Re: Widest of angles is not provided by the lens.

[Steve Morton <Steven.Morton@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert Erickson wrote:

> > FYI, Professional panoramic photographers seldom use wide
> > angle lenses.

> Yes, we VR photographers do use wide angle lens, but we are the exception to
> the rule.

> If it's commercial stock photography or exhibition prints that you are
> after, the longer the lens, the bigger the image, the better.

Bob, Bob, Bob!!! This is a terrible generalistion !!! Rules? there 
are few rules in photography! 

I have been shooting 360+ 120 format images for about ten years. The 
LONGEST focal length lens I use on 120 (56mm image height) is a 28mm 
with a vertical angle of view of about 90 degrees. See
http://www.physics.monash.edu.au/~smort/panorama/
I am not the only one shooting like this, I know several people 
around the world shooting style of pix.
I have been shooting this style long before the advent of VR imaging.

Your suggestion implying that commercial panoramic stock photographs 
are mostly long lens shots is untrue. Most of these stock images are 
shot with 6x17 type cameras using 90mm wide angle lenses. Let's not 
start the old argument about the Linhof Technorama not being a 
panoramic camera. Most panoramic stock images are produced with this 
general type of camera.

Some people like shooting with long lenses, some with short, others 
use both.

Cya
Steve