Author: PanoTwin Jürgen

PanoTwin Jürgen → My Portfolio

Melbourne Central with Shot Tower

This image was taken inside the shopping area of Melbourne Central. The central feature is Coop’s Shot Tower under it’s conical glass roof. The tower is registered as a heritage building in the Victorian Heritage Register.

Geotag Icon Show on map




Technique
The shooting was done with a 2.60 meter (appx. 8.5 ft) pole to reach a more elevated viewpoint. The lens was mounted with a custom-made bracket. Stitched from five images taken with a Walimex (Samyang) 7.5mm fish eye lens on a Sony QX1. Four images around and an additional image for the nadir. The zenith was retouched by hand in post-processing.

Panorama setup with Sony ILCE-QX1 and Samyang 7.5/3.5 fisheye lens

In search of a small and lightweight spherical panorama setup I’ve seen a Walimex Pro 7.5/3.5 fisheye lens for micro 4/3 mounted via an adapter to a Sony camera with E-mount and APS-C sized sensor. The lens is originally manufactured under the name of Samyang 7.5mm F3.5 Fish-eye Lens and was also available under the name of Bower or Rokinon.

The problem however is, that it is not so easy to find an adapter to mount the lens to the Sony E-mount. I found one at Photokina at a Chinese booth and bought it. It did not fit perfectly, but reasonable enough to make it work after some tinkering around with some sandpaper. To be able to focus to infinity on my E-mount camera a distance ring in the lens had to be removed.

To get the most out of such an setup you also have to shave the lenshood. The effect is shown in another article.

A short while ago the Sony ILCE camera lineup was expanded with the Sony ILCE-QX1. Currently this is the smallest camera of the Sony ILCE camera lineup. As it has no viewfinder or monitor by itself, the settings and the heading are usually controlled with an app on a smartphone.

Before I purchased the camera as a base for a new panorama setup I checked that the camera meets the following requirements:

  1. Trigger via Sonys Multi-USB connector (works)
  2. Accept manual lenses without electrical contacts (works)
  3. Remember the last settings after the camera is turned on again (works)
  4. Capture in RAW (works, but you can’t disable the accompanying JPEG)
  5. Capture images local if no smartphone is connected via WLAN (works)
  6. Manual mode (can be simulated with shutter priority on the camera and a manual lens, because then the aperture can be set with the lens)

With these requirements fullfilled I purchased the camera and use it as a base for the following panorama setup:

Sony ILCE-QX1 with shaved Walimex Pro 7.5/3.5 fisheye lens
The image shows the shaved lens, the Sony ILCE-QX1 itself, a modified radio remote control and a L-bracket to mount the whole setup on a pole.

The current shooting sequence looks like this

  1. Check the distance scale on the lens and adjust if required (usually I only adjust if there are important objects closer than one meter from the sensor)
  2. Turn the camera on
  3. Activate WLAN and the app on the smartphone (it then connects automatically to the camera)
  4. Check the exposure by turning the lens in every direction
  5. Adjust the exposure with the app (change the shutter speed if required)
  6. Deactivate the app and WLAN on the smartphone (just to save battery)
  7. Take the images of the panorama with the radio remote control
  8. Put the lens cap on the lens and take an additional image (seperator image between panorama series)
  9. Turn the camera off

While importing the images I ignore the JPEG versions of the panorama sets and the RAW version of the seperator images.

You may find finished panoramas shot with this camera marked with the tag Sony ILCE-QX1.

How to add mandatory Photo Sphere meta data to an equirectangular image (Photoshop CC 2014)


Warning: WP_Syntax::substituteToken(): Argument #1 ($match) must be passed by reference, value given in /home/pacs/mma00/users/panotwins/doms/panotwins.de/subs/wp/wp-content/plugins/wp-syntax/wp-syntax.php on line 380

Warning: WP_Syntax::substituteToken(): Argument #1 ($match) must be passed by reference, value given in /home/pacs/mma00/users/panotwins/doms/panotwins.de/subs/wp/wp-content/plugins/wp-syntax/wp-syntax.php on line 380

Warning: WP_Syntax::substituteToken(): Argument #1 ($match) must be passed by reference, value given in /home/pacs/mma00/users/panotwins/doms/panotwins.de/subs/wp/wp-content/plugins/wp-syntax/wp-syntax.php on line 380

Preface

Some information on this post is outdated! Google Views has been migrated to Google Maps / Google Streeet View. Outdated information has been struck through.

Last year Google added a new feature to their set of web based applications. Publishing geo located spherical panoramas (aka Photo Spheres) on Views.

In another article, Markus already described the complete workflow which is needed to publish a panoramic image on Views and embed it into your website.

