Pano setup

I'm looking into multi row panos with RRS equipement (or sunway). I'm really confused about a few things.

1. Is a leveling base really needed? Couldn't you just get your ballhead level?
2. If you don't have a leveling base and just get your ballhead level, you would need a separate panning clamp that sits on top of the leveling base, correct?
3. If you do get a leveling base, would you need a seperate panning clamp? Couldn't you just use your ball heads panning feature?

thanks.

Unless the base of your ballhead is level you won't get a level shot when you start to pan horizontally. A leveling base keeps you from having to fuss with leveling your tripod legs to achieve a level base for your ballhead for pano use.

so basically I'll need one of these options:

Leveling Base with Ball Head
Ball Head with Panning Base
Leveling Base with Panning Base

Looks like the best option would be a panning base and ball head since I'll need a ball head for other usage. Thanks.

nebulight wrote in post #17452554
so basically I'll need one of these options:

Leveling Base with Ball Head
Ball Head with Panning Base
Leveling Base with Panning Base

Looks like the best option would be a panning base and ball head since I'll need a ball head for other usage. Thanks.

Most mid to upper range ballheads have a panning base. That panning action will only remain level to the horizon if the top plate of the tripod (before you mount the ballhead) is level. A ball head with integral panning mounted on top of a separate leveling base would allow for easier setups for horizontal stitch panorama shots.

The other option is the Acratech GP ballhead that allows the arca swiss plate to be removed and the ballhead turned upside down for stitch panorama use. This would save some weight over a separate ballhead and leveling base combo. Here is the page describing it: http://www.acratech.ne​t/ballheads/gp/gp If you skip to about the 3 minute 30 second point in the bottom video on the page he shows how to do what I described.

Here is a really good youtube video on multi-row pano shooting. He explains pretty much everything you need to know about equipment and technique. https://www.youtube.co​m/watch?v=edgmob9gtQ4

nebulight wrote in post #17450599
I'm looking into multi row panos with RRS equipement (or sunway). I'm really confused about a few things.

1. Is a leveling base really needed? Couldn't you just get your ballhead level?
2. If you don't have a leveling base and just get your ballhead level, you would need a separate panning clamp that sits on top of the leveling base, correct?
3. If you do get a leveling base, would you need a seperate panning clamp? Couldn't you just use your ball heads panning feature?

thanks.

In addition to getting the camera level for the series of shots, you will probably need a device that will allow you to pivot the camera at the lens' front nodal point. Typically, this means that the rotating pivot point needs to be somewhere under the lens and not under the body. This corrects for parallax error so that elements of the scene don't change their apparent position relative to each other as you rotate the camera/lens for the series of shots.

I think you will find this web site informative about the parallax involved and how to correct for it.

+1 on the value and importance of a nodal rail to allow for pivoting under the lens rather than the body. The page Skip linked to is excellent but you can find your no parallax point by just mounting the lens you are going to use for pano's on the camera and setting up a lightstand several feet in front of the lens so that it is lined up with another well lit vertical line (or another stand) in the distance. Then as you pan left and right you will likely see the two vertical lines move horizontally in relation to each other. Then you just slide the nodal rail back in the ballhead clamp until the lens is roughly centered lengthwise over the pivot point of the ballhead and pan side to side again. You should see much less side to side movement of the two vertical objects than when you were pivoting on the sensor plane. You then just keep sliding the rail until you reach the point where the two vertical objects don't move in relation to each other when you pan left or right. You may have to move somewhat farther back or somewhat forward from the rough lens center to reach the exact point. That is your nodal or no parallax point for that lens. Most nodal rails have inscribed numbered markings along their length. Make note of the relation of one of those markings to your ballhead clamp and every time you mount that lens for pano work clamp the rail aligned to the same position and it will rotate about the no parallax point. You only need to do this once for each prime lens you use for pano's. If you are using a zoom lens you will need to repeat this procedure once at each focal length you plan to use since the no parallax point of the zoom lens will move forward or back depending on the focal length selected.

Well I ended up buying this over on FM so i've got the multirow and nodal aspect covered:

After draderusa posted info about the Acratech GP head I started looking at the Acratech site and I see that they make a really compact pano head in comparison to the RRS rail system:

http://www.acratech.ne​t …rama-heads/panoramic-head

I