What's great about stitching with CS3 ?

[QT Luong]

I tried it in interactive mode, with similar results. See attachments for the whole image and a 100% view of a detail showing a seam. Based on this example, I stand by my conclusion that CS3 photomerge is great only if you don't have too much distortion. It's good to know that it handles the TSE OK, since DxO doesn't correct them.

[Jack Flesher]

QT: To clarify, you used interactive, Checked the "advanced blending" box AND clicked on "perspective correct" and it generated that?

Frankly, I am surprised. It would be helpful if you posted say 800 pixel wide jpegs of just those two frames to let me blend them myself.

Cheers,

[QT Luong]

Yes, except that I didn't use "perspective correct", since I prefered the rendering of "Reposition only". The "perspective correct" option made the Adobe building look way too big. Does it correct for lens distortion, while "Reposition only" doesn't ?

[DrPablo]

My copy of the TS-E 24 has a lot of barrel distortion. I have to correct it using PTLens in almost every image. For that reason I've never trusted it for stitching.

[QT Luong]

I meant the 45 that Jack used in his posted example, and most likely the 90 too. The 24 is too wide to create a high-res stitch anyways.

[Howard Slavitt]

I use the Canon 24mm tse to create high res stitches without problems. I do the stitch manually, in CS 2, but not using photomerge. It only takes me a few minutes (say 5-10) per stitch. You need to shift the camera as well as the lens to offset for parallax error. Once you do that, it's irrelevant whether the lens has distortion for purposes of getting a good (close to perfect) stitch; it's the equivalent of shifting the back on a view camera. In effect, the lens isn't moving, you're just recording different portions of the image circle with the different (overlapping) exposures. I find the 24mm tse to be excellent for panoramic stitches, though the last mm or so on each end isn't very useable. Other than that, it's very versatile, and the tilt (I typically use only 1 degree of 1/2 degree of tilt and then stop down to f11), helps a lot of near/far depth of field.

[Jack Flesher]

Does it correct for lens distortion, while "Reposition only" doesn't ?

Yes. But the cylindrical projection -- yet another option -- also corrects for lens distortions, or at least appears to... The other key is making sure you have the advanced blending box checked.

[Jack Flesher]

My copy of the TS-E 24 has a lot of barrel distortion. I have to correct it using PTLens in almost every image. For that reason I've never trusted it for stitching.

Here is a stitch done with the 24 TSE at full 11mm shift, 2 frames only (full left and full right), assembled in CS3:

[Jack Flesher]

FWIW, here's a 45 stitch done the same way, 2 frames, full 11mm shift each way:

[QT Luong]

I use the Canon 24mm tse to create high res stitches without problems.

I am aware of the flat-stitch technique, but I wouldn't call a stitch that merely doubles the MP count "high res". For that, one should be able to get LF-like quality !