Latest From The Blog: Photographing VR Panoramas
Capturing Images For Orby
Capturing images that can be used within an Orby experience is really easy. Orby relies on spherically projected images, so any camera or software that allows you to capture these types of images is a viable solution to getting started with your own Orby viewer.
Spherically Projected Images
Spherically projected images are defined as: "An image which looks perspectively correct when mapped to the inside surface of a sphere. The file type used for spherical projection is usually called equirectangular."
These images are the heart and soul of the Orby viewer, and are required image types for the creation of an Orby experience.
These images are the heart and soul of the Orby viewer, and are required image types for the creation of an Orby experience.
Cameras/Lense Packages
There are several really good cameras on the market that allow for a One-Shot experience, and output images in a size that really jives with the multiple images that an
Orby experience requires.
One Shot Solutions
One shot 360 degree panoramic solutions are parabolic mirrors which can be used as an ad on to many digital cameras.
The resolution is low and the quality is also affected by the quality of the mirror. These cameras work perfectly when it comes to taking fast, quality pictures to be used within Orby.
0-360
360 ONE VR Kaidan
EGG Solution
The resolution is low and the quality is also affected by the quality of the mirror. These cameras work perfectly when it comes to taking fast, quality pictures to be used within Orby.
0-360
360 ONE VR Kaidan
EGG Solution
Digital Rotation Cameras
Digital panoramic scanning cameras can make very high quality panoramas but the price is also high.
Used with a fullframe fisheye they make full spherical panoramas.
Panoscan
SpheronVR - digital panoramic cameras
Roundshot : SEITZ Phototechnik AG
(Need more help? Let us know.)
Used with a fullframe fisheye they make full spherical panoramas.
Panoscan
SpheronVR - digital panoramic cameras
Roundshot : SEITZ Phototechnik AG
(Need more help? Let us know.)
Lenses
Both fisheye lenses as well as full frame fisheye lenses allow you to capture spherically projected images.
Fisheye Lenses
Fisheye lenses are popular for spherical panoramas as you can cover a full view with only 3-8 images. To be able to make a full spherical with 3 images you need a full circle of min 180 degrees. This can be done by using a 35mm film camera or a fullframe digital and an 8mm fisheye.
Fullframe Fisheye Lenses
Fullframe fisheye lenses, usually 15 - 16mm have been used for many years for panoramas with 35mm cameras. The quality is much better than with the 8mm fisheyes but they need 6-8 images around,
along with top and bottom images. The full frame digital SLR like the Canon 5D can be used with both the Canon and Sigma 15mm fisheyes.
The Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye which gives you fullframe with the small sensors is one of the most used for high
quality spherical panoramas. With adapter it can also be used on Canon. A special way to use it is to mount it on a fullframe camera like the Canon 5D. By cutting the sunshade you can
get a FOV of 140x196 degrees. Also Pentax
and Olympus have fullframe fisheyes which will work the same way.
A new Tokina 10-17mm fisheye is now also available with mount for both Nikon and Canon.
(Need more help? Let us know.)
(Need more help? Let us know.)
Tripods
A standard camera tripod is designed to hold and rotate a camera around the tripod mounting hole of the camera. This hole is located arbitrarily somewhere on the camera body.
However, to take accurate, spherically projected, panoramic images it is important that the camera be mounted and then rotated around what is called the optical center (sometimes called the nodal
point or entrance pupil) of the camera's lens. This ensures that optical distortion, called parallax distortion, will not be introduced into your pictures before they are brought into Orby.
Note: These tripods are only needed if you decided not to use the above "One Shot Solutions".
Note: These tripods are only needed if you decided not to use the above "One Shot Solutions".
3Sixty
Peace River Studios
- Accepts most cameras
- Mounts on most standard tripods
- Standard indexing intervals of 20 and 30 degrees, additional indexing disks available
- Asymmetric rotation prevents the user from backing up and shooting out of sequence
- Trigger-clutch allows free motion in either direction and manual angle settings
- Mount Adjusts to photograph in portrait or landscape orientation, and also to photograph stero image pairs
- Bull's eye level
- Rugged mount, made from black anodized aluminum with Teflon coating to assure smooth action of the moving parts
- Folds to fit easily in your camera case
(Need more help? Let us know.)
- Accepts most cameras
- Mounts on most standard tripods
- Standard indexing intervals of 20 and 30 degrees, additional indexing disks available
- Asymmetric rotation prevents the user from backing up and shooting out of sequence
- Trigger-clutch allows free motion in either direction and manual angle settings
- Mount Adjusts to photograph in portrait or landscape orientation, and also to photograph stero image pairs
- Bull's eye level
- Rugged mount, made from black anodized aluminum with Teflon coating to assure smooth action of the moving parts
- Folds to fit easily in your camera case
(Need more help? Let us know.)
Absolute
Absolute
- High Precision Engineering
- Full spherical panoramic tripod head
- Full multi-row compatibility
- Zero degree vertical flex
- Designed to take 10kg loads
- Extremely easy to use
- Built-in bubble level
- High Quality FAG bearings
- Indestructible brass detent ring
- 1/4" and 3/8" tripod mount
(Need more help? Let us know.)
- High Precision Engineering
- Full spherical panoramic tripod head
- Full multi-row compatibility
- Zero degree vertical flex
- Designed to take 10kg loads
- Extremely easy to use
- Built-in bubble level
- High Quality FAG bearings
- Indestructible brass detent ring
- 1/4" and 3/8" tripod mount
(Need more help? Let us know.)
Nodal Ninja 3
Nodal Ninja 3
- Small Rotator Base - less footprint to edit out when doing full spherical panos
- Full rotation up with many cameras and wide angle lenses
- Fits most DSLRs
- Reversible detent rings offer click stops at varying degrees 15/18 (default) 20/24, 45/60, 72/0, 90/120 degree rings
- Allows your camera to be mounted in landscape mode (with optional N3T30 adapter)
- Allows the use of Quick Release Adapters (like Velbon or Bogen/Manfotto)
- 3/80 AND 1/40 thread mount adapter
- Leveling - built-in quality bubble level for exact leveling
- Ease - large easy to turn knurled edge adjustments knobs (great with gloves in cold weather)
- Rail rulers - remember your set points with different lenses
(Need more help? Let us know.)
- Small Rotator Base - less footprint to edit out when doing full spherical panos
- Full rotation up with many cameras and wide angle lenses
- Fits most DSLRs
- Reversible detent rings offer click stops at varying degrees 15/18 (default) 20/24, 45/60, 72/0, 90/120 degree rings
- Allows your camera to be mounted in landscape mode (with optional N3T30 adapter)
- Allows the use of Quick Release Adapters (like Velbon or Bogen/Manfotto)
- 3/80 AND 1/40 thread mount adapter
- Leveling - built-in quality bubble level for exact leveling
- Ease - large easy to turn knurled edge adjustments knobs (great with gloves in cold weather)
- Rail rulers - remember your set points with different lenses
(Need more help? Let us know.)