advice on camera equipment please

Q&A about the latest versions
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Marcus
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:17 pm

Hello there,

I'm currently setting up a virtual tour business, and looking to purchase a camera during the Black Friday sales. I would prefer to use a DSLR, but reading around, it looks to be a bit of a hassle configuring it on-site.

I'd prefer a DSLR, because it could also be used for general photography, more robust, and produces better quality images (lower noise, more detail). But a 360 camera is easier to use.

However, I understand the DSLR camera position has to be set up on the tripod head, to try and avoid parallax issues. My initial question is - once the DSLR has been set up on the tripod (and the position marked), if using the same tripod and camera + lens, does it have to be configured again for each subsequent shooting session? Is this a one time configuration, or does this have to be done each time a new set of images are taken (e.g. for each room in a virtual house tour).

Many thanks,
Marc
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Hopki
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Hi Marc,
I would go with the DSLR, even though I do use the Theta Z1 more than my DSLR but that's for a different reason.
But also I don't make living from taking photos.
All examples are from Street view shoots.

DSLR takes longer to set up, maybe only a fraction longer when you first get it out of your bag.
I have a Nodal Ninja R1 pano head that uses a lens ring.
The lens ring fits directly to the lens and slides onto a plate on the pano head.
My setup uses rail stops, so slide the lens on the head up to the rail stop and tighten, done.
From bag to bagging photos takes around 2 - 3 minutes.
Once set up you carry it around until the shoot is complete.
I tend to shoot three brackets, here is a 12,000 x 6,000px example: https://goo.gl/maps/1ZwrPA5BNPrzqyrz9
This was shot with a Canon 750d cropped frame camera, Sigma 8mm fisheye, R1 pano head, Manfrotto ball head and lightweight tripod.
Here is a tour built with the same setup: https://goo.gl/maps/9dPz8BfcmiU2cru17

You may decide to level your camera/pano head before each location shoot.
I personally do use a ball head but to be honest, if you are using stitching software like PTGui this can be done while stitching.


One-shot cameras are easier.
This depends on the quality you are after, here I use the Ricoh Theta Z1 and shoot in RAW.
In this example, I shoot three brackets manually, here is a result: https://goo.gl/maps/mjiAbURJFvh9kHG78
Here is a tour inside a shop using the same technique: https://goo.gl/maps/iKJ4EdWTMaJJkttt8
Here is a tour made using the Thetas built-in HDR: https://goo.gl/maps/bb5evGQwsbmKqZsz7

Post Processing:
For me, the DSLR has a quicker workflow.

Shooting pattern of four around with a tilt-up of 7.5 degrees and one shot down.
HDR three brackets, 15 Raw images, open in Lightroom, use a preset to process the images.
Batch Photomatix for HDR gives me 5 tiff images.
Process in PTGui, you can also batch many photos in PTGui.


For the Z1, open the RAW image in Lightroom.
Ricoh Stitcher, either as Lightroom plugin or Standalone.
Or if you use Lightrooms Photo Enhance to double the pixel count you will need something like PTGui to stitch as the Ricoh stitcher will not stitch larger resolution images.
Depending on if you are using manual HDR you would use something like Photomatix.

Anyway my two pence worth.
Regards,
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360Texas
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[changed 10 Nov 21)
Agree with Martin's post processing. We do the same. We stopped taking .jpg panoramas 10 + years ago. We use only raw .cr2, .dng and uncompressed .tiff's

Canon 5d has a 35mm full frame sensor
Sigma 8mm full circle fisheye
Nodal Ninja R1 panorama head bracket (see the 3 bright blue knobs in the photo) under that there is a Level dark blue knobs. They sit above the tripod and under the DSLR.
Ball head with circle spirit level sits above the tripod and below the NN R1 bracket.
medium tripod Has to be able to manage the heavy weight of the camera, lens, Pan head and ball head.

So everything above the ball head (has a quick disconnect - see bottom left side gray thumb) is transportable and the camera can be removed from the fixed mounted lens. So you just remove the camera and use another lens.

Results: high quality imaging from 4 images at 90 degrees around the horizon. Please Google search for "Hyperfocal". We used aperture f8 (ISO 100) and let the camera determine the shutter speed.... think this called Aperture Priority. Result should be everything from 4" (10cm) in front of the lens to infinity will be in focus.

