Medium format the cheap way
by eNoBlog on Jul.28, 2009, under Composition, Post-processing, Techniques
If you have been dreaming about becoming independently wealthy so that you can afford a digital medium format camera, you may want to know you don’t need to keep playing the lottery. Having read Dennis Frates’ article from the August 2009 issue of Outdoor Photographer, I decided to try his technique of generating 4×5 format images by stitching 3 vertical frame panoramas.
At first, I decided that visualizing the right composition in 3 frames instead of just one would require some imagination, so for each scene I tried, I first shot a single 3×2 standard format image. This next sample was taken at 10mm to approximate the wide perspective a 3 frame panorama gives. Incidentally, and not particularly on point, this image also happens to be a 3-stop HDR.
Once I decided the composition worked, I then set up for a 3-frame panorama with vertical frames. For extra credit I could have shot each frame as a 3-stop HDR, but regrettably, I decided against it. Nonetheless, I was able to push the shadows out a bit in the resultant 4×5 composition. Since each frame was shot at 14mm, the final image benefits from reduced distortion while retaining the wide perspective.
A parting note: while the first image is a 10 mega-pixel capture, the stitched 4×5 version clocks in at 16.7 mega-pixels. Not bad for the lowly D80.
July 28th, 2009 on 10:27 am
Great idea but what is the printed version like?
July 28th, 2009 on 12:25 pm
I’m about to give printing a try, but I think I would like to try some different things (like better stitching software) before I go full out. One advantage of this format is that it will map perfectly to 8×10.
July 29th, 2009 on 5:26 am
Turned out sweet, e!
Is probably more effort than i’m up for, but thanks for the info. in case i want to try it sometime.
-David