I already described different methods of adding mandatory Photo Sphere meta data to an equirectangular image in a second article. One of the methods described a custom meta data panel which could be used within Photoshop CS6 and Photoshop CC to read and write the photosphere meta data.

As Adobe changed their specification for creating meta data panels for Photoshop CC 2014, I redid the description…

Note for downloading the XML files

Depending on your browser it could be the best option to click the XML download link and use the context menu to save the link as XML to your local computer!

Custom photo sphere meta data panel for Photoshop CC 2014

First you have to identify the proper location for the File Panels. On a Windows system running PS CC 2014 the files are located in 

C:\Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Metadata Extensions

or directly using the appropriate environment variable: 

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\XMP\Metadata Extensions

PS CC 2014 running on Mac OS uses the following location 

[Username]/Library/Application Support/Adobe/XMP/Metadata Extensions

Navigate to the location and create a sub directory named 

Photosphere

with two subdirectories named 

schema

and 

view

Change to the newly created directory ‘Photosphere’ and create a file named 

manifest.xml

with the following content (or download the file here):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
Copyright 2014 by Jürgen Matern (/author/juergen/)
 
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
 
In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under
the conditions that you appropriately attribute it and that you distribute
it only under a license identical to this one.
 
Photosphere File Info Panel (manifest.xml)	
-->
<extension xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/metadata/extension/1.0/"
   name="Photosphere"
   version="1.0"
   locFilePrefix="photosphere">
</extension>

Change to the newly created directory ‘schema’ and create a file named 

photosphereSchema.xml

with the following content (or download the file here):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
Copyright 2014 by Jürgen Matern (/author/juergen/)
 
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
 
In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under
the conditions that you appropriately attribute it and that you distribute
it only under a license identical to this one.
 
Photosphere File Info Panel (photosphereSchema.xml)	
-->
<xmp_definitions>
  <!-- Defining the namespace and prefix of the schema --> 	
	<xmp_schema prefix='GPano' namespace='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/panorama/' label='Photosphere' description='Properties for Photospheres'>
 
		<!-- Defining the properties -->
		<xmp_property name='StitchingSoftware' category='external' type='openchoice' element_type='text' label='Stitching Software:' description='The software which created the panorama.'>
			<xmp_choice raw_value='PTGui Pro 10.0.10' label='PTGui Pro 10.0.10'/>
			<xmp_choice raw_value='PTGui 10.0.10' label='PTGui 10.0.10'/>
			<xmp_choice raw_value='Hugin' label='Hugin'/>
		</xmp_property>
 
		<xmp_property name='ProjectionType' category='external' type='closedchoice' element_type='text' label='Pano Projection:' description='Currently Google applications only support equirectangular projection.' >
			<xmp_choice raw_value='equirectangular' label='equirectangular'/>
			<xmp_choice raw_value='' label='none specified'/>
		</xmp_property>
 
		<xmp_property name='UsePanoramaViewer' category='external' type='boolean' label='Use Panorama Viewer:' description='Set this value if the image should show as photosphere.' />
		<xmp_property name='PoseHeadingDegrees' category='external' type='real' label='Heading:' description='This field is only mandatory for Google Maps. It is the direction in the middle of the image in degrees. North=0, East=90, South=180, West=270. See [GPS].' />
		<xmp_property name='CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels' category='external' type='integer'  label='Cropped Area Image Width:' description='For full spheres the same as Full Pano Width and width of the image in pixels (see [Image Size] further down).'/>
		<xmp_property name='CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels' category='external' type='integer' label='Cropped Image Heigth:' description='For full spheres the same as Full Pano heigth and height of the image in pixels (see [Image Size] further down).'/>
		<xmp_property name='FullPanoWidthPixels' category='external' type='integer' label='Full Pano Width:' description='For full spheres this equals to the height of the image in pixels (see [Image Size] further down).'/>
		<xmp_property name='FullPanoHeightPixels' category='external' type='integer'  label='Full Pano Heigth:' description='For full spheres this equals to the height of the image in pixels (see [Image Size] further down).'/>
		<xmp_property name='CroppedAreaLeftPixels' category='external' type='integer' label='Cropped Pixels Left:' description='Set to 0 for full spheres.'/>
		<xmp_property name='CroppedAreaTopPixels' category='external' type='integer' label='Cropped Pixels Top:' description='Set to 0 for full spheres.'/>
		<xmp_property name='SourcePhotosCount' category='external' type='integer' label='Source Photos Count:' description='Number of source image. This value is optional.'/>
		<xmp_property name='FirstPhotoDate' category='external' type='date' label='First Photo Date' description='Date and time of the first image taken.  This value is optional.'/>
		<xmp_property name='LastPhotoDate' category='external' type='date' label='Last Photo Date' description='Date and time of the last image taken.  This value is optional.'/>
	</xmp_schema>		
</xmp_definitions>

Change to the newly created directory ‘view’ and create a file named 

photosphereView.xml

with the following content (or download the file here):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!--
Copyright 2014 by Jürgen Matern (/author/juergen/)
 
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0
License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
 
In short: you are free to share and make derivative works of the file under
the conditions that you appropriately attribute it and that you distribute
it only under a license identical to this one.
 
