Experiences with Hugin and Smartblend

 I collect my experiences with panorama photos here.
https://360x180pano.blogspot.com/2022/06/smartblend-still-works-with-2021-hugin.html
https://360x180pano.blogspot.com/2022/06/smartblend-still-works-with-2021-hugin.html

I have just completed a series of hand-held panorama photos during my trip to Kelambu Beach, Sabah,  Malaysia, and uploaded results and pictures to Google Maps and Photos.

My older works are still preserved in Google Maps done with older versions of Hugin.

The camera used was Sony A5100 mirrorless. The cheapest and lightest of the NEX class cameras but no longer updated. It still has a 24 Mp sensor butsufficient for Google Maps because it only accepts 16000x8000 panorama photos.

It has bracketed exposes. I tried +-3 EV hand held. The ghosting appears because alignment with the same stack is poor. There are errors after optimising these stacks using hugin allign stack feature.

The HDR menu in the sticker does not work, sometimes. However, the user output works all the time. I even managed to stitch single photos but its quality is not as good as raw picture processing usinng Sony's raw software Imaging Edge Desktop's D-range optimizer at 100% manual setting. Sometimes it creates more noise but HDR stiching using hand-held bracketed stacks.

Hugin was able to create the stack numbers automatically if the EV exposure bracketing setting is input into the EXIF of the picture. I used the stock lens 16mm-50mm F3.5 when the sun is bright. For the sunrise and sunet photos, I used the manual Samyang 12mm F2 lens. Then I need to assign the stack number manually.

Smartblend is better than the latest builtin blending software used by Hugin. It still leves dark areas at the stiching areas but it appears sharper than previous Enblend stiching and appear faster as well.Feels as fast as Smartblend.

Using Smartblend is actually easy but do not use the User outputand make sure the output files are not cropped. It is in the Nona setting. Just input the Smartblend executable file as the alternate Enblend in Program settings. However, I still prefer to run the Smartblend using the Enblend GUI.

Enblend GUI has the best user interface ever. It shows the progress in % and time left. Once the project is completed, the total time is shown. You can save the project setting of the input and output files. The only weakness is the inability to delete the input files from the GUI.

https://goo.gl/maps/bZ5LwtQHpQTXQ5BaA

I identify them by the lack of dicontinuities at the horizon because I have learned to zoom in as closely as my computer processing allows and manually move a set of vertically linked pictures together, i.e. the centre, slightly up, and slightly down. The top picture with an estimated pitch of 90 degree is usually difficult to link so are set manually. The bottom picture with pitch of 90 degree, is taken to remove my legs so are not as aligned as the other pictures, so should cause more parallax error. No need to edit out my  feet, I just mask them out. Even mys shadows disappear using builtin blending but reappeared using Smartblend. Multiple pictures of moving people or shadows will be cancelled by Enblend-type blender but not Smartblend. Smartblend has the ability to choose the best picture which contributes to its sharpness.

Take a look at Kelambu Beach and Max Campsite for pictures and panoramas. It is the best beach in the world, but the poorest in the world, despite its immense resources, the largest producers of oil palm, timber and petroleum in Malaysia. If only  Malaysia had diverted the huge subsidies to the poor through direct cash  handouts, poverty will be removed from Malaysia entirely instantly.

Smartblend still works with 2021 Hugin

 Smartblend is still faster and better than the builtin  blending tools in Hugin 2021 version.

I thought it no longer works, but actually I forgot the procedure the run Smartblend usinng Enblend GUI, still the old version. Do not crop the remapped pictures during nona stitching. By default it should be uncropped.