I am impressed with Microsoft's free image stitching program, Microsoft ICE [Image Composite Editor].

It does not give the adjustability of AutoStitch, but the default settings are so good that I doubt very much that I could improve on the final results even using all the tweaks that AutoStitch makes available. The Microsoft ICE user interface is so clean and intuitive that I never had to look at the instructions.

Attached is a screenshot showing what ICE did with four rather poorly matched and overlapped pictures. When the end result comes out better than any one of the pictures, I have to think that maybe it's magic.

I make no claims of artistry or skill or even significance with the four original shots, they were done for a neighbor who just wanted a record of what his place looked like. These are possibly the worst of 106 pictures that I shot.

BTW: I use the ICE program as a poor-man's substitute for a wide-angle lens. The stitched picture is probably the equivalent of a 15mm lens (35mm equiv) with no barrel or pincushion distortion. Gotta love it.

tanstaafl.