see also:

• the Olympus OM-D system and how to make the most of it
• panorama

• panorama stitched images can be achieved using Olympus cameras in a semi-automatic manner or in a fully manual manner, but currently, there is no fully automatic in-camera stitching mode nor a sweep panorama mode
• some cameras (not Olympus OM-D) do have a sweep panorama mode but if you want quality images, one does not want to be moving the camera during the photo as occurs in this mode.
• why no sweep panorama mode - if you bought an Olympus OM-D camera, you obviously value image quality and sweep panorama will end up in frustration and poor quality imagery, if you want good results, use good technique and think about the issue.

• take a series of shots with around 30% overlap of each sequential image
• ensure that you use the same exposure, white balance, zoom setting and focus for every shot
• avoid lens vignetting - take care choosing your lens and aperture
• avoid variances in sky colour by NOT using a polarising filter
• keep the camera level whilst panning
• avoid tilting camera up for tall objects as this will create converging lines
• avoid sunlight hitting the front lens as this may cause different flare patterns on each image
• consider having the camera in portrait mode (ie. held vertically) to gain even greater image quality but more images required
• try to pan the camera around the nodal point of the lens, especially if there are foreground objects
• if shooting manually shoot a black frame at start and at end to make it easier to locate the sequence later

• select SCN on the exposure mode dial on top of the camera
• navigate to the Panorama mode via rear LCD screen and the up down arrow buttons
• press OK
• you will then have a horizontal level guide to assist you in panning, and a framing guide to show how much image overlap you need
• adjust exposure, focus as needed
• take your shots, pan between each
• when finished the pan, press OK to finish
• on the computer, use Olympus Viewer to open the file and it will perform the stitching for you
• for best results, camera should be level and on a tripod

• it is important to ensure that you use the same exposure, white balance, zoom setting and focus for every shot
• thus set each of these to be constant between shots by:
  • set white balance to a fixed setting, not auto white balance, but either sunny, cloudy, or custom WB, etc.
  • set exposure mode to M for manual
  • ensure ISO is not auto ISO
  • set shutter speed and aperture to give the correct exposure
  • if using a zoom lens, adjust zoom for the shot and do not touch it until you are finished
  • set focus using either manual focus or auto focus lock (assuming you have AEL/AFL button set to do this, then press this button at the start of sequence to lock focus and leave it until finished)
• take your shots trying to keep the camera panning between each shot in a level manner and provide about 30% overlap (try using the rule of thirds guides)
• on the computer, use your favorite panoramic stitching software to stitch the images together such as:
  • hugin (free, based on Panotools)
    • Hugin will automatically shift the images and rotate and skew the images to make them match so any distortion from hand-held mis-matches doesn't matter
  • Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) free