RAW Panorama Software

[limbik]

With all the flexibility of a RAW file, why have I not yet found any panorama software that will import RAW files and do all the matching and auto adjustments prior to conversion? It seems like an ideal way to do it, what's the catch? Does this already exist?

Hmm.. I probably could have put this in "Beyond Photoshop" mods feel free to move it if you like.

[ian408]

I use Panorama Factory. Though it doesn't support raw files, I usally make
my adjustments in CS and then use PF for the pano.

Ian

[limbik]

I use Panorama Factory. Though it doesn't support raw files, I usally make
my adjustments in CS and then use PF for the pano.

Ian
Thanks Ian, you're really on top of things around here. :thumb

I looked at PF, and ArcSoft's. Do you have a good way of looking at the raw files and making adjustments side by side? I just figured since some of these pano programs can attempt to compensate for exposure, wb, and so on, it would be ideal for that to happen in the RAW format.

[ian408]

Thanks Ian, you're really on top of things around here. :thumb

I looked at PF, and ArcSoft's. Do you have a good way of looking at the raw files and making adjustments side by side? I just figured since some of these pano programs can attempt to compensate for exposure, wb, and so on, it would be ideal for that to happen in the RAW format.

Thanks, I try :D

For panos, I find that exposure is the real key. Get it right in the camera
and you have less work to do in post. By using Photoshop to process the
raw files, you'll end up with something that should (hopefully) match well
requiring less compensation from the pano software. There'll always be
some matching that occurs but again, get the exposures correct and you'll
have less to worry about.

Ian

[Plasmodium]

Agree with the above. Use manual and the same settings for all the shots. If there is a big dynamic range between left and right (i.e. part of your panorama faces the sun and part of it is in the shade), then you will have to do your metering off of some intermediate part of the landscape. Then open up all the files in the RAW converter and uncheck all the auto boxes (exposure, shadows, contrast, etc). Any change you make to these functions should be applied identically to all the images, and this includes curves and color temperature.

When you open up all the images in Photoshop if there is still a discrepancy between some of the images then you can try to use the 'match color' command.

If the differences between the exposures are subtle but still quite visible between the merge (as happens most often in the sky or in water), then you may have to do the panorama within Photoshop, keep the merge in layers, and then use layer masks to softly mask out some of the border territory from one layer or the other.

[erich6]

Agree with the above. Use manual and the same settings for all the shots. If there is a big dynamic range between left and right (i.e. part of your panorama faces the sun and part of it is in the shade), then you will have to do your metering off of some intermediate part of the landscape. Then open up all the files in the RAW converter and uncheck all the auto boxes (exposure, shadows, contrast, etc). Any change you make to these functions should be applied identically to all the images, and this includes curves and color temperature.

When you open up all the images in Photoshop if there is still a discrepancy between some of the images then you can try to use the 'match color' command.

If the differences between the exposures are subtle but still quite visible between the merge (as happens most often in the sky or in water), then you may have to do the panorama within Photoshop, keep the merge in layers, and then use layer masks to softly mask out some of the border territory from one layer or the other.
Nice tips! Thanks Paul.

Erich