Best way to do a pano......

[old dog]

I have a few panos I want to process in CS5. Should I.......

a. Do it in RAW and then resize (after flattening) in Jpeg...

b. batch process (using exact same settings ) in RAW then convert in jpeg (after flattening)....

c. convert to jpeg then automate the pano.

I guess that I`m asking the question as to whether you all just automate the RAW files and then convert to jpeg...thus finishing up with a smaller meg pano.

Any suggestions??? and I hope I havn`t made it too confusing....thanks.

[William]

Hi Graeme, I convert the RAW files to TIFF in Lightroom after shooting in full manual, Making sure the WB is the same in all , Load them into CS5 for stitching , Then back to Lightroom for processing and cropping once they are stitched , Then back to PS for final Adjustments and JPEG conversion for the Web , I'll bet others will have a different method , But this may help - Bill

[old dog]

OK Bill,......I thought the tiff files were bigger but maybe I`m thinking of tiff/jpeg not tiff/raw. I do shoot in manual with a sunny WB (if required that is)...not auto WB that is. I`ll give the tiff conversion a try....thanks.

[William]

Tiff files are bigger Graeme , A lot bigger !! It will just take a little more time for the stiching to be done , Yeah, I'm an Idiot, I shoot full manual but use Auto WB, When I do a Pano I have to set the WB the same in Lightroom for all the images , Not sure what you mean Tiff/Jpeg - Tiff/Raw , I just shoot RAW (The 30D will only shoot in one File ) , When I export out of Lightroom I convert them to Tiff for processing in PS

[ameerat42]

Been doing x-ackly this...
1. I assume you have kept a constant exposure throughout the pano set.
2. Develop the raws all at the same settings.
3. Save as tiffs or jpegs, depending on whatever you need.
4. Use the pano program (good luck if CS5 does them all well: I've had to use 3 different 1's) and let it blend all the exposures.
5. Finish off PP in (in your case) CS5.
6. Did I say "Good luck"?
7. Yes, in 4.

[old dog]

thanks again Bill....having a crack at it now. No, I meant that I shoot in RAW but thought that the tiff files must have been smaller than raw for you to convert to tiff before pano`ing.

thanks am.....will try this also.

[old dog]

here it is.......9 shot in portrait posn.....manual, sunny WB at 35mm on the 17-55 lens. Converted to tiff, stitched in CS5, cropped, pp`d etc.
Dove Lake in Cradle mountain Nat park, Tassie. Just got back and love to go again one day. It wasn`t much of a day when this was taken so we went back the next day but stupid me didn`t do another pano set..doh.

[William]

Looks good to me Graeme, Well done - Bill

[old dog]

thanks Bill. Now I look at it I can see my dust bunny well at work..