Would like to make sense of my tripod/head setup

Hey guys,

My current setup is a Slik 330 with a F-1 Flashpoint head from Adorama. I use a Nodal Ninja 5 rather consistently as well.

I generally carry that around all day in a backpack so weight wise its pretty good. I am looking for something that won't cost an arm and a leg or is very heavy.

What I would like to get is an L-plate from RRS for the 7D (ungripped).

All of this keeps giving me the same problem.

If I want to use my camera with tripod I have my QR plate attached to the camera and all is dandy.

When I want to shoot a 360. I have to remove my QR plate from the camera, remove the ball head from the tripod. Attach the NN5 to the tripod. Attach the plate for the NN5 to the camera. Attach the Camera to the NN5 itself.

Lots of steps and a fair bit of a pain in winter time out in the bush.

Now with the addition of the 'wanted' L-Plate, this should remove the current ball head but I am still in the same boat right?

Is there any system out there that allows me to use the NN5 and a L-plate efficiently? including the part that attaches to the tripod?

Thanks for any insight

RRS L bracket on body
RRS QR clamp (or similar on ball head)
RRS nodal slide

body sits on nodal slide and nodal slide sits in QR clamp on ball head. Rotate leveled ball head as needed for pano shots...once you get the nodal distance sorted out.

http://reallyrightstuf​f.com …Package%3a-For-single-row

Unfortunately the Nodal Slide is not meant for full 360's. Vertical and horizontal. Its just meant for single or multi row pano's.

I am lost by the 360 item. I can start at any point and rotate 90, 180, 270, or 360 doing a single row pano with a nodal slide. I don't think you mentioned you wanted multiple rows.

Even so, RRS has the multirow pano slides. http://reallyrightstuf​f.com …spx?code=PanoPk​gs&key=cat

I guess I should of elaborated. The Nodal Ninja 5 is for shooting multi row panoramas.

http://www.nodalninja.​com/

RRS has a version it seems but its about $800-900... thats before shipping or tax and I haven't heard much about there multi row pano tools on any of the larger panorama forums either.

Anyone have any other ideas?