Panoramic on the *ist D

Hi, I'm new to this site and to using Forums so please forgive any errors on my part!

My Wife's fav camera is the MZ5n; the combination of the panoramic device in the view-finder and Fuji Velvia slide film in low light conditions give superb
results.

When she moved over to the *ist D she found the lack of a panoramic feature has changed the way she sees and takes images.

I know the letter-box effect can be done in Photoshop but it is at the taking stage where she has problems visualising the finished image!

Is there a solution to this?

Time to learn a new skill.
Shooting several images to stiched together in photoshop yeilds much better results than cropping the top and bottom off a standard shot.
failing that, it simply a matter of learning to visualize where you intend to crop the final image.

A good tripod head like the Manfrotto 488 will help, as you can rotate in the horizontal direction only, and it has a measuring ring marked in degrees which alows you to measure the amount you have swung the camera.

Your wife could carry round the Mz-5n too, to see what compositions would work, then crop the digital shot in 'photoshop'. Or, a somewhat less bulky option would be to have a piece of card with a letterbox cut out for her to use as a 'viewfinder' - she can see what shots would work using the crad, then compose with the camera.

Best thing though is, as Don said, to learn to visualise where the crop needs to be.

I've done a fair view 'stitched' panoramics with my D, and use a 50mm lens, with the camera mounted vertically on a Manfrotto 488 tripod head. It's not the quickest method of shooting, and there's a fair amount of processing to do afterwards. Probably not what your wife is after, but if it is, I would strongly adivse getting a hot-shoe mounted spirit level to make sure you don't end up with a sloping horizon.

Dan

All good advice; most of which we have conceded. What I had hoped someone would tell me was that Pentax had come up with a software upgrade to cut off the screen but
that was wishful thinking. Many Thanks

Serif produce a piece of software that I have used to good effect, as well as the Photoshop solution. It's called PanaramaPlus. You can download it and try it for 30 days I think.