Panaramas, New Camera and Other Questions

[Gradient_Phil]

Greetings,

Currently looking to upgrade our camera from a canon S50 (approx 15 years old) to a Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II. I'm not a pro photographer (or software user) and need some help understanding some of the stuff the new camera entails and how that will be impacted in AP.

1.There is no panarama mode in this camera, but I have found AP does an excellent job of creating panaramas from images that weren't shot in the panarama mode. Is a panarama mode necessary if this is the case? I have heard there is a work around by using a continuous shooting mode and then using software to create the panarama. Maybe one can just fake the panarama but shooting a series of images?

I'd like to be able to use the focus merge / stacking features of AP.  Does this camera have these features. I don't really know anything about  what is actually needed for this. Same applies to HDR?

Anyone use this camera? Any suggestions??

This camera outputs CR2 RAW (I think). How are poeple vieiwing these as thumbnails on Win 10? (I usually shoot jpg, but want to look at RAW as well)

 

[Ron P.]

First you need to do a little studying in photography. Trying to shoot a panorama in burst mode is going to get you a lot of real blurry images while panning. A panorama is a series of single shots, that overlap each other by about 1/4-1/3. They are then stitched together in software.

Here's a link to Canon's website where you can download the manual for that camera. Canon G7 MarkII Camera Manual

Youtube videos on how to shoot panorama photos How to Shoot Panorama using  DSLR

The other questions, Focus Merge and Focus Stacking, requires you to know how to shoot them. For instance, Focus Stacking or merging is mainly used in Macro Photography. It is fairly difficult to do without some pricey equipment. The Depth of Field is so narrow in macro photography, minute movement of the lens changes the focal plane. This is to-and-fro, not sideways. Most of the time the camera is mounted on a tripod with a rail system, so the camera can be inched forward or backward in very small increments, taking a frame each time. It's something I probably am not doing a good job explaining here. You just need to invest some time in learning. Even though you're getting a great little point and shoot camera, some aspects just do not lend themselves to just pointing and shooting. YouTube is your friend, I've learned a  lot there.

[Gradient_Phil]

@Ron P.

Thanks for the insight. I had already downloaded the pdf user guide and am slowing working my way through it.  I am currently hard out on Youtube as well checking things out.

Your comment on blurry images in burst mode is understandable. The S50 has a panarama mode, so I have no expereince whatsoever taking panaramas without using that mode. However, I did stitch some images together in AP that were not shot in PR mode and I was very happy with the results.

Thanks for the explanation of the focus merge stuff. I thought a lot of cameras had a function that automatically changed the focus using some type of burst mode. Need to read up.

 

 

[R C-R]

4 hours ago, Gradient_Phil said:

I thought a lot of cameras had a function that automatically changed the focus using some type of burst mode. Need to read up.

Many cameras do have that option. As for reading up on the subject, one place to start is the Focus merging images help page in Affinity Photo.

Note that as it says, one use for this is landscape photography where there are foreground objects that would not normally be in focus. It also applies to any other situation where it would be difficult to keep everything of interest in focus in one shot. You don't always have to use a tripod -- the important thing in this respect is that the camera does not move between shots or otherwise change what is in the frame of each shot -- so no lens zooming or camera tilting or panning. For shots where nothing in the frame is close to the camera (i.e., not macrophotography), depending on the focal length of the lens you may be able to get by with some other form of camera stabilization like holding it carefully against an unmoving surface, but that requires a steady hand & is best done with a camera that does automatic focus bracketing or with an off-camera shutter release to prevent the camera from moving when you press the shutter button ("shudder shake").

Likewise, nothing else besides the focus should change between shots, so the shutter speed, lens aperture, ISO, white balance, & so on should be kept constant. This usually means avoiding any 'auto' settings.

[Gradient_Phil]

@R C-R

Thanks for the link...and the comments.

I think I'll need the camera to fully (maybe paritally ) understand this. This camera seems a massive step up compared to the S50. (Still...15 years is a long time for advancement). I have a lot to learn (been enjoying AP heaps) - especially after using PhotoDraw V2 for 17 years.