Overview
Pano is an impressive entry into your iPhone app array, especially for those who have grown to love the iPhone camera, which surprisingly continues to churn out some amazing shots, even with its quirks. Pano allows you to take panorama shots, seamlessly weaving them together on your iPhone.
Functionality
Herein lies the difficulty... functionality. If you can get Pano up and running without an app crash, you'll be delighted in what it does. I got crashes so frequently that it was hard for me to even write a review of the app. Every two out of three times I used it, either it crashed on startup or while adding the next shot.
But here's how it's supposed to work... Pano launches with a camera view. It immediately prompts you to take the left-most picture of your panorama. It will allow you to preview the shot and either retake it or use it. Then it's off to the next segment of your panorama.
This is where the promise of Pano lies. As you take the next shot, you'll notice a translucent ghost image of a portion of your previous shot on the left hand side of your screen. This allows you to overlay your next shot carefully. Very helpful.
After snapping the next shot, you simply shoot and repeat until you're finished with your entire collection. Pano then stitches it all together into a seamless panorama and adds it to your photo library.
After trying a few outside shots and failing to get through the process, I tried in my office, and the image above was my first successful result. There are
some tips at the Debacle Software site for a more cohesive pan shot, but overall, I was impressed by the result. I didn't move from my angle in the corner of the room and was able to get three different walls into one single pan. The shot edges are noticeable only because of the distorted angles. I'm sure that with practice I could be taking gorgeous pans.
As far as how the app "looks," well, it doesn't. It does only what it says - takes multiple pictures and stitches them together. There are no options, no menus, nothing other than you pointing and clicking. For that reason, the aesthetics of the app are understandably understated. It's no frills at its best. The performance issues seem to be acknowledged on their website - a hard reset is first recommended, then an uninstall and re-install. At last gasp, they urge you to call so they can help you figure out what is preventing your Pano experience.
Review
Pano offers something that I never would have dreamed of for the iPhone. Unfortunately, the iPhone camera, as most know, is simply inadequate for consistently good pictures. For those who have mastered its quirkiness, Pano will bring a welcomed feature to the table. I've been fortunate enough to snap a few really gorgeous photos with the iPhone, and with Pano, the opportunity to get some scenic shots opens new vistas for the iPhone lover.
Summary
In spite of the performance problems, I was pretty impressed with this app and found myself reading their FAQ just to see how Pano pulls this off. It's a pretty steller app for the iPhone. Folks with an eye will really enjoy the ability to now record panoramas they encounter in their travels and daily routine. I enjoy the app enough to try and keep working to solve the performance stuff. For $2.99 though, I sincerely hope they'll be bringing an update soon to resolve these annoyances.
