Sweep panorama
Originally a feature found in Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 camera, the NEX-5 features Sweep Panorama. This allows panoramic images to be created by simply moving the camera in a sweeping motion across a scene. The NEX-5 takes a series of images and then aligns and stitches them together to create a panorama of up to 12,416×1,856 pixels in size. The angle of view also varies, but using the 16mm pancake lens, a panorama of up to 226° can be created.
Although the Sweep Panorama feature does occasionally make the odd mistake, it generally works extremely well, with no visible marks where the images have been stitched together. For the NEX-system, Sony has taken the Sweep Panorama mode to the next level and it is now possible to capture panoramic images in 3D. As the camera pans and takes images, it records separate left- and right-eye images.
A video file of the still panoramic image can be created that will show a 3D image when viewed through suitable glasses on a Sony Bravia 3D television.The feature is not currently enabled in the NEX-3 or NEX-5, but this will be remedied via a firmware upgrade shortly after the camera becomes available. I was fortunate to see a sneak preview of the 3D Sweep Panorama feature at the launch of the NEX-5 and was very impressed.
Viewing a 3D panoramic image sweeping from left to right on a large TV added a new dimension to viewing such images. While it won’t change the way we view most images, it will certainly make showing friends and family our holiday pictures a more satisfying experience.