We still own the 360Texas.com company we started in 1999. Worked with medium to large business like Apartment complexes, Shopping Centers, Hotels, Travel Agents, City owned parks, Hospital Property Management, and Website creators doing work for others and universities/ schools. We did not work with Real Estate Brokers although we did try. They wanted too much work for little money. Have to focus on business that have an advertising budget large enough to need our work. So that means if they have a million dollar home to sell... they usually have a budget for high quality digital imaging photos to show the property.

We closed our business in 2016 debt free.

Last few years we sort of changed over to Ricoh Theta V and then to Insta360 One X. One click and your done.
Found that we did not get the quality necessary for commercial work.

Just curious... your comment has a few good photography buzz words. Do you have an extensive photographer background ?

If you are setting up a business, you will need some background there too. Here in Texas we had to register as a sole proprietor business type with the States Comptroller for Sales and Use tax collection. As well as take a class or two to learn about starting and running a Profitable Small Business. We found that class on the Texas State web site. Create a printed 5 year Business Plan. Samples are also on the internet. This will layout your business expectations for paying for labor hours and equipment. The definition of profit is.. money left over after all the bills have been paid.

While not mentioned, you will need a fairly good printer, desktop computer and software. We used MS Office - Excel with an invoice template so you can create cost and price proposals and converted the proposal file .pdf for emailing to clients.

If you have read Martins and my comments and are ready to panic... don't worry ... with a some learning time and money investments the whole process IS for us worth while. We started this as a hobby which turned into a profitable business. And that is a good thing. And in 2016 (age 73) we retired the second time. Now we help other aspiring panorama photographers. AND Pano2vr is your best way to display your work on your website. Its called advertising.... it pays the bills.

Hope this helps

Dave

Hyperfocal Chart - see notation at f/8 column.
hyperfocal.jpg
hyperfocal.jpg (258.77 KiB) Viewed 2421 times

compare.jpg
compare.jpg (253.07 KiB) Viewed 2479 times
Dave
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michael63
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Joined: Sat May 30, 2020 2:58 pm

Having myself start with a digital SLR the quality is better, however when it comes to real time on the job I find myself using the Ricoh Theta Z1 most of the time you can get an awful lot done when conditions are against you ( I spent 3 hours waiting in my car for it to stop raining only to be presented with a very muddy field, raincoat, walking boots and monopod I can get the job done, a SLR would be pointless. ) and the workflow tends to be bit more straightforward.
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360Texas
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ok. Thanks for the reply.
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Marcus
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:17 pm

Hi there - sorry, been busy for a few days.

Thanks for all the really helpful advice, I definitely have a lot more questions to ask. The main thing I need to understand, however, is the configuration time of a DSLR setup, each time I go "on-site".

For argument's sake; say I've already spent time positioning my shiny new DSLR on my shiny new panohead, to reduce parallax issues. I've marked the position, so I can restore this set up. On my next outing, can I use the same settings? I.e. is this a one time positioning for my DSLR and panohead?

Many thanks,
Marc
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Hopki
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Hi Marc,
Not much longer than the R1.
As said in my post above I have rail stops, so out of the bag and ready to shoot is only a few minutes, if that.
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Marcus
Posts: 64
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2021 12:17 pm

Hi there,

OK, I've been reading around, comparing the 360 camera vs. DSLR routes. IMHO the 360 cameras appear to be more geared towards action shots and outdoor activities, than creating quality indoor tours. They can only shoot 360, crucially have smaller sensors than DSLRs, but still seem very expensive (for what they are, again imho). E.g. THETA Z1 being a few years old, and is still £900 - £1000

I'd like to get a new DSLR, fisheye lens, etc, but the costs mount up very quickly ... and not knowing how much business I'll get from this new start-up, it's a bit of a risky outlay.


So, my initial plan - I've decided to get a lower end fisheye lens to fit my old Panasonic G3. If all goes well, I can then upgrade the camera to a later Panasonic G series (and keep the fisheye). So my set-up would be:
- Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 (16mp, 160 to 6,400 iso)
- Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye, Micro 4/3 Fit

One issue I see, is the Samyang is manual and has no electronic connectors, so unfortunately there won't be any Exif data on the images. I understand Ptgui would need this, so I'll need to enter that manually :-(

Just wondering if any of you knowledgable people can see any obvious / practical issues with using a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) CMOS sensor, or the Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye for creating panos?

Thanks again for any help,
Marc
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