Have Camera Will Travel - Reviews & Tips HomepageHave Camera Will Travel - Reviews & Tips

David Coleman Photography

  • Reviews & Tips
  • GoPro
  • Lightroom
  • Places
  • Photos
  • Reviews
    • Nikon
    • Sony
    • Fujifilm
    • Cameras
    • Lenses
    • Sample Images
    • Travel Tripods
    • Adventure Cameras
    • 360°
  • Memory Cards
  • GoPro
  • Flash
  • Travel Tripods
  • Books
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Twitter

How to Shoot a Panorama with the Nikon D3400

The Easy Panorama mode that was in its predecessor has gone. Here's a guide to shooting panoramas with the Nikon D3400.

Nikon D3400 How to Shoot Panorama header image

Categories: DSLRs, How To Guides
Tags: Nikon, Nikon D3400 DSLR, Panoramas
Last updated about 1 year ago // Originally published about 4 years ago

Panoramas use an extreme aspect ratio and high resolution for fun, interesting, and dramatic perspectives.

The Nikon D3400‘s predecessor, the Nikon D3300, had an Easy Panorama mode that made things, well, easy. It’s the kind of in-camera all-in-one solution you might have used on your smartphone or another modern camera. But that has been removed for the D3400.

So how do you shoot a panorama with a Nikon D3400? Since the camera can’t do the stitching for you, the only option is to go back to the fundamentals and do it the old-fashioned way.

It’s a two-step process: shoot the image tiles and then stitch them together. I’ll walk through the most basic version here. It works on pretty much any camera and isn’t tied to the Nikon D3400 specifically. And there are ways to expand on it to get different kinds of results. On the negative side, that means more steps and a slower workflow that involves using third-party software. On the plus side, though, it gives you a lot more control, potentially much better quality, and sets you up nicely to be able to use the same technique with other cameras.

Step 1: Shoot the Individual Photo Tiles

The way this method works is to take a series of overlapping individual images, or tiles, that are then stitched together to provide a seamless single panoramic image. In very basic terms, what you want to do is shoot a sequence of photos while slowly rotating the camera. In practice, there’s a number of things that will help give better results.

Tripods vs Hand-Held

There are a number of different ways to mount and hold the camera when shooting panoramas. At the top of the range are robots like the Gigapan or eMotimo TB3. These offer a computerized approach where the shooting of the tiles is automated, precise, and repeatable. They’re also bulky and expensive and require a sturdy tripod or other solid mounting point.

A smaller, simpler version is something like the Syrp Genie Mini. It doesn’t offer control over the nodal point, but it’s much more portable and significantly less expensive.

The step down from those is a mechanical approach with a specialized panorama tripod head that slides the camera back so that you can adjust the nodal point. They range from heavy-duty (and heavy!) models like the Manfrotto MH057A5 to small, lightweight designs.

If you’re looking to dive into panoramas more seriously, the Nodal Ninja offers a number of good cost-effective and portable panorama heads that are strong enough to work well with a Nikon D3400 with a standard lens.

The next best is a tripod head that has a rotating base. You can get specialized ones like this, but any standard tripod head with a rotating base will do the trick. While you can’t control the nodal point with those, they still work very well in most circumstances.

And finally, you can shoot hand-held. The obvious advantage is convenience. The downside is that it’s less precise and the physical movement of the camera between shots changes the perspective slightly and makes it harder for the stitching software to line things up. In practice, that’s mostly an issue with things that are close to the camera, such as railings, tiled floors, etc. It’s much less of an issue for panoramas of subjects in the distance. And shooting hand-held isn’t a good option when shooting in low light or with long exposures, of course.

Consistency is Key

Keeping the exposure settings, focus, and focal length consistent between shots is going to result in a smoother panorama. If you have settings change between shots, you might have a slightly darker image to be merged with a lighter one, and that can create some ugly seams. And if you’re zooming between shots, the stitching software is going to have a much harder time trying to merge them.

On the Nikon D3400, there are a few things that can help with this and a couple of different ways to do it. I’m assuming that you’re using some combination of the automatic settings. If you’re already using full manual settings, you can skip this section—just remember to keep the same settings for each shot in the panorama.

Something else that helps just that little bit more with consistency between the frames is shooting in RAW. The methods I’m outlining here will work just as well with JPG or RAW, but with RAW you get more exposure latitude when trying to even out highlights and shadows across a panorama as well as more room to move in correcting things later on like lens vignetting. I nearly always shoot RAW, and it has strong advantages in situations like this, although it does require more processing before the image is usable.

