1. Automatic. This setting automatically selects the best of the first three methods; typically Perspective, that will result in the best-looking panoramic image from your pictures.

2. Perspective. This option blends photos together with perspective but without curvature. The center image is used as the focal point and neighboring images are bent outwards, which results in somewhat of a bow-tie effect with a compressed center and wide edges. It may look a little odd at first, but it's visually consistent with what you'd expect from a very wide-angle camera lens.

3. Cylindrical. This setting dramatically reduces the bow-tie effect by blending together photos with curvature. In this case the curvature is cylindrical, bowing out at the center and tapering off towards the sides. (Curvature cancels out the bow-tie effect.) The resulting panorama is usually excellent, lacking the typical left- and right-distortion you see with a wide-angle camera lens. On the other hand, it can also have the opposite problem--the panorama may seem too bowed in the middle.

4. Spherical. This option also blends photos with curvature, but unlike the cylindrical option, the curvature here is spherical. Photos are blended together as though they're being carefully pasted onto a beach ball, making this a perfect option for merging photos of the night sky (or any collection of photos that extend in two dimensions). Unfortunately, the Spherical option usually results in the obvious curvature of straight lines, and as a result it's not ideal for wide, flat scenes.

5. Collage. This setting scales, rotates, and blends photos together, but does not apply any perspective or curvature. Panoramas created with this option have no obvious distortion at the edges, but you'll also notice areas where the blends don't quite line up. Use this option with caution.