Pano Gear/Head For Night Work?

Looking to get a pano setup for use in night photography. I specified the night use as I think (I have never used a pano head) that choosing a simple to setup and use solution will be an important factor in my decision.

I'm going to be using a Samyang 14mm, 17-40, and perhaps a 50 for my panos.

I tried a few panos last weekend with the 14mm and had no luck at all; even with transforming and warping I was unable to get the photos aligned in Photoshop.

I think I have it narrowed down to two products; both would be expensive for me, but look to be the best overall value for continued use and/or future expansion.

The first product I'm looking at is the Nodal Ninja NN4 Starter kit.

http://shop.nodalninja​.com/nn4-starter-package-f4500/

This would allow be to do both single and multi row panos and looks like a solid product.

The second product is the RRS Pano Elements package.

http://reallyrightstuf​f.com …%3a-For-single-row&key=it

This looks like it may be easier than the NN4 to setup and use, but would not allow me to do multi row panos. The price at $360 is about the same as the NN4.

I need to work as fast as possible (because of the earths rotation) in order to make the pano, so I guess speed and ease of use are my first priorities. I could add the the RRS gear to do multi rows in the future (although expensived).

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Robert

Have you looked at the Acratech Pano head? It looks like it would set up quick and be easy to use.
http://acratech.net/pr​oduct.php?productid=84

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15916726
Have you looked at the Acratech Pano head? It looks like it would set up quick and be easy to use.
http://acratech.net/pr​oduct.php?productid=84

That looks like it would deffinately be quick, easy to use, and very solid. Unfrtunately, after I add in the leveling base and nodal slide things get too expensive for me.

I can vouch for the RRS pano head. I've been using it almost a year. It's nice both pieces have a level bubble so you know it's level. I find that I need to hold the bottom portion of the swivel part so the ballhead doesn't move. No big deal. I haven't used Nodal Ninja.

I'd go for the RRS gear as well, I have one of their ball heads and the build is top quality. I'm currently thinking of gettting back into doing pano's as well and have been looking at the Acratech Panoramic head, it does get expensive once you add the leveling base and nodal rail but it is also a lot less bulky when set up. I currently have a Manfrotto 303SPH and that thing is huge and heavy as well, I'm over it and looking for a much more friendly set up. I went into Kenmore Camera last week to check out the Acratech and it is surprisingly light and smaller than I thought it would be. Might also want to check craigslist to see if anyone is selling the unit you decide on to save a few bucks.

I bought the RRS elements pano last year. I can't compare it to other equipment, but I can say that the quality is top notch and when I had issues setting it up for the first time, the customer support was really helpful.

Thanks for the replies; all very helpfull. I do like the simplicity of the RRS option.

I have a manfrotto compact head that I'm not too happy with and started wondering if replacing that head shouldn't be my first priority. I imagine that I would be even less happy with it when a pano rig is mounted on it.

I saw that the Acratech GP head can be mounted upside down and used as a rotator. Now I'm thinking a GP head and nodal slide would be a good route to go. This would be a little more expensive upfront, but I would save me from having to buy a rotator and I would have a better ball head.

Anyone see any flaws in my thought process?

doidinho wrote in post #15919274
Thanks for the replies; all very helpfull. I do like the simplicity of the RRS option.

I have a manfrotto compact head that I'm not too happy with and started wondering if replacing that head shouldn't be my first priority. I imagine that I would be even less happy with it when a pano rig is mounted on it.

I saw that the Acratech GP head can be mounted upside down and used as a rotator. Now I'm thinking a GP head and nodal slide would be a good route to go. This would be a little more expensive upfront, but I would save me from having to buy a rotator and I would have a better ball head.

Anyone see any flaws in my thought process?

The pano option is one of the reasons I bought the GP. Granted I haven't had a chance to use it yet. . . . . . . .but aside from that the head itself is fantastic.

Scatterbrained wrote in post #15920361
The pano option is one of the reasons I bought the GP. Granted I haven't had a chance to use it yet. . . . . . . .but aside from that the head itself is fantastic.

I ended up getting the GP this evening. Wookiee2cu, got it from Kenmore Camera

So far I am very impressed by it. Basically I'm still in the same boat as before though since I have a leveling base or a ballhead, but not both.

I watched a bunch of the Acratech videos and they were very helpfull. Something I had not considered was that I would need an 'L' bracket if I went with the leveling base/nodal slide option.

After watching the videos I think I will mostly be doing horrizontal panos in the portrait camera orientation or vertical panos in the landscape camera orientation. Technically I wouldn't be able to do perfect vertical panos in landscape orientation with just my new GP, an 'L' bracket, and a nodal slide, but I think I could make it work with a hot shoe level and by orienting the gimbal notch over one of the tripod legs.

A Nodal Ninja however would let me do both types of panos and I would only have to buy the NN4 by itself since now my new ball head acts as a leveling base too.

I think I'm going to rent an NN5 and see how that works out before making my move.