Apple showed the iOS 6’s new panorama feature and although it can make an image of around 28 megapixels it doesn’t live up to what standalone panorama camera applications can offer.
Just like the HDR mode is not available in the iPad similarly the panorama mode is not offered on the iPad. It needs a lot of processing power, and the Panorama is a simple one button mode change away. The mode guides you to sweep the iPhone in a smooth motion along a path and captures images as you do so to create a panoramic image.
The final panorama picture comes out in a mind-blowing 10,800×2332 pixels and gives some remarkable details with a breathtaking outcome. The panorama mode automatically adjusts itself to cater for the difference in exposure. However if the scene you want to capturer has a pretty big difference between bright and dark areas then you need to touch the screen at the right area as you sweep along to get the right exposure.
The user needs to be smooth while capturing the panorama else wise the end result may have black spaces or weird overlapping surfaces. You might need to give it a try a couple of times since it requires a bit of skill to get it done perfectly.
The panorama applications offered by third parties give a multitude of different options; like the 360 Panorama app that can create panoramas having a 4096 x 883 resolution. The image can even be viewed in a full circle from a central virtual vantage point.
The app even has the option for a “North Pole†stereographic view, it seems easier to use as well since all users have to do is fill the entire grid with images and that lets you know exactly how much area is covered.
Apple’s panorama feature is capable of capturing 240 degrees of a scene, and although that is larger than compared to our 180 degree vision it fails to capture the 360 degree panoramas that are so popular these days.
It does not even capture QTVR movies (a technology Apple created for introducing immersive, surround imaging capture nearly 20 years ago but left it in the pipeline) and just gives us huge high resolution photographs.
Existing panoramic application stitch images together to make a full circle that viewed in a movie like view however with that much resolution the images can be used for printing and even as Facebook cover images.
However, with Apples panorama mode users can capture images that are wide or even tall and gives more viewing angle than most lenses. Its best described as a virtual wide angle lens without messing up the perspective like a fish eye lens does.
There are a number of third party companies that offer extensions for the iPhone camera, these extensions are actual lenses that can be fitted on to the camera of an iPhone. Olloclip is one such company and has a double sided lens for going wide angles or macro. The wide-angle gives a fish eye view and is a lot of fun to use.
The detail offered by the panorama shots allows you to zoom in and crop the images and you can go even more creative by applying an external lens and creating some really unique shots.
Just get going and you will realize that there is still a lot you can do with the stock panorama mode. Other than that users who do not want to upgrade at the moment can remain content with their existing third party applications.
[Via]
