Shooting Panoramas while using GND filters.

[Dylfish]

Hey Peoples,

I've been getting into a few panoramas of late and im looking for some slight guidence.

When I Shoot with with GND filters I expose for the foreground and then use the correct filter to help balance out the sky. My camera is set in manual mode and I am wondering if I should be metering the exposure for one frame and then using that for the rest, or should I be metering for the first, then put the gnd on, take the shot then repeat for every shot? I just want to see what everyones techniquies are in regards to each shot, i just think this could be time consuming at times where light is critical and changing quickly.

Also do you guys get your focus for the main focal point then not touch it from then on for all shot, or adjust for all?

Cheers!

[ameerat42]

YES, unless you have some good reason (that I can't even think of) not to.

Er, meter a frame and use that exposure throughout, that is. AS for when you put on the GND, well, I would (if I had one) put it on after metering.

If lighting conditions change rapidly, then they are not ideal for (most) panos. (I mean you might get some interesting results.)

Panos are often of distant subjects, but if not then you'd want all of the field to be in focus. Too big a variation in focal distance could result in differential magnification, that is, of really close subjects. (But as you're talking about GND, I assume you mean there's going to be sky and that's usually far away.)

OK, so what do I do? 1) Decide on what part of the scene to base the exposure on (though it's usually uniform). 2)Meter the shot, focus, then take the component pictures as quickly as practicable. (It usually works.)

[Dylfish]

Excelent, thats what ive been doing so sounds good. Cheers!

[dieselpower]

I throw the camera at the brightest section of the pano, meter off the foreground then drop on the right GND to bring the sky back into check. I either set the AE-L in aperture priority (I have my camera set to lock until I press the lock button again or until the meters turn off) or drop it onto manual mode. My rule of thumb is expose for the highlights, and in a pano that is wherever the brightest frame will be. Seems to work ok in my case...