Favourite Pano tripod head........

[big pix]

I am looking to buy a pano head for my tripod. Is there a favourite, or a local made product. I have found them on the net from cheap to very expensive, but I guess you get what you pay for

thanks for any help

big pix

[Glen]

Big Pix, the head which I am getting and can do panos is the RRS BH55 Pro. Also suitable if I mount big lenses on it, which may not be needed by you. Here is the link: http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/ballheads/index.html

[Killakoala]

I'll take a photo of my Really Right Stuff pano system and post it shortly.

[AlistairF]

First point of panos. you have to rotate the camera around the nodal point of your lens, not the mount point of your camera.

I decided to build myself one out of some Manfrotto bits and a free aluminium angle. It works perfectly as my previously posted panos can testify. Built to shoot in portrait orientation. the manfrotto 300N head has adjustable degree click-stops that are fantastic for rapid pano sequence taking. the other bit is a Manfrotto focus rail for fine tuning of the nodal point.




I looked at the RRS stuff, but it was way too expensive when compared to heads like the Panosaurus http://gregwired.com/pano/Pano.htm

Alistair

[glamy]

I use tha Manfrotto 303 SPH, works well. To me the RRS ball head is not appropriate if you want to go into virtual tours and multi-row panoramas.
Cheers,
Gerard

[birddog114]

I use tha Manfrotto 303 SPH, works well. To me the RRS ball head is not appropriate if you want to go into virtual tours and multi-row panoramas.
Cheers,
Gerard

Gerard,
Look at this Pano package from RRS, not the RRS Ballhead:

Pano Elements Package

Package includes one PCL-1 3/8 + and one MPR-CL II -

http://www.reallyrightstuff.com/pano/index.html

More compact and easy to use than your Man.
All the ballhead have the scale index (RRS/ Markins/ KirK/ Arca Swiss)
An extra benefit for doing pano without spending more dought on the rarely use of taking panorama photography, and the ballhead can be used for other shooting styles too.
The Man. pano head is dead with only one job: Panorama photography, while the RRS pano package can be used for all: Pano, Macro, or other ordinary uses.

[Killakoala]

My setup with the Really Right Stuff attached, progressively assembled.

[sirhc55]

Nice touchs in the LCD top plate Steve

[big pix]

Thanks for the info guys.......Love the manfrotto head but I will have to get rid of my old but fathfull gitzo.....I am looking at a Bogen/manfrotto 303Plus QTVR Geared pano head kit along with a 3416 leveling base and 337 hot shoe bubble level, found all this on the BH site, got to save up my pennys........maybe in a few weeks

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/control ... 641&is=REG

thanks

big pix

[theK]

A very nice pano set up, Steve (Killakoala).

A quick question: How do you determine the nodal point of a lens? Is it trial and error?

[kipper]

My setup Gitzo G1325, Markins Q-Ball M-20, RSS MPR-CL, RSS MPR-CLII and RSS BD70-L (Landscape/Portrait L-Plate with Arcaswiss Style Dovetail QRP)

There are some documents about I think that tell you the nodal points for some common lenses. Think the RSS website has it somehwere.

[birddog114]

kipper,
where's the pano head? should get it as a completed pano package.
Your setup will do the job but it's not better than what killakoala has.
The pano head is low profile and more easier to handle in portrait mode when shooting pano or sliding the camera body back and forth.

[kipper]

Shrug, I dunno why I'd want a PCL for unless I wanted to rotate the camera vertically. Seeing as my ball head has rotation in the horizontal axis I can't see the point of mounting one above the head. Unless of course you wanted to rotate around a plane that wasn't in the same plane as that of the horizon. Or don't you bother using a ball head when using the PCL?

I'll get the Omni Pivot Package to do vertical panos anyway. Anyway RSS show their Omni Pivot Package which has 2 MPR-1 (Multipurpose Rails) with an L-Connector and a PCL. Their photo even shows it mounted above an RSS ballhead with no PCL above the ball. So I guess what I'm doing isn't wrong.

[birddog114]

kipper,
I'm not saying you're wrong, but you'll learn more on the go!

[kipper]

So explain to me, how will having a PCL above my ballhead improve my pano shots?

[birddog114]

So explain to me, how will having a PCL above my ballhead improve my pano shots?

Kipper
The PCL is not above the ballhead, see killakoala's setup again.
The PCL mounted straight onto the tripod G1325.

And learn it on the move.

[Killakoala]

Kipper has a good setup, but i would recommend the little spirit level thingy i have that will aid greatly levelling the markins ballhead and will make you take even better panos. EDIT: It is better to have the head as low as possible to reduce vibration and improve stability.

