Panoramic modes are nothing new in digital cameras. Usually, you have to take a series of separate, overlapping shots which are then stitched together by the camera or, more likely, on a computer. It's slow, cumbersome, and you don't always get to see the result straight away.
But Sony's Sweep Panorama mode is different. It's faster, simpler and delivers finished panoramas straight away. Here's how it works...
1. You swing the camera in one smooth movement...
2. As you do this, the camera is shooting a series of overlapping images.
3. When you've finished the 'sweep', the camera automatically merges these frames internally.
4. The result is a single seamless panoramic image. The resolution is reduced compared to a normal shot (in Sony's first wave of sweep panorama compacts, anyway), but the speed, convenience and effectiveness of this feature make up for that.
In its NEX-3 and NEX-5 hybrid cameras, Sony has introduced a 3D Sweep Panorama mode. This produces images which can be displayed using a 3D-enabled Bravia TV and special 3D glasses.
