BT creates 320-gigapixel panorama image of London using Canon 7D

British Telecommunications has revealed the world’s biggest panoramic photo, taken from the top of the BT Tower during the 2012 Olympic Games.

BT has unveiled a 320-gigapixel interactive image of London, a record-breaking panorama, which required three days to be captured. Moreover, the picture took about three months to process.

London’s 320-gigapixel panorama image was taken with four Canon 7D cameras by three expert photographers.

320-gigapixel panorama image was taken with four Canon 7D DSLRs

The company claims that the image taken from the BT Tower is the largest panoramic photo in the world. It provides a 360-degree view of England’s capital and allows beholders to look through the city and find interesting stuff that occurred during the 2012 Olympic Games.

The BT Tower construction began in 1961 and it was completed in 1964. It measures a total of 189 meters.

The 320-gigapixel photo was captured by a team of expert photographers from a company called 360Cities. Exactly 48,640 individual frames were stitched together to create this amazing image.

Additionally, the photos were captured using four Canon EOS 7D DSLR cameras along with EF 400mm f/2.8L IS II USM lenses and Extender EF 2x III teleconverters.

Snapping the frames was not easy, but the photographers employed several Rodeon VR Head ST robotic panorama heads manufactured by Clauss, a German-based company.

320-gigapixel panorama image of London was taken from the BT Tower. Its full-size print would be as big as the Buckingham Palace.

60,000 times bigger than a photo taken with an iPhone

The 48,640 individual frames were processed by a Celsius R920 workstation, developed by Fujitsu Technology Solutions Europe.

The creators of the image said that the reason why it took several months to stitch the photo together was its “magnitude”. Nobody ever attempted to create such an image, said that press release.

If it were to print it at its natural resolution, then it would be almost as big as the Buckingham Palace.  The image is also 60,000 times bigger than a photo taken with an iPhone.

320-gigapixel panorama image of London took three months to process.

Record-breaking panorama

Previously, the record for a London panorama was obtained in 2010 by a team of photographers who created an image measuring 80-gigapixel panoramic photo from the top of the Centrepoint building.

Viewers can see for 20 miles in the 320-gigapixel interactive map. It can be accessed from all computers and mobile devices, though smartphone users may have issues displaying the photo.

The photo is entitled “Thank you, London” and BT has created a special website just for the 320-gigapixel image.

BT announced that Buzby is hidden somewhere in the 320-gigapixel image. If you find Buzby, then you will be one of the three iPad winners. The first winner will also get a trip to the BT Tower along with one-year of free broadband, while second and third winners will receive “only” an iPad.

London’s iconic Tower Bridge can be seen in the 320-gigapixel panorama image.