Preachdude Loc: Geneva, OH

I have been experimenting with stitched panoramas. At first, I did my stitching with Photoshop Elements 9, but then I heard about ICE. So far, I think I prefer ICE. Yes, the interface could be refined, but the quality of the results is definitely there. I made this image at "Valley View" in Yosemite Valley, which is on Northside Drive, just before the Pohono Bridge crossover. I shot it with a rented Sony RX1R, which I placed on my tripod in portrait (vertical) position. I made four images that I have stitched together. Exposure was f/8 at 1/100th, with ISO Auto.

(Download)

BassmanBruce Loc: Middle of the Mitten

Pretty impressive job and shot, particularly on the foreground detail. I don't see any evidence of parallax.
The composition is nice as well.
I don't do a lot of panos but I use PSE 13 for the ones I have.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

ICE is one of the best free stitching software and can use raw files!

The only drawback is it was made by Microsoft and has not been updated since 2014. I use this quite often too.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

That is very nice! How far were you from the foreground?
"Peeping" at your image makes me want to try the ICE program to see how it works with a problem image.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

I tried to input ICE and came up with anything but the stitching program. Is there something else to type with the word ICE to get to the website?
Rich... If it is more convenient, Private Message me.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Yes. Try 'Microsoft ICE.' as search string.

Link

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

Thanks, I will. P.S. does it work with mac?
Rich...

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Not directly. If you use a MS emulator, yes otherwise, no.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Just as curiosity, have you ever tried Autostitch? It has been the product I've been using for a number of years and it works pretty well. I have also recently tried using the built-in Lightroom function, but I prefer Autostitch to it.

Rich2236 Loc: E. Hampstead, New Hampshire

Is Autostitch a stand alone program?
Rich...

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

"ICE" worked on a pano that PS variants stumbled on. Thank you for the lead.

Preachdude Loc: Geneva, OH

The Sony RX1R has a 35mm lens on this little full-frame p/s. The bushes were about 4-5 feet away.

Preachdude Loc: Geneva, OH

Adobe uses the same stitching engine in all of its programs. I do not like it in PSE, so I'm not surprised that you don't like the LR version. I've not tried autostitch because I've been very satisfied with ICE. To each their own!

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

Thank you. When I first got interested in panos, like others I was all concerned about parallax and nodal points. After doing some testing and seeing images like yours it's seems that if the foreground subjects are not right in your face they may not be a concern. I will run some tests with foreground items and vary the distance between them and the camera to try and get a rule of thumb for where that point of concern is.

David in Dallas Loc: Dallas, Texas, USA

Yes it is. When it begins to operate you get a panel with a task bar--the items of most interest are "File" and "Edit". I go to "Edit" first and click on "Options". This bring us a panel with a lot of variables on it, but the only ones I usually change are the output size option at upper left and the JPEG Quality at lower right (I set it to 100--don't know if it makes a difference from the initial "75" but I change it.) At right center is a box for "Image Rotation"--this will default to "None" and if your photos are oriented with "up" at the top you'll leave it there (photos can be mixed portrait and landscape, but all must be oriented with "up" in the same direction. If "up" is not at the top, change this option to indicate which way "up" is oriented (if at the left, select "Anticlockwise", e.g.). The "File" option allows you to select the files to be merged. It is not necessary to have those in any special order--the software will figure it out; however, it is essential that all have "up" in the same orientation. Sometimes I'll get an indication that no match points were found (usually because there's not a lot of content to be matched--thin horizon line, e.g.); sometime changing default 400 in "Min dim (pixels)" (in the center "Matching Options" box) to a smaller number--say 200--will allow a match to be found.

Autostitch works with photos that have all been taken from the same point, and it can stitch horizontally, vertically, or both.