idea how to get this 360 thing going because no way i can get past 180. I see that there is a line i assume the diamond should line up with that? doesn't help at all.

So i tried panorama same thing, at least there is a guide where you follow the line into the circle, but the pictures are never lined up.

user error? sure, but my experience, the apps are not easy to use and probalby takes many tries to get a decent picture. even when the panorama app finishes, sometimes the person is warped like a giant in the picture, pretty bad.

Any tips appreciated.

 

[troylytle]

Just hit the box at the top where it says auto. Also try taking upward and downward.

 

[au_xtr3me]

Are you on a Lumia 920? I'm also having a lot of trouble getting decent photosynth and panorama photos. I suspect it may be due to OIS confusing the gyroscope because it stabilises the image but the gyro still detects movement, and then takes photos that don't line up.

 

[foxbat121]

Same problem on 920. I don't think it is gyroscope problem as I found out there is no gyroscope support in the app at all.
Sent from my RM-820_nam_canada_246 using Board Express

 

[dkp23]

Yep on 920

 

[prestonalan]

It's been fine for me and my L920

 

[Kavu2]

Photosynth...

I also have gotten the red square alert after several attempts. Practice will improve your abilities it seems. Here's some tips that have helped me make a better pano pic (and yes, I've made complete panoramas successfully)

- Hold camera steady (not tilting up/down, left side/right side) in the same position the start pic was taken.
- When approaching the edge of the green square frame, slow down and try to stabilize your position similiar to the start pic postion (ie line things up)
- If the red square comes on, then return to the last green square and re-take it (by touching screen) and then try to continue around. If the red square repeats, then go back to green square-retake and continue around....but not as far for the auto attempt. Manually take a green screen before that point is reached and the square would turn red. You might have to take several 'short' shots to make progress. I've also had success reversing direction and returning back to start pic and proceeding the opposite direction to complete a 360 degree shot.

Note: the Photosynth s/w seems VERY smart and will allow overlap/duplicate image scenes and seemingly congeals them all into clear seamless extensions of your panorama. Even reversing directions and starting the other way didn't mess it up. You do end up taking a bunch more shots to turn into your pano pic but once it gets assimilated I don't think that matters at all...you only save one pic tho it may have more bits in it?...that I don't know. but could probably find out from comparing pano pic properties from one w/a few shots to one with many shots for complete panos.

- A good way to practice is taking pics of scenes with horizontal lines, as they will quickly show problems in horizontal panning to take the next shot. A bookcase (especially a tall one) will really help perfect the camera panning skills develop. The books will show vertical lineup inconsistencies and the shelving will show the horizontal inconsistencies. Outdoor panos...try photographing a concrete block wall for the same panning skill development. Keywords: Slow and Steady.

- One last tip I've learned so far....when taking indoor panos, make sure you are not too close to any one point in your 360 degree circle...otherwise the camera gets confused on the focus and tries to mesh a close shot with a farther away shot when the depth of field changes and their are focus issues.

That's what has helped me so far
HTC8x

 

[troylytle]

It's awesome for me and my 920 as well. I have no trouble. Though, lighting that flows in patterns seem to confuse it, such as fluorescents.

 

[Kavu2]

Update...
Just tried some shots outdoors...no problems. Then retried indoors...no problems, tho the bright light coming thru windows and blank walls reflecting light tends to 'muddy' the pics(eg haze and soft focus issues). Likely something to do w/exposure. There are tweaks in the App Settings to play around with. I had on default ie exposure lock-off, white balance lock-on. I'm not a photo expert so someone w/better knowledge of that might suggest better use of these Setting tweaks.

 

[saulgould13]

Im having trouble indoors keep getting that red square. Outside was fine after a few preruns..

 

[dalydose]

I'm having issues on my L920 when I remember being very successful getting great synths with my L900. I say that b/c I don't think is purely user error or a technique of panning problem.

 

[Kavu2]

Update 2..........

Ok I messed with the exposure lock and the white balance lock for indoor shots, mixed results. Default is likely more reliable. Definitely try to not 'start' shooting a light source(window etc) as that will screw up the rest of the shots.

I tried both styles of orientation. I thought horizontal *might* give better results b/c there would be less pics to assimilate and/or have light balance conflicts....but vertical seems to produce better results.

I've learned that the red square issue can be best resolved by hitting the 'undo' (last pic) button at bottom and re-taking the last pic and then continuing. If there are still red square issues, then rotate the camera in last green square mode as far around as you can (before it changes to red) and manually take a pic and continue on. That seems to be the best approach...'undo' and re-take. That has allowed me to continue to complete a 360 sucessfully.

Matching first and last without ghosting etc is still on a learning curve for me tho. Sometimes good, sometimes marginal, but I'll get there. Practice.

 

[sinime]

One other tip that I think helps, I'd trying to keep the phone in the same location for each pic at a different angle....

I had issues at first, I was standing still and swinging phone around me (using myself as the pivot point)... Results got much better when I started moving around the phone (using the phone as a pivot point).

Imagine having a tripod where the phone could swivel 360 deg along each axis with the camera at the center of the pivot... I think that would give the best results.

 

[uopjo6]

I got the green screen of horror. Anybody?

 

[ExcaliburII]

Same thing with the green screen. Using a ativ s. Camera stops working when exiting app\lens. Only way to get the camera back is restarting the phone.

 

[dalydose]

I had the green screen too. I had no idea why either

 

[dkp23]

I had green screen, had to restart.

Back to the photosynth thing, got it working properly, but still difficult to use. The issue is that all your shots need to be unique meaning if you have an area that looks almost the same like a long wall, the app will get screwy. So it is best to not do it in your house for practice because if your wall takes up two shots to get around, the app will screw up. Need ot try to get in an area that is very unique.

 

[jandrgold]

Can panorama maker be used with Gigwalk?