Essential Guide to Parallax and How to Prevent It in Panorama Photography

Sometimes, even the widest wide-angle lens isn't enough. In such cases, capturing multiple images and stitching them together into one ultra-wide-angle shot is necessary. You can go up to a full 360° panorama if desired. However, it's crucial to avoid parallax errors. Wide-angle shooting is enjoyable, and most smartphones can create panoramic shots. But have you noticed the stitching errors at the bottom of images when something is close to the camera? These are caused by parallax errors, which can also occur when using regular cameras for panoramas.

Everyone has encountered parallax at some point, even those who don't take photos. To observe this, look at a nearby object and cover one eye with your hand. Notice how the object's position against the background shifts when you switch to the other eye. The closer the object is, the more pronounced the shift. If the object is far away, closer to the background, the effect is less noticeable or even invisible.

Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport, Tennessee. This is a Two Row 24 Image Pano.

This phenomenon is similar in panorama photography. If you create a panorama with distant objects using your smartphone or camera, there will be no stitching errors because no parallax error is visible. One way to avoid parallax is to ensure no significant objects are closer to the camera compared to the background.

Ngorongoro Crater Floor, Tanzania. Two Row 10 Image Pano.

Another solution involves utilizing the entrance pupil of the lens and understanding how light rays travel through it. By correctly positioning the rotation axis, parallax can be eliminated. This specific point is known as the entrance pupil, but it is often referred to as the nodal point or the no-parallax point.

The Parallax Error

When the relative position of a subject shifts as a camera is rotated, it results in a parallax error. This concept is best illustrated with examples. Imagine placing a camera on a tripod as usual, with the tripod situated beneath the camera and the lens protruding. For panoramas, the rotation point is roughly at the sensor location.

Canon R5 with Canon 24-105L with a Really Right Stuff Pano Gimbal and Slide. You need the slide to allow for proper alignment. You need the Center of Rotation and the Center of the Sensor Location to all rotate around a common center point.

How to Avoid Parallax Error

The parallax error arises because the rotation point is located at the camera's sensor. This effect is similar to the experiment of covering each eye with your hand. To resolve this issue, rotate the camera at the entrance pupil location, commonly referred to as the nodal point. I will use the term nodal point from now on.

By rotating the camera over the nodal point, you can avoid parallax errors completely.

What Do You Need for Parallax Error Free Panoramas?

As you can see from the images, you'll need to adjust the camera's position on the tripod. To do this, you can purchase a nodal slide or even make your own. It's a simple and lightweight piece of metal that can easily fit in your camera bag. You just need to know where the nodal point of your lens is located.

Using the nodal slide in a real life situation. Here I am shooting with a full frame Canon EOS 5D Mk IV and a EF 16-35mm f/2,8L lens, on a Really Right Stuff nodal slide.

You can search the internet to find out the exact position of the nodal point of your lens, or you can find out yourself by doing a simple experiment that I will show in an upcoming Blog.

One Step Further

A nodal slide is ideal for capturing horizontal panoramas, even full-circle ones. However, parallax errors can also occur when changing the vertical angle for multi-row panoramas. To shoot multi-row panoramas or 360°/180° panoramas, you'll need a nodal slide for vertical rotation as well. I use the Really Right Stuff PG-01 Compact Pano-Gimbal Head, which helps avoid parallax errors in both vertical and horizontal rotations. While setting up the system can be challenging, it significantly simplifies stitching and allows for parallax-free vertical panoramas.

The Tidal Basin in Washington DC at the height of the Cherry Blossoms. Canon 5D Mk IV and a 24/-105 L F4.0 Lens. Two Row 24 Image Pano.