Pano: Pictures in circles make us happy.

One of the biggest gripes I've had with the iPhone has been with the camera.  Don't get me wrong.  It's amazing what Apple has managed to do with the technology they were working with.  What the 2 megapixel camera lacks in resolution, it makes up for in spades with good dynamic range, high contrast ratios, and good color saturation.  All of this is controlled by on-board software and the CCD's processing chip, but I've been pleased with the results I get from my cell-phone camera.

There are limitations to my adulation; you can't zoom in using the native camera app, and the effective focal length is 37mm, which leaves a lot to be desired when trying to shoot anything beyond a few feet away from you.  The native camera app is also lacking any sort of scene settings, which is to be expected from simple-is-as-simple-does Apple, but makes those of us who appreciate the point-and-shoot qualities of the phone want to tear our hear out.

"That's what the app store is for, moron," you say, probably through a mouthful of Cheetos (you disgust me).  To that I say, "Precisely."  There are a handful of apps that have greatly increased my shutterbug pleasure when using the iPhone as a point and shoot.  The app I utilize the most, however, is Pano, by Debacle Software.

As you can probably tell by the name, Pano grants the iPhone OS the ability to take panoramic photos.  The key selling point, though, is the built-in stitching algorithm which assembles the photos you take into an insanely wide panoramic photo that can span as many as 16 snapshots, taken in portrait or landscape orientation.

Pano is a simple app at heart; at launch, you can immediately start shooting in portrait orientation.  A quick button tap switches you to landscape mode.  A easy-to-see overlay of your previous image is placed down the left side of your screen, and lining up your next shot becomes a bit of an artform, as close object will noticeably distort if you just turn in place instead of rotating around a center point along one of the phone's axes. You then proceed to take photos, moving from left to right, until you're satisfied with the width of your panoramic or until you've taken 16 images.  Each photo must be confirmed, which is handy for those times when you accidentally bump the device as you go to tap the shutter button.

16 images is more than enough to take a full 360 degree image in portrait mode, and actually allows some overlap in landscape mode.  Tapping the on-screen gear button at any time allows you to restart your session, resume shooting, or start the stitching algorithm.  The app also features resuming of an interrupted session, so if your buddy calls to tell you about last night's episode of Dancing With the Stars when you're on photo #15 of a panoramic of the awesome Hot Chick and Beer Club you found, you can pick right up where you were after you've decimated his masculinity.

The stitching algorithm leaves very little to be desired.  If you're familiar with the similar functionality built into recent versions of Photoshop, then this is nothing new.  Consumer point-and-shoot cameras have been shipping with built-in panoramic assist modes and accompanying software that stitch your downloaded photos together for at least 6 years now.  The convenience here is the fact that it is completely built in to the app, part-and-parcel.  A 16 image stitching session takes around a minute, which is pretty zippy considering what the software is having to do to line up the images correctly.  When the stitch is complete, the image is placed back into your camera roll for you to do with as you see fit.

The resulting panoramic images can be up too  6800 pixels wide by 800 pixels high in landscape mode.  The app costs $2.99 and is available on the app store.  The price on this app may turn some people away, being $2.00 more than most folks may be willing to pay for a single-use app.  However, I've made great use of the app on a number of memorable occasions and have been impressed with the updates the developer has introduced over the last few months.  Quality photo apps tend to run a few dollars more than other categories of apps, and this usually reflects time spent on development.  Long story short, I had not qualms paying $2.99 for Pano.

Get Pano HERE

Below is a gallery of some panoramas I've shot with the app.

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Check out the flickr group for more great examples of what this app can do:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/iphonepanoramas/