I always want to push the limits of technology and create something no one has done yet using existing tools. Is it technically possible to shoot a gigapixel photo from the air using a robotic panohead such as the GigaPan or the Clauss Rodeon VR? This seems to be difficult to achieve because of so many factors, primarily the stability of the robotic panoramic head on a hovering helicopter and the time to complete a single panorama.
To get a feel of the process, I chartered a helicopter from Helijet on Aug 26, 2012. I spoke with Capt. Erin Johnstone who was very cool about the idea after explaining to her my objectives. For the 60 minute test flight, I just shot handheld using a Canon 5D MKII with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM. We flew over various spots of Vancouver. During the flight, Erin explained to me the flight restrictions over Vancouver such the the minimum hovering height, flight boundaries, etc. – info that I have to consider if and when I go ahead with the full gigapixel project.
 Ronnie Miranda preparing for take-off (photo by Hilary Jardine) |
 Helijet’s Capt. Erin Johnstone |
Here are the test panoramas from the flight. Each panorama is made up of about 30 individual photos stitched together. As you can see, there are many issues. But as a test, the images came out well considering that this was my very first attempt.
