For those who love taking panoramic pictures and capturing a larger perspective of their special moments, Panono will certainly spark your interest. The Panono camera allows the user to throw the camera into the air and automatically capture a 360 degree image at the highest point the camera reaches. What is achieved is a complete aerial panoramic image of your surroundings.
The Panono camera comes in the shape of a ball outfitted with 36 small cameras that deliver a 72 megapixel photo and an incredible “360 degree by 360 degree” image. To take a picture one can throw the Panono up, or also utilize it as a handheld camera and press a button on the top of the ball to snap a picture. The ball is encased in tough clear plastic to ensure its safety during those rare times when the Panono is not caught on the way back down. This device comes from the mind of Jonas Pfeil, creator of the camera and president of the Panono company.
Though traditional panoramas can look nice, there are drawbacks such as the time it takes to capture the entirety of the setting you want, and the issue of “ghosting” that may happen if there is movement in the photo which causes an unattractive and distorted panorama. These problems were the inspiration for Pfeil to think of a better panoramic camera, and it is the Panono, simply by design, that provides a unique solution.
Because the Panono is built with an accelerometer, it can calculate the acceleration of its launch into the air, and simultaneously fire all of its 36 cameras once it reaches its highest point. This swift snapshot thus captures a complete moment in time. There is no possibility of a blurry image, as movement is simply not a factor like with traditional panoramas.
“The Panono Camera creates an entirely new panoramic-photography experience, one that can include people for the first time,” Pfeil said. “The ball shape invites you to throw it into the air, which provides a vantage point that enables the camera to capture everything in every direction. No other camera can do that. The resulting image is really fun to view on an iPhone or iPad. People just move their device up and down and in whatever direction they want to look, as if they were inside the image. With 72 megapixels, no detail is lost.”
The company is currently undergoing a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo.com, where you can preorder one of the first Panono cameras. As of now the camera is expected to be available for shipment sometime in late 2014.
Heading into the new year, be on the lookout for photography pioneers next fall, as they capture panoramas while playing a game of catch.
