Panorama

[JakobP]

Hi guys.

I have said yes to an assignment were I have to make a very large panoramic print (2,5 meters x 20 meters). The thing is that I have considered very many ways in which I could do it, but what would you suggest? I would like the print to be of very nice quality, well exposed, fine grained and so on. My own best suggestion is to take multiple pictures and "stitch" them together in photoshop - but again: What would you guys suggest?

Thank you in advance :-)

[Myxine]

Hi Jakob,

I've never tried such a big print, but i own a Fuji G617 panorama, and i think that with the highest resolution drum scan, you should be able to print that big. I guess the print is supposed to be seen form a distance?

[Vaughn]

Subject matter?

Degree of view? (that is, 180 degrees, etc)

That would be about 1.25" x 10" section of an 8x10 negative, if you wanted to do it in a single image. Otherwise, sort of that gigapan sort of stuff. A lot depends if it is a static scene or not.

[JakobP]

Yeah it is suppose to be seen from a distance, but still the quality has to be nice

The subject is landscape, nature - a picture with nothing that moves. I would like to make a picture that does not have a degree of view - in other words, I have thought of taking one picture, moving the camera, taking one more and so on and so on. But I don't know if its a stupid idea - what do you think?

[Vaughn]

I have done panoramas that way, though of course one can not stitch such images seamlessly. I have printed them as separate images with a small separation between the images.

Nature scenes -- there can be lots of moving stuff (clouds, waves, water, etc). But anyway -- sounds like a terrific opportunity! have a lot of fun with it!

vaughn

[Jim Noel]

I think there are only two choices.
1. A 6x17 cm camera with color negative film - easiest to obtain
2. A 7x17" camera with color negative film - possible to obtain, but not easily
An image from a single negative is going to be better than a stitched one.

[Thad Gerheim]

I've done a few panoramas by stitching and I'd say they were successful. I've stitched as many as six 4x5s and printed up to twelve feet long, they looked reasonably good. Autopano Pro is the software I used and there have only been a few places where I had to go in an clean up some disconnected spots. I've heard that some people have made some really large ones from a betterlight scanning back.
I'll post one I did, but with the size restrictions here, you can't see much.

[sully75]

Unless you were going to do this with a LF panorama camera (something like a 8x20 or whatever) I'd be all over this with a DSLR. That's just me but your chances of success are a lot higher, and the costs of failure are something you can get around...

[alexn]

6x17 can easily print that big given you're not going to be standing within 10ft of the print..

The most difficult aspect of this in my opinion will be printing and mounting an image that size..

If it were possible to get a 7x17 and some mythical 7x17 colour film, You'd be set... I don't think there would be a real limit to print sizes from a drum scanned 7x17...

If you believe that you'll need more resolution than 6x17 and still require colour, a 4x10 would probably suffice, and if need be, just use shift to take two overlaping frames and stitch them to get the aspect ratio you require...

[Lachlan 717]

The is a guy in Australia about to do 8x20" colour neg work.

You can get the film, but it'll cost you, and you'll receive a LOT of film!!