Exposure Lock Method

This is the easiest way to do it on the Nikon D3400. It works in any of the automatic exposures modes: P, A, or S. It’s an excellent option for hand-held shooting or with a tripod in conditions where you can use a relatively fast shutter speed. If you’re shooting with long exposures, you won’t want your hand on the camera while the shutter’s open, so you’ll be better off using the full manual version instead (see below).

The Nikon D3400 has an exposure lock button on the back that’s labeled AE-L AF-L. It’s above the top right corner of the back screen, and you can hold it with your thumb while still using the shutter.

Nikon D3400 AE-L AF-L button for exposure lock

The label stands for Auto Exposure Lock and AutoFocus Lock. And, helpfully, there’s also a small key icon next to it. What that button does is keeps the exposure settings locked so long as you’ve got the button pressed. Don’t release it between shots or it will reset.

  1. Point the camera at either the part you want to draw most attention to or, if your panorama is going to include areas of different lighting, a part that has a safe middle ground.
  2. Half-press the shutter button to focus.
  3. Then press the AE-L / AE-F button with your right thumb and hold it down.
  4. Now point the camera at the left or right edge of the area you want to include in your panorama. Add little buffer to add some flexibility when cropping later. You can start at the left and move right, or vice versa—there is a slight convenience advantage in going left to right because some stitching software has a hard time automatically detecting sequences shot right to left. And while we’re most used to horizontal panoramas, there’s no reason you can’t also make a vertical panorama.
  5. When shooting each shot, make sure that there’s some overlap. For the matching and perspective algorithms to do their thing, you’ll need some overlap between each shot. The idea is somewhere around 20 percent, but you don’t need to get too hung up on precise degrees–in many cases the software can work comfortably with a bit more or less. So just eyeball it unless you’re using a specialized panoramic tripod head that lets you define specific increments of rotation.
  6. Once you’ve done the row, you’re done. It is of course possible to shoot multi-row panoramas, but I’m focusing here on the simplest approach of a single row. I’ll sometimes repeat the exercise as a precaution.
  7. You’re done with the shooting. Now it’s time to feed the tiles into editing and stitching software (see below).

Full Manual Method

Using the AE-L button is the most convenient in many cases, especially if shooting hand-held, but it’s not the only way to do it. You can also put the camera into full manual mode. It gives you more control, and it’s much better in situations where any vibration from your hands on the camera is critical, such as shooting long exposure.

As you’d expect, using the manual mode turns off the automatic exposure settings. It gives you maximum control, but if you’re not used to using manual exposure it can be more complicated to get the exposure right. It’s also pretty much fool proof and also works on any camera that gives you a manual control option—not just the Nikon D3400.

The first step is to set your focus and exposure settings. So you’ll need to set your ISO, aperture, and shutter speed.

There is one potential gotcha that can catch you out if you’re not careful. If you have the D3400’s Auto ISO Sensitivity Control set to On, you’ll want to turn it off. You can find that setting on the camera’s menu under the camera icon > ISO sensitivity settings > Auto ISO sensitivity control. Otherwise it’s going to negate the point of putting the camera into Manual mode because it’s still going to adjust the exposure itself between images. It’s an easy thing to overlook.

The rest of the process is the same as using the AE-L button method. You want to do the same kind of tiles with overlap.

General Tips for Shooting Panoramas

Stop To Take Each Photo

If you’re used to shooting panoramas with something like an iPhone or other camera, they often involve a smooth panning motion in a single slow sweep. But when shooting individual images, you’ll get better results if you stop and keep the camera as still as possible while the shutter is open. That greatly reduces the risk of motion blur. The ideal is to use a tripod, of course, but hand-held also works well in any conditions where hand-held shooting would normally work.

Polarizing Filters with Panoramas

In most cases, especially with skies, don’t use a polarizing filter. Because of the way that they react to light, you’ll end up with uneven patches. I have more on that in a post on using circular polarizers on wide-angle lenses.

Vertical vs Horizontal Framing

You can hold the camera vertically or horizontally, but for maximum flexibility and resolution, hold the camera vertically and line the photos up portrait style. Like this:

Lightroom panorama  4

Step 2: Stitch the Images Together to Create a Panorama

The second step is to stitch the image tiles together. Software algorithms do the heavy lifting here.

Panorama Stitching Software

There are quite a few apps that can stitch images together; I’ve listed some of them below, and you can find more panorama stitching apps here.

