Nokia adds portrait-mode to their Panorama app in latest update

By Daniel Rubino
last updated

We haven’t seen too many updates to Nokia’s Panorama app, which could stand to use a slight refresh if you ask us. Today, version 3.0.3.2 has gone live in the Nokia Collection and while it doesn’t appear to touch the algorithm behind the app, it does finally add portrait-mode.

Nokia Panorama

Up until now, Lumia owners could only use the app in the landscape position, which makes sense when shooting a nice vista. However, the option to at least shoot in portrait would be nice, especially when the object you are photographing is very tall. We experienced this ourselves this weekend when we were snapping some pics of a huge power plant here in New York, causing us to miss the shot.

While Nokia Panorama is simple to use for stitching together many photos to form one giant one, we often find that the algorithms still don’t align images properly. We’ll just say “competing platforms” were able to nail it, leaving us a bit disappointed (see the image below).

Nokia Panorama fail: Errr, yeah...that's it

If you have a Lumia device, head to the Windows Phone Store to pick up the updated Panorama app right here (or swipe to the right in our app).

Do you use Nokia's Panorama app or do you have an alternative favorite? Let us know in comments.

Thanks, Mahmoud, m_umair_85 and Kittanan, for the tips

Daniel Rubino
Daniel Rubino
Executive Editor

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

42 Comments
  • I was just seconds away on tipping you guys off lol
    (and Nokia's access point as well)
  • OMFG how did they do it. Portrait mode on a CAMERA. What next, a dedicated camera button?
  • Photosynth is also misaligning shots on WP8. I found it to work better in WP7, on my Titan, and even better, on my old iphone 4, incredulously. What gives?
  • Maybe aspect ratios?
  • Photosynth is surely an another level of panoraming. Nokia's feels like a homebrew while photosynth does like a professionally made high-cost app.
  • I've found that Nokia's Panorama app works better than Photosynth on my L920... I'll give Photosynth another couple tries but I've been primarily using Nokia's Panorama due to my initial results (and yes it was several tries in different situations).
  • I actually prefer Nokia's app simply for the resolution while Photosynth quality is dog shit and crashes the camera forcing me to restart my phone.
  • Place tag beta needs to get fixes
  • FINALLY
  • Portrait mode makes more sense, lets you handle the aspect ratio better, right?
  • I use photosynth more
  • Because sadly, the iPhone was easier to take panoramas. I'm happy now. :D
  • Man, they need to merge all these apps together. So un user friendly to switch all these apps.
  • Yup
  • I don't think so. Isn't this what lenses are for?
    With all the photo options from Nokia alone, if the were all inside pro cam (or whatever) it would be packed with so much stuff that it could become counter productive. Of course an amazing UI could counter that.
  • +920
  • So right agree 100%
  • At least they are integrating pro cam and smart cam together.
  • Photosynth is way better.
  • Panorama portraits is a good improvement... And sligtly off topic while we're talking camera apps, but is there a camera app that uses the front camera? or at least allows you to see the image from it?
  • The normal camera app does it. Or am i missunderstanding your question?!
  • Now that's embarassing.. I've not been using that app for some time and forgot about it! (I swear I'm not a noob lol)
  • Oh no... now I can't do vertical panoramas!
  • +rotation lock... Actually my bad, that wouldn't help either :(
  • Its better on my 925 than it was on my 810, might be the image stabilization.
  • Does this need GDR2 installed, like Pro Cam?
  • No
  • This is one area where my old HTC Titan outdoes every Nokia(900,920, 1020) I have owned since.
  • I remember when I had the Titan taking panorama was so easy. I don't really understand why Panorama isn't integrated into the default camera settings in Nokia Lumias. I now own Lumia 1020 and i really wish we had less camera apps and more integration.
  • My problem with this app is that it always thinks the next frame should be to the right and UP, never on a fully horizontal line, no matter what I do. This will make the image look very awkward, as the algorithm won't be able to match the several frames if I try to compensate with some hand twitching. Might be my accelerometer/oscilloscope/whatever that is faulty, but I doubt it. No reason for the app to suggest this kind of path, it doesn't need dedicated hardware to suggest the next frame, software calculations are enough.
  • You are right. I sometimes nearly broke my hand by tilting and twisting my hand to get the position. It always guides me wrong:(
    Quick making of a panorama is really hard with the nokia app. Switched to photosynth at my vacation.
  • Don't like any of panorama apps for WP currently. Including Photosynth. The fact that we have such great cameras but horrible panorama apps is embarrassing.
  • Agreed. Photosynth is great if you're doing 360 shots and general craziness but on my 920, the quality is just horrible so I don't bother with it nor has it been updated since March. It should be something MS push as a focus point but nope, they just let Google come out with Photosphere which they have improved a lot since it came out. Nokia's app is decent and this update makes it a lot more useable but it still doesn't out do what Apple did with the panorama mode on the iPhone. The only reason to really use Nokia's app is that you get a useable image out of it.
  • You said it all, I second that emotion...  Besides the iPhone, the GS4 also has an excellent panorama function.
  • I prefer Photosynth but adding portrait mode will help Nokia's panorama. I like Nokia's alignmentment circle but their app seems to "get lost" rather easy.
  • Yes, I notice the same thing.
  • This on the 1020 is insanely slow
  • One of my most missed photo apps from Iphone is AutoStitch. I haven't found anything that comes close a replacement for it on WP8.
  • What about letting us pan to the left instead of the right?
  • Just move and point the camera to the spot on the left where you wanted to end if you could pan left and start there,
    you'll capture the same scene as if you were panning left. 
  • While that's true, it wouldn't exactly be a hard feature to implement instead of forcing one direction.
  • Yeah, Nokia's Panorama app isn't perfect and I've had a few dodgy shots. Often it does get it right, but of course it could be better. It's never been so bad as to be unusable though - pity I can't say the same for MS' own Photosynth app. That one is just AWFUL!