Ever tried to make a set of pictures 360° from the top of a hill or inside a Roman arena? It’s not easy to make the last picture fit to the first… The problem is to hold the camera exactly in the same plane and avoid raising or lowering it.

Many cameras have a “stitch assist” mode to make it easier: the display shows the previous picture, so you can make the two fit together. A problem sometimes is that the exposure is set at the first picture, giving under or overexposed sequels.

A better solution is in hardware: put your camera on a tripod with a perfectly level head. These are for sale, but unfortunately cost quite a bit.
In a great article on worth1000 it’s shown how you can make one yourself. It takes a bit of craftmanship, but I’m sure you will be very pleased with the results!

For more information, click the panorama below:

What sort of batteries are best for your digital camera?

I ask this because I recently had a battle to get an online camera store to send me the rechargeable batteries advertised in the national press, instead of the 2 x AAs they actually sent me. It took them six weeks to admit the error and I’m still awaiting the goods, though DHL assure me they are on the way.

So, was it worth the effort? The package promised of NiMH rechargeables, plus a battery charger will save a fair amount of money in the short, medium and long terms.

On average you can use rechargeables over 100 times. If you change your AA batteries every month, the cost of alkalines will far exceed your occasional purchase of the use-again type. It will also save on shoe leather traipsing back and forth to the camera shop. The more you use the camera, the more you save.

A camera with a proprietary lithium brick battery also sounds good, but if it runs out in the middle of a shoot, you’re done.

Being able to stick in a couple of spare AAs will keep you shooting whatever happens. So bear in mind all these points when it comes to choosing your camera. Battery type could be an important consideration.

Powerpix is the new disposable battery range released by Duracell with a special promise of longer life.

Let’s face it, disposable batteries are a pain in these days of power photography. They seem to last only an hour or two, and the cumulative cost can be high. The price of consumables is beginning to dominate most sectors of the gadget market.

Now Duracell say that their new Powerpix range, in both AA and AAA sizes, will last twice as long as normal battery types. The new batteries are powered by advanced NiOx technology, specifically formulated to meet the needs of the latest digital cameras.

Pocket-Lint comments: “PowerPix will be available in February 2006 in America. We are still trying to find out whether or not they will be available in the UK at the same time. The new battery will be sold in four- and eight-cell packs in AA size and four-cell packs in AAA size. The suggested retail price for a four-cell pack is $5.99.”

Michelle Ryther, Internet Marketing manager for Samy’s Camera, a leading resource for photographers on the Web gives Canon’s PIXMA iP5000 photo-printer top marks:

“Canon is on the leading edge technologically,” she says. “Their PIXMA iP5000 is a powerhouse printer that combines next-generation print head technology with advanced 5-color printing, for fast, high-definition photos.”

A press release further adds: “Canon Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) uses a high-performance 1,856-nozzle print head that ejects precise, consistent droplets of ink and prints an amazing resolution of up to 9600 x 2400 color dpi, for detail and clarity unmatched by comparable printers.”

Check out this $55 price cut.