Capturing Panoramas: Dji Spark's Guide To Panoramic Pictures

DJI's Spark drone offers a panorama mode to help you capture breathtaking landscape photos with low distortion. The drone supports Horizontal, Vertical, 180° and Sphere Panorama Modes. In Horizontal mode, the drone will automatically take nine photos and stitch them together for a dynamic wide-angle panorama shot. In Vertical mode, it will take three photos and stitch them together to produce a 16:9 aspect ratio image. The 180° Panorama mode can stitch 21 photos together to create a 180° panoramic photo. Sphere mode can capture tiny planet-shaped photos with a fisheye lens effect.

To use the panorama mode, first, tap camera settings and select the desired mode, then adjust the gimbal tilt, and tap the shooting button to start shooting. During the shooting process, the aircraft will use the current location as the initial position and auto-pan. After you finish shooting your panoramic photo, you can tap the playback button to check your photos. By tapping the photo you’ve captured, the DJI GO 4 app will automatically stitch them into a panoramic photo.

Spark's Panorama Modes

Sparks Panorama Modes

The Spark drone by DJI offers four panorama modes: Horizontal, Vertical, 180°, and Sphere.

Horizontal Mode

In this mode, the drone will automatically take nine photos and stitch them together to create a dynamic wide-angle panorama shot.

Vertical Mode

The Vertical mode will take three photos and stitch them together vertically to produce a 16:9 aspect ratio image.

180° Mode

The 180° Panorama mode can stitch 21 photos together to create a 180° panoramic photo.

Sphere Mode

The Sphere mode is a newly introduced feature that allows you to capture 360° panoramic images, resulting in a tiny planet-shaped photo with a fisheye lens effect.

To use any of these modes, first, make sure your drone, remote controller, and DJI GO 4 mobile app are all updated to the latest version. Then, follow these steps:

• Tap on the camera settings.
• Select the desired panorama mode (Horizontal, Vertical, 180°, or Sphere) under the Panorama mode option.
• Adjust the gimbal tilt if needed.
• Tap the shooting button to start capturing photos.

The drone will automatically capture the required number of photos and stitch them together to create the panoramic image. Once you have captured the photos, you can tap the playback button to view them. The DJI GO 4 app will automatically stitch the photos into a panoramic image.

If you want to create a high-resolution panorama, you can use third-party software such as DJI Media Maker, Microsoft ICE, or other stitching software to stitch the RAW images. However, note that the quality of the stitched panorama may be affected if the drone's GPS signal is weak, the surface texture is unclear, or there are strong winds during the capture.

Horizontal Spark Panorama Shooting

To get a horizontal panorama shot with your DJI Spark, first, tap camera settings and select the horizontal mode under the Panorama mode. Then, adjust the gimbal tilt and tap the shooting button to start shooting.

During the shooting process, the aircraft will use the current location as the initial position and auto pan. The Spark will automatically tilt the camera to take nine photos. When it's done, the aircraft will return to the initial position.

If you tilt the camera down during the shooting process, the Spark will automatically rotate around the current position to capture photos.

After you finish shooting your panorama, you can tap the playback button to check your photos. By tapping the photo you've captured, DJI GO 4 will automatically stitch them into a panoramic photo and save it to your phone.

If you want a high-resolution photo, you can use DJI Media Maker or other stitching software to easily stitch RAW images into a panorama.

Vertical Spark Panorama Shooting

To shoot a vertical panorama with your DJI Spark, tap on the camera settings and select the vertical mode under the Panorama mode. Then, start shooting. During the shooting process, the aircraft will remain hovering, and the camera will automatically capture three photos from the chosen composition. It will start from the middle frame, followed by the upper frame, and completed with the low-angle frame.

If you tilt the camera down during the shooting process, the Spark will automatically rotate around the current position to capture photos. This is in contrast to the 180° Panorama mode, where the gimbal will keep a fixed central position.

After you finish shooting your vertical panorama, you can tap the playback button to check the photos. By tapping on the photo you've captured, the DJI GO 4 app will automatically stitch them into a panoramic photo. Make sure not to disconnect the aircraft while this is happening, as your phone needs to download the photos from the aircraft. After it's done, click the download button, and the panoramic photo will automatically be saved to your phone.

If you want a high-resolution photo, you can use third-party stitching software to stitch the RAW images into a panorama. However, note that when the aircraft's GPS signal is weak, the surface texture is unclear, or when it's in strong wind, the aircraft may not perform precision hovering, which might affect the stitching quality.

180° Spark Panorama Shooting

To capture a 180° panorama with your DJI Spark, you will need to update your drone and remote controller to the latest firmware and install the latest DJI GO 4 mobile app. Once you have done this, you can select the 180° mode under Pano mode and start shooting.

During the shooting process, the gimbal will keep a fixed central position. The drone will automatically capture 21 photos and stitch them together to create a 180° panoramic photo.

After you finish shooting, you can check your photos by tapping the playback button. To stitch them into a panoramic photo, tap on the photo you've captured. Don't disconnect the aircraft while this is happening, as your phone needs to download the photos. Once it's done, click the download button and the panoramic photo will be saved to your phone.

If you want a high-resolution photo, you can use DJI Media Maker or other stitching software to stitch the RAW images into a panorama.

Stitching Photos into Panoramas

Step 1: Choose the Right Panorama Mode

DJI Spark offers four panorama modes: Horizontal, Vertical, 180°, and Sphere. Select the mode that best suits your desired shot. Each mode will automatically capture a different number of photos and stitch them together accordingly.

Step 2: Set Up Your Spark

Before taking off, tap the camera settings and select your desired panorama mode. Adjust the gimbal tilt to frame your shot. Make sure your drone and remote controller have the latest firmware installed, and that you have the latest DJI GO 4 mobile app.

Step 3: Capture the Photos

Once you're happy with your framing, tap the shooting button. Spark will automatically capture the necessary photos for your chosen panorama mode. The number of photos captured will vary depending on the mode.

Step 4: Review and Stitch Photos

After capturing your photos, tap the playback button to review them. Select the photos you want to stitch together, and DJI GO 4 will automatically stitch them into a panoramic image. Ensure your aircraft remains connected during this process so that your phone can download the photos.

Step 5: Save and Share Your Panorama

Once the stitching process is complete, click the download button to save the panoramic photo to your phone. You can now share your panorama with others!

Advanced Stitching Options:

For more control over the stitching process and to create high-resolution panoramas, you can use third-party software such as DJI Media Maker, Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE), Hugin, or Google Photos. These tools allow you to fine-tune your panorama and create even more stunning results.

Frequently asked questions