Pano Head Queries ... and I'd like a light one!

hi all,

I have a Manfrotto 190XProB tripod with 804RC2 head and a 7D with various lenses.

I would like to start getting some quality multi image pano shots and anticipate shooting up to 8 column by 2 row horizontal matrix and have been thinking about a pano head for some time. In considering a head, I would ideally be wanting one as light as possible as I hike in the wilderness for several days at a time and lugging equipment from place to place is a pain.

Looking at the Manfrotto 190XProB tripod with 804RC2 head I see a angle meters imprinted on each axis. So wouldn't I just need a macro rail to slide the camera and lens back to it's nodal point?

Looking at a photo of the 804RC2 , just adding a macro rail would not let you rotate around the nodal point. The way the head rotates forward and back and side to side, it would move the nodal point off the center axis.

I am not sure what macro rail you were considering, but the ones that I have seen do not look light.

Since you are not planning on doing full spherical panos, consider using the Nodal Ninja 3 starter kit. Weight 475grams.

For full spherical panos, then consider the NN4 starter kit on a ball head. Weight of the NN4 is 885g.

If you're not going to have close foreground objects in your frame where parallax will be a problem, there's no need to worry about the nodal point or spending heavily on pano gear. A simple leveling device such as the Really Right Stuff PCL-1 panning clamp would suffice.

A shift lens would also work, even with close foreground elements in the frame. Since the lens would be shifted parallel to the plane of focus, there wouldn't be any rotational/parallax issues to be concerned about.

And decent Pano software helps too. Having tried the Canon Autostitch software, Photoshop CS5, Kolor Autopano Giga and PTGui I am leaning towards PTGui as my preferred stitching software. A couple of weeks ago I stitched over 20 shots from a 360 rotation, using my 5DII & 35L in portrait orientation on my normal ball head on my tripod, and I could see little to no errors with the stitch. PTGui is also pretty quick compared to some of them.

IMAGE LINK: http://farm8.staticfli​ckr.com …24355014_74c312​db00_o.jpg

Mike wrote in post #14124699
And decent Pano software helps too. Having tried the Canon Autostitch software, Photoshop CS5, Kolor Autopano Giga and PTGui I am leaning towards PTGui as my preferred stitching software. A couple of weeks ago I stitched over 20 shots from a 360 rotation, using my 5DII & 35L in portrait orientation on my normal ball head on my tripod, and I could see little to no errors with the stitch. PTGui is also pretty quick compared to some of them.

IMAGE LINK: http://farm8.staticfli​ckr.com …24355014_74c312​db00_o.jpg
(Click to see larger)

Thanks Mike. I saw this image the other day and was very happy with the results you have achieved.

I just bougth a NN3MkII just now so will give that a go when it arrives.

I've used CS4, CS5 and Panorama Factory in the past and each as provided a reasonable result. I will have a look at PTGUI too. That was recommended by an experienced friend.