Capture frames for a desktop stitch
Use ordinary still-photo capture when you want separate frames for desktop stitching. Turn in place where practical, keep a steady pace, and leave enough overlap for shared details to appear in adjacent images. A consistent horizon gives you a cleaner starting point.
Sweep Panorama makes one camera-stitched file from a moving capture. Keep that option for a quick in-camera result; it does not provide the same set of separate source views for a later desktop alignment. Sony's Sweep Panorama guide warns that a missed sweep angle can leave gray space and that moving subjects, close subjects, or repeating textures can make a composite difficult.
For a still scene, matching focus, white balance, and exposure helps neighboring frames blend. Treat these as starting conditions: waves, traffic, and objects close to the lens can shift between frames and leave visible joins.
Choose JPEG or ARW originals
JPEG makes a lighter first pass when import time and storage matter. ARW gives the RAW decoder the camera original to process, which can preserve more of the captured data when that file decodes successfully. Keep one complete capture in its own folder so the sequence is easy to identify.
If the camera saved JPEG and ARW pairs, choose either every JPEG or every ARW for the first stitch. Loading both copies of each view adds duplicates rather than new coverage. Leave the companion format in the archive for a later comparison.
For supported RAW, the pipeline tries the full sensor data first. The embedded-preview exception applies only to DNG after original decoding fails; ARW does not get that fallback. After import, read the reported dimensions and status so you know what the stitch actually used.
Transfer and inspect the source set
- Copy the full sequence from the memory card to a clearly named folder on your computer.
- Open Vakago Panorama Stitcher in a supported desktop browser and add the JPEG or ARW frames.
- Wait for import, then select sources to inspect their decoded dimensions and bit depth.
- Align the set and review any file that was not placed.
ARW support depends on the camera and RAW variant. Check your own import details: a completed decode should report the expected sensor dimensions and source depth. If an ARW cannot decode, use the error details to identify the file, or try the companion JPEG sequence.
Review the stitch before export
Inspect rooflines, branches, and water where a small offset is easy to spot. Alignment places the frames, but it cannot remove motion or parallax from the scene. Correct a misplaced image or explicitly exclude it before you export.
Set the projection and crop for the finished view, then confirm the pixel dimensions in Export. Zooming the viewer only helps you inspect. JPEG output is 8-bit; TIFF16 uses integer values and clips anything beyond its range. Float32 DNG carries the stitched linear RGB image, not the original Bayer mosaic.
The format guide explains what each export can retain. Keep your original folder with the project recipe if you may want to revise the composition.