To Gigapan Or Not To Gigapan?

That is the question. If this is in the wrong place....where is the right place?

I'm using the Canon 17mm TS-E and loving it. I'm considering using a rail on the tripod in order to move the entire set-up from side to side as well as being able to shift the lens itself. Looking to get even more coverage for large panoramas. Could also use my 16-35mm 2.8 with the right pano head.

Am I being thick headed in thinking I can use the TS-E with a rail system? I have been known to be thick headed about simple things.

What do you use? How do you use it? Thanks in advance.

Hmmm....

The Gigapan always struck me as offering a battery powered solution to a non-existent problem.... but anyway. If I was using one, it would be with a moderately long, ultra-low distortion lens (in other words, probably a macro lens.) From reviews I've read, the Gigapan has a very limited carrying capacity, so take this into account.

With any TS-E (I also use the 17) you should move the camera from side-to-side rather than moving the lens. This avoids issues with changing your viewpoint. It's probably significant for subjects that are within a couple of feet of the lens.

The easy way to do this is mount your camera on a macro rail (or something similar.) Moving the lens through it's full travel should require about 24 mm of motion. Occasionally, I will move the lens along the 30degree and 150degree orientations (requires 4 frames instead of 2 but you end up with a frame thats more conventionally shaped.) If you do this, you need to displace the camera 10.4mm left and right but also 6mm up and down. It can become a little trying.

Ok... now getting more coverage on panoramas...
I don't think the 17 TS-E is the ideal lens for this because it stretches the image in the corners of the frame. This is unavoidable in a rectilinear lens design. If you really need to go wider than the TSE offers, consider mounting a 50mm lens on the camera and shoot images in portrait orientation. The ZE 2/50 MP offers less than 1% distortion, so maybe that's worth considering. If you want to get the very best results, the camera / lens system needs to spin about the lens' nodal point. You could do that with the same rail I referred to above.

Thanks for the info, I appreciate it. Looking into Konova sliders right now and that's probably the direction I'll go. More for time lapse, etc. The large panoramas I'll do by hand with the right equipment.
Thanks again.

The Gigapan Pro the large version will take a large load. This guy used it with a
5D Mark II with a 500 F/4 L and a 5D Mark II with a 70-200 F/2.8

http://www.gigapixel.c​om/vancouver-from-fairview/

I've seen examples of guys using the canon 100-400L on it and other large lenses as well.

That being said, I'm not sure if it will give you the effects you're looking for or not.

--Evan

Just a quick word of warning before you splash large wads of cash.

Panoramas are actually easier and quicker to assemble if the base images are not shot with too wide a focal length. Theres less distortion and everything works more smoothly.

Not sure from your post if this was your thinking or not so just wanted to mention it. You may well be fully aware of it already , if so my apologies.

Lowner wrote in post #14733323
Just a quick word of warning before you splash large wads of cash.

Panoramas are actually easier and quicker to assemble if the base images are not shot with too wide a focal length. Theres less distortion and everything works more smoothly.

Not sure from your post if this was your thinking or not so just wanted to mention it. You may well be fully aware of it already , if so my apologies.

+1

Most of my panos are stitched from (often hand held) 35 to 50mm shots.

How are you going to use it? Stikes me that gigapans are generally fun gimicks that can be used for computer fun, i.e. zooming in at detail in a larger scenic, but apart from that, not sure if there are useful at all/ Useless for prints I would think unless you're printing a wall...