projections, and image quality can be somewhat degraded by this transformation. Shooting
a series of pictures takes time, and non-static features in the scene (clouds, people,
vehicles) move between exposures, resulting in ghosting, stitching errors, and associated
problems. These difficulties can be largely overcome by non-stitching techniques, in
which the camera captures a panoramic scene in a single exposure. There are three basic
approaches you can use:
- Rotational cameras
There are different designs, some home-brewed, mostly commercially
manufactured. They come in both film and digital versions with varying
image scales or film formats. All have the ability to capture a panoramic scene
in a single exposure/rotation (and without resorting to a panoramic tripod
head). If the objective is to produce an interactive 360° panorama, one stitch
is required to join up the two ends so that the image wraps, but this is a
trivial matter requiring only an image editor. The main disadvantage of these
cameras is that they are expensive (particularly the digital models) relative to
the more modest equipment needs where stitching is employed. - One-shot or single-shot systems
A relatively recent development has been the introduction of devices
employing parabolic mirrors, the reflection of which can be imaged with
conventional digital cameras. A single picture of the reflected scene can
then be processed with software to output a cylindrical image.^5 Advantages:
one shot; no stitching; capturing subject motion; ease of use; can be used
with wide variety of cameras. The main disadvantage is that the panorama’s
resolution can only be as good as that of a single frame taken with the digital
camera. - Scanning systems
Digital scanning backs, originally developed by the military for satellite
imagery, are similar to and provide equivalent resolution to medium- and
large-format film cameras. Instead of capturing a sequence of individual shots
like a digital single-lens reflex (DSLR), they scan the view and create a single
complete panoramic image on the spot. With newer systems, the resolution is
truly enormous, and the viewer can zoom in to incredible detail. One major
difference between panoramic scanners and DLSR setups is that they require
a computer be physically connected to the camera in order to operate. This
may increase set-up time and introduce another level of complexity in the
system. Another consideration is the large file size, which not all computers
can handle. While the files can be downsampled to reduce size, they may
actually provide far more data than the project requires. - At the time of writing, commercial models include systems such as BeHere, Egg Solution,
Remote Reality, 0-360, and 360 One VR Kaidan (see Web References, below, for URLs).