Each has its pros and cons. There’s nothing specific about the files generated by the Nikon D3400 that lend themselves to one app over another with one exception–if you want to feed RAW (.nef) files in directly without processing them to JPG or TIFF first you’ll need to make sure the app can read RAW files. If you’re after something simple, free, and cross-platform, take a look at Hugin or AutoStitch. For more advanced capabilities, PTGUI and AutoPano Pro are good. Both are paid apps. If you’re using GIMP, there are plugins that can add panorama stitching, like this one.

Photoshop and Lightroom also have panorama stitching features built-in. So if you’re also ready using either of those, it’s a good place to start. For this quick demo, I’m going to use Lightroom Classic’s built-in panorama stitcher. The workflow is similar in the other apps–import the sequence of images, have the software automatically align the images, make any tweaks, and then export the stitched panorama–but each apps has its own options and features.

Stitching in Lightroom Classic

I’m just going to do a simple single-row horizontal panorama here. I’m starting with Nikon NEF files.

  1. Choose one of the images in the sequence and open it in the Develop module. Make any basic edits such as brightness or contrast, etc. While it’s not essential, checking the “Enable Profile Corrections” box under the Lens Corrections tab can help address any lens vignetting or lens distortion that might make it harder on the stitching algorithm.
  2. Apply the edits across every image in the sequence so that they’re consistent. In Lightroom you do this with the Sync function (or AutoSync, if you have that turned on).
  3. Select all of the images in the sequence, either in the Library’s Grid Mode or in the filmstrip at the bottom. Right Click one of the images (or use the top menu’s Photo > Photo Merge item) and choose “Photo Merge.” Choose the Panorama item.

Lightroom Panorama  1

  1. You’ll get a popup window with some basic options and a preview of the image.

Lightroom Panorama  2

  1. Select a projection mode. If in doubt, start with Cylindrical. You’ll get a preview of the effect, so by all means try the others in case they fit the look you’re going for. The Auto Crop option crops down to only the functional part of the images, removing any white edges. In this example, the panning wasn’t perfectly flat so the stitched version appears to slope down a bit. The Boundary Warp slider can also help with this.

Lightroom Panorama  3

  1. Once you’re happy with the preview, click the Merge Button at bottom right. It’ll then process the stitching more carefully and add the new stitched panorama. Now that you have a shiny new stitched panorama you can go ahead and make more edits. An advantage of doing all this in Lightroom is that the stitched version is still a RAW file (it creates it as a DNG file), so you retain all the benefits of working natively in a RAW format.

After some tweaking, this one comes out like this:

e inbox 2007 06 boston 01 havecamerawilltravel com 678x248 - How to Shoot a Panorama with the Nikon D3400

Here’s another one with a much busier foreground. But the stitching algorithms do a remarkable job even with ones like this (which was shot handheld).

Washington DC Cherry Blossoms February 6, 2017

And this one, also shot handheld, stitches together 14 individual images. If you look very closely at full resolution, there are some stitching errors in the ripples of the water simply because they’re moving. That’s where the fancier stitching software can offer some improvements over the Lightroom stitching.

01 havecamerawilltravel com 2 678x162 - How to Shoot a Panorama with the Nikon D3400

Where to Buy a Nikon D3400 DSLR

The D3400 is an excellent camera for getting started with DSLR photography. But now that it has been replaced with a newer model, it will become increasingly hard to find in stores.

Some good places to look for new D3400s are Amazon and B&H Photo.

You can also find them used at major used camera gear sellers such as KEH (which is where I often buy when I'm looking for used gear).

Popular Lenses for the Nikon D3400

Nikon 35mm f/1.8G AF-S DX Lens for Nikon DSLR Cameras (Renewed)
This Certified Refurbished product is manufacturer refurbished it shows limited or no wear
$240.00 −$31.00 $209.00
Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G Lens with Auto Focus for Nikon DSLR...
F mount lens/DX format. Picture angle with Nikon DX format 44 degree; 52.5 millimeter (35-millimeter equivalent). Rear focusing; Manual focus override
$196.95
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G Lens
Focal length 50 millimeter, minimum focus distance 1.48 feet (0.45 meter); Optimized for edge to edge sharpness on both fx and dx format d SLRS
$216.95

Nikon D3400 Batteries & Chargers

BESTON 2-Pack EN-EL14 / EN-EL14a Battery Packs and USB Fast Charger for...
$27.99
STK EN-EL14 EN-EL14a Battery for Nikon D3400 D5600 D3500 D3200 D3300 D5300...
TESTED INDEPENDENTLY FOR SAFETY - CE and RoHS Safety Certification.; HAVE A PROBLEM, LET US KNOW We take care of our customers just email us.
$14.99
FirstPower EN-EL14 EN-EL14a Battery 2-Pack and Dual USB Charger for Nikon...
$26.99

Popular Accessories for the Nikon D3400

All You Need Giant Accessory KIT for Nikon D3400 D3500 D5600
GIANT ALL YOU NEED 55MM ACCESSORY KIT FOR NIKON D3400 D3500 D5600; INCLUDES A WIDE ANGLE LENS, MACRO LENS 2.2X HIGH DEFINITION TELEPHOTO ZOOM LENS, BACKPACK
$189.00
USB Cable Compatible with Nikon DSLR D3400 Camera Only, Compatible with...
Important:fit for Nikon DSLR D3400 Only! Not Compatible with other Nikon Camara!; Important: Download function only. can Not charge camera!
$5.99
Nikon D3400 24.2 MP DSLR Camera + AF-P DX 18-55mm VR NIKKOR Lens Kit...
Includes all original accessories plus a 90 Day Manufacturer Warranty; Nikon D3400 24.2 MP DSLR Camera with AF-P DX 18-55mm VR Lens Kit
$549.00
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on November 14, 2019

Categories: DSLRs, How To Guides
Tags: Nikon, Nikon D3400 DSLR, Panoramas

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

News & Deals

With the holidays fast approaching, there’s some great deals on photography gear and services available. I’ve put together a roundup of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2020 Photography Deals. It’s a running list as new deals are announced, so be sure to check back.

Canon announces new EOS Rebel T8i DSLR. Canon has announced their new T8i DSLR. 24MP APS-C cropped CMOS sensor, 4K24 video, and updated image processing and detection systems. It’s available for preorder from B&H Photo.

New Firmware for the Ricoh GR III. Ricoh has release firmware v1.31 for the GR III. Release notes are: “Corrected — When shooting with the multiple exposure, in rare cases the live view may not display correctly. Improved stability for general performance.” You can download it here.

New Canon 1D X Mark III Pro DSLR Announced. Canon has announced their new flagship model of pro DSLR, the 1D X Mark III. They’re sticking with a 20.1MP CMOS sensor, but it’s a new and improved version and boasts an incredible native ISO range of ISO 100 to ISO 102400 and an extended range that goes up to a jaw-dropping ISO 819200. With revamped autofocus, a new image processor, and all sorts of other bells and whistles, it’s no wonder that Canon is billing it as “The Ultimate EOS.”

New Manfrotto Pro Rugged Memory Cards. Manfrotto, an Italian probably best known for their tripods and studio accessories, has launched a new Pro Rugged range of high-end SD, microSD, and CompactFlash cards. While they don’t have a huge selection of sizes and speeds, the cards are aiming for very fast cards that can put up with rugged demands. For instance, they claim that their V90 rated SD cards can withstand three times the force (20kg / 45 lbs) of a regular SD card. I’ve ordered some to run through my speed tests.

New Sony Alpha a7 firmware released. A firmware update for the Sony a7R IV now lets you control external Sony flashes from the camera’s own menu system. Up to 15 flashes in five groups can be controlled via the camera. It also applies to the a7R III and a7 III.

Comments

  1. Bob Howie says

    March 19, 2019 at 5:41 am

    I am looking to replace my D3400 as I bought it to do Time-lapse as a reviewer said I could using an app, which after I bought it found it wouldn’t so I am thinking about a 5600 as it can take a vertical battery grip ( to extend shooting times just in case a battery dies). Everything above this just gets out of my affordability.

    Reply
  2. Bob Howie says

    March 19, 2019 at 5:36 am

    A review of the D3400 but with info on how to achieve things Nikon clearly don’t want you doing like time-lapse etc.

    Reply
  3. Ross says

    February 13, 2018 at 5:49 am

    Great! I’ll be trying this at some point. No idea why they got rid of the pano setting on the D3400 then. That sucks.

    Reply
  4. Jay says

    March 28, 2017 at 1:17 pm

    Very helpful article; was exactly what I was looking for.

    Reply

Questions & Comments Cancel reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

About Me

I take photos. I travel. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

Get in Touch

Newsletter

© 2009–2021 David Coleman · Have Camera Will Travel LLC · all rights reserved


Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
All images are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.


Privacy & Disclosure · Cookie Declaration · Disclaimer · Terms of Service · Copyright · Contact


XML Sitemap