The K - THe nodal point is usually determined by a white spot on the lens. The kit lens has one. Have a look for it. It is close to the end of the lens. It is the point where the light/image starts it's path through the lens. That point should be positioned EXACTLY in the middle of the tripod turning point. It will remove or drastically reduce 'parallax error', the apparent difference in the position or direction of an object when viewed from different positions. This makes stictching the pics together mch easier and more accurately.

[birddog114]

EDIT: It is better to have the head as low as possible to reduce vibration and improve stability.

Steve,
Thanks, this is what I want to say to him but he didn't get the message once he PMed me coupa weeks ago, in pano shooting on portrait mode, vibration and stability is a must to avoid.

The Omni Package mounted on the RRS BH-55 Pro, it's ball is twice bigger than the one came with the Markins 20 and the BH55 Pro's height is less than 2/3 of the Markins 20, solidity, sturdy and 0 vibration are none with the BH55 but with the Markins 20

Why can I say these thing to you kipper?, cos I have them and I self learned them thru my mistakes at the first place, if you want to self-learn my mistake, DIY and burn your hard earned cash.

Your choice!

[kipper]

I think we already discussed this Birddog, I have plans on getting the RSS BH-55PRO at some stage. I believe at the time you were discussing the lower profile of the BH-55PRO in comparison to the M-20.
Not sure yet what I'll do with the M-20, maybe sell it onto somebody from these forums or keep it. I'll also get an Omni Package at some stage.

So you're telling me if I had an RSS BH-55PRO with no PCL mounted above it and a sliding rail, that it would be not as good as having a PCL mounted directly to my tripod (no ballhead)?

[birddog114]

I think we already discussed this Birddog, I have plans on getting the RSS BH-55PRO at some stage. Selling on my Markins M-20, or either keeping it. Not sure yet, but I will get one eventually. I'll also get an Omni Package at some stage. So you're telling me if I had an RSS BH-55PRO with no PCL mounted above it and a sliding rail would be not as good as having a PCL mounted directly to my tripod (no ballhead)?

kipper,
If you're not planning to have the 200-400 or Sig 300-800, then you don't need to go that far with the BH55 Pro. While you have the Markins 20 already, it can be used with the current lenses which you have in your hand.
If you're seriously about the pano, get the PCL and mount it straight on to the top of tripod and use it with your ex- MPR-CL or MPR-CL II.

[kipper]

But the PCL has no ball, so what happens if I wanted to take a pano that required a tilt that only a ballhead could give me?

[sirhc55]

The information I have leads to the following formulae:

Specific to the D70 - with a 17mm lens (kit lens set at wideangle) x 1.5 crop factor puts the nodal point at 25.5mm from the sensor plane as indicated on the top plate of the camera. If the lens is set to 50mm the nodal point would be 75mm. In other words on the kit lens the nodal point must change due to the law of physics.

This formulae is also applicable to prime lenses.

[birddog114]

But the PCL has no ball, so what happens if I wanted to take a pano that required a tilt that only a ballhead could give me?

kipper,
I don't quite understand what you mean?
How can you do panorama photography with a tilt?
Shooting panorama can be only successfully in portrait mode and the L bracket which you have can give you portrait mode, the only thing you need is the low profile head as the PCL with index scale, cos you're already got the MPR-CL.
I don't see anyone do panorama shooting with a tilt

[kipper]

Well how would you take a panoshot using multiple rows with the omni package if not with a tilt in the vertical axis?

[birddog114]

Well how would you take a panoshot using multiple rows with the omni package if not with a tilt in the vertical axis?

Omni package is another tool for multi purposed uses as macro, pano, copy stand. Macro & copy stand required tilt, I totally agreed but not pano.

Omni package is a package for photogs, who want to get all in one.

[kipper]

Omni Package is used to make a pano up out of multiple horizontal and vertical shots. Or to even do a vertical pano. For instance if you were situated on a mountain looking down into a canyon and you wanted to capture from the base of the canyon upto the sky and capture the moon/sun at twilight.

[birddog114]

Omni Package is used to make a pano up out of multiple horizontal and vertical shots. Or to even do a vertical pano. For instance if you were situated on a mountain looking down into a canyon and you wanted to capture from the base of the canyon upto the sky and capture the moon/sun at twilight.

Do you see a PCL attached to the Omni package for these purposes if you wih to take it to that way, you swing/ tilt the camera on the PCL to difference angle you want
and it can be mounted on the ballhead but solidity and stability are none IMO.

Omni-Pivot Package Optimized for Horizontal & Vertical Panoramic Photography.
"The Omni-Pivot Pkg is designed for ease in taking vertical multi-image panoramas by positioning the lens' nodal point perpendicular to both the horizontal pivot and the vertical pivot. The Package includes one PCL-1 panning clamp, two MPR-1 multi-purpose rails, and one MPR-L L-connector"

It has two options:

Omni-directional pivoting with lens mounted

and
Omni-directional pivoting with camera body mounted
"To provide the fore-aft motion necessary for positioning the nodal point of the lens over the center of rotation, add a MPR-CL and mount it to the bottom of your camera's base plate (or on the side of your camera's L-plate). The rail can slide fore-aft in the PCL panning clamp."

[glamy]

I think some of you do not talk about the same thing. Anyway a ballhead will never allow for easy stichable 180 panoramas and make multirow impossible. Nodal point on a zoom lens is going to move with the focal length, there are no markings to make it easy. Have a look here:http://db.manfrotto.com/303SPH/
Cheers,
Gerard[/url]

[glamy]

The omni package looks OK, but does not look easier or more practical than the manfrotto.
Gerard

[birddog114]

The omni package looks OK, but does not look easier or more practical than the manfrotto.
Gerard

Your Man. is just the baby of the Omni Package.
You should compare the Man. with the RRS Pano package as Killakoala has. It's apple to apple.

[glamy]

My baby is doing it right for me...
Cheers,
Gerard

[birddog114]

My baby is doing it right for me...
Cheers,
Gerard

Anything can be doing right! but can't compare.

[glamy]

I got your point...
It does the same job but is a lot nicer.
Cheers,
Gerard

[birddog114]

I got your point...
It does the same job but is a lot nicer.
Cheers,
Gerard

Hey glamy,
Why should you chose for the Nikon 70-200VR $2300.00 instead of the Sigma 70-200, the Sigma is more than 1K cheaper ($1190.00), both lens does the same job, same range and it looks nicer than the Nikon in shape and built.

[glamy]

Only because of the VR. It's good to see you praise the value of the Sigma. Do not loose sleep over the argument, cool down...
Cheers,
Gerard

[birddog114]

Only because of the VR. It's good to see you praise the value of the Sigma. Do not loose sleep over the argument, cool down...
Cheers,
Gerard

No, I won't. and I'm in neutral, I support both and never flame any Sigma or other brands.
Your point is: " It does the same job but is a lot nicer"
My point is: the Sigma does the same job, nicer then the Nikon 70-200 and it's far cheaper.
You say: cos the VR
Can you justify the VR for nearly $1200.00 extra and it's doing the same job of the Sigma does.

[kipper]

Glamy that Manfrotto unit looks quite tasty.

[glamy]

What's the alternative if you want VR? Maybe I made the wrong choice... (I don't think so!)
Your point also applies to the heads in question, in the end one has to make a choice.
Any way, I knew I would hit a nerve. I already stated before the so-so quality of the Manfrotto head (good bots/ bad bits), maybe I'd have bought the whole RRS package had I seen it at the time. One of the reasons being the "L" bracket. To access the battery I have to remove the rail that is part of the 303SPH set up and that has to be put back exactly in the same position. A bit of a pain.
Cheers,
Gerard

[glamy]

Kipper
It's not bad, does a good job. The base indexes and that is very useful. The levelling base is very handy but double check the level (mine is out). If you read my previous post to Birddog you can see one of the flaws of the design. I have not seen th RRS head, but there are other brands as well, Manfrotto is just one of the better known.
If you were in Sydney I'd lend it to you. By the way, the whole thing is pretty heavy.
Cheers,
Gerard

[birddog114]

What's the alternative if you want VR? Maybe I made the wrong choice... (I don't think so!)
Your point also applies to the heads in question, in the end one has to make a choice.
Any way, I knew I would hit a nerve. I already stated before the so-so quality of the Manfrotto head (good bots/ bad bits), maybe I'd have bought the whole RRS package had I seen it at the time. One of the reasons being the "L" bracket. To access the battery I have to remove the rail that is part of the 303SPH set up and that has to be put back exactly in the same position. A bit of a pain.
Cheers,
Gerard

VR is nice and very handy, I agreed, people can live without VR but perhaps you're not, my guess, alternative of VR is tripod, monopod, bean bag. Probably not your choice.
And please don't get me wrong, all my lenses are Nikkor and I have 3 lenses with VR as you known but is the VR worth $1200.00? in comparison with non VR? and it's nicer?
I don't have any problem of L brackets with my four cameras (D70,D100, D2h, D2x) in accessing the batteries of them, I don't quite understand what did you mean with the Man. stuff, cos I don't have but seen it some other places, my feeling is not simple when using it.
At the end, as said: everyone has difference choice and taste in many available brand in the market as Man., Gitzo, RRS, Kirk etc...

[glamy]

I'll bring it to the next mini-meet I'll attend, so you can have a look.
Cheers,
Gerard