Embodiments generate panoramic image data with variable zoom settings. Embodiments display a line of zoom focal distance points for a camera lens on a map that provides a two-dimensional representation of a geographic area encompassing a geographic location of the camera and other geographic areas within a field of view of the lens. Embodiments determine geographic coordinate points for locations within the geographic areas represented by the map at points of the displayed line, and capture panorama photograph data in response to rotation of the camera while dynamically changing a zoom setting of the lens to match distances from the camera lens to the geographic coordinate points determined for each of the different locations represented by the map at different points of the displayed line.