5 stars (Great Software) - I have used the trial software and found it to work better than my own Nikon software. It's quick, accurate and easy to use.
4 stars (Shallow Learning Curve & Great Results) - I've used Cool 360 for several years now. It's very easy to use, and, once you get the idea of a minimal overlap in each shot, it gives great results. You have to be aware of parallax, so using a tripod is very helpful. However, once the concept is mastered, you will get great wide agnle or 360 degree panoramic photos. For the price, it is the best out there for the purpose. I would like to see it updated to a full-screen mode and menus, but those are minor. Go for it!
5 stars (With a Little Effort, Excellent Results) - I wasn't expecting much after a bad experience with Ulead's "Face Factory", but this product works well. As a test, I "organized" my work room (a bedroom with a bunch of computers and music gear) so everything was at about the same height. Then I set my 1 megapixel digital camera on a tripod on a small table in the middle of the room. I took 12 shots, rotating the camera to roughly match the hours on a clock. Then loaded the shots into the program and said "Go" (or whatever). It came out very good, pretty seamless, so that in Quicktime, you can mouse around the screen and feel like you're turning inside the room. Plus you can zoom in and out and raise and lower the view (a little). And, of course, the view is continuous, i.e. there is no "end" - you just keep turning and see the room again. Plus you can add Photoshop type filters to any or all of the shots for some interesting effects. You do have to be careful about the clock hours views, if you don't align the shots like that you can get a discontinuity. |