Photosphere File Info Panel (photosphereView.xml)	
-->
 
<views xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/metadata/ui/1.0/"> 
	<view
		xmlns:exif="http://ns.adobe.com/exif/1.0/"
		xmlns:GPano='http://ns.google.com/photos/1.0/panorama/' 
		name="Photosphere"
		label="Photosphere"
		description="This view shows the GPano properties and some other values from the EXIF metadata.">
 
		<section label="Photosphere" type="labelled">
			<property name='GPano:StitchingSoftware' />
			<property name='GPano:ProjectionType' />
			<property name='GPano:UsePanoramaViewer' />
			<property name='GPano:PoseHeadingDegrees' />
			<property name='GPano:CroppedAreaImageWidthPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:CroppedAreaImageHeightPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:FullPanoWidthPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:FullPanoHeightPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:CroppedAreaLeftPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:CroppedAreaTopPixels' />
			<property name='GPano:SourcePhotosCount' />
			<property name='GPano:FirstPhotoDate' />
			<property name='GPano:LastPhotoDate' />
		</section>
		<section label="Image Size" type="labelled">
			<property name="exif:PixelXDimension"/>
			<property name="exif:PixelYDimension"/>
		</section>
		<section label="GPS" type="labelled">
			<property name='exif:GPSLongitude' />
			<property name='exif:GPSLatitude' />
			<property name='exif:GPSAltitude' />
			<property name='exif:GPSImgDirection' />
			<property name='exif:GPSDestLongitude' />
			<property name='exif:GPSDestLatitude' />
		</section>
	</view>		
</views>

The properties ‘SourcePhotosCount’, ‘FirstPhotoDate’ and ‘LastPhotoDate’ are optional values for a photosphere.

Then open the file info dialog of Photoshop CC 2014. When all the meta data is missing, the new panel looks like this on a german installation:
Custom file info panel within Photoshop CC 2014, empty
And the following screenshot shows the panel, when the meta data fields are already populated.
Custom file info panel within Photoshop CC 2014, populated

Colonnade at new portal of main cemetery

The new portal of the main cemetery of Frankfurt am Main was built 1908. It incorporates a chapel, a crematorium, a morgue and a hall to host funeral services.

Technique
The panorama was taken with my double monopod construction which was extended to a height of approx. 2.5 meter (appx. 8.2 ft). Stitched from four images taken with a Walimex (Samyang) 8mm fish eye lens on a Sony A7. I took four images around and an additional shot for the floor.

Geotag Icon Show on map






View from Goetheturm

The tower is a 43-metre high construction which was built entirely out of wood. It was renovated from 2010 – 2014 and was reopened April 11, 2014 for the public.

Geotag Icon Show on map






Technique
Stitched from eight images taken with a Walimex (Samyang) 8mm fish eye lens on a Sony A7. Handheld from the viewing plattform of the tower. I took an image approx. every 45°. I had to do some serious retouching in the sky and I had to create the roof of the tower as I was standing underneath and not above…

Ruin of Anhalter Bahnhof (2)

The ruin of the Anhalter Bahnhof is the remaining structure of a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany. It was severely damaged in World War II, and finally closed for traffic in 1952.
[pano file=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140916_2909-2912_RM.xml” preview=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140916_2909-2912_RM.jpg”]

Geotag Icon Show on map




Ruin of Anhalter Bahnhof (1)

The ruin of the Anhalter Bahnhof is the remaining structure of a former railway terminus in Berlin, Germany. It was severely damaged in World War II, and finally closed for traffic in 1952.
[pano file=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140916_2903-2906_RM.xml” preview=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140916_2903-2906_RM.jpg”]

Geotag Icon Show on map




Marble Courtyard in the Castle of Versailles

Stitched from four images taken with a Walimex (Samyang) 8mm fish eye lens on a Sony A7. Handheld over the head as tripods or monopods are not allowed inside the Castle of Versailles. Had to do some serious retouching at the tiles of the floor.
[pano file=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140906_2751-2755_RM.xml” preview=”https://www.panotwins.de/wp-content/panos/JMatern_140906_2751-2755_RM.jpg”]

Geotag Icon Show on map






QR Code Business Card