How much overlap do I need for panoramas?

Most stitching software recommends 25-35% overlap between frames. 30% is the standard recommendation. Less overlap risks gaps or stitching errors, especially with plain subjects like sky or water. More overlap gives better results but requires more frames.

Should I shoot panoramas in portrait or landscape orientation?

Portrait (vertical) orientation is preferred for panoramas. It captures more vertical coverage (important for foreground and sky), produces higher resolution, and makes stitching easier because each frame covers less horizontal angle. The extra frames are worth the improved result.

What focal length is best for panoramas?

For landscapes, 35-50mm produces natural-looking panoramas with minimal distortion. Wider lenses (24mm) cover more per frame but introduce barrel distortion that complicates stitching. Longer lenses (85-200mm) create very high-resolution panoramas but require many more frames. Some landscape photographers use 50mm for "Brenizer method" panoramas.

How do I avoid parallax errors?

Rotate the camera around the lens nodal point (entrance pupil), not the tripod mount. Use a panoramic head with a sliding plate to position the nodal point over the rotation axis. For distant subjects, parallax is negligible and a regular tripod head works fine.

Panorama Calculator — Frames, Overlap & Resolution

Plan panorama shots with overlap percentage, number of frames and estimated final resolution.

Focal Length

Lens focal length

Sensor Width

e.g. 36mm for full frame

Sensor Height

e.g. 24mm for full frame

Total Panorama Angle

Total horizontal coverage

Overlap

Frame-to-frame overlap

Camera Megapixels

Your camera resolution

Frame Orientation

Portrait gives higher pano resolution

How We Calculate This

This calculator plans panorama sequences based on lens FOV and overlap:

Field of View per Frame

FOV = 2 x arctan(sensor dimension / (2 x focal length))

Number of Frames

Effective step = FOV x (1 - overlap%)

Frames = ceil(total angle / effective step) + 1

Final Resolution

Estimated by multiplying the non-overlapping width per frame by the number of steps, plus one full frame width.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: February 2026

All calculations are estimates based on standard optical and photographic formulas. Results may vary with specific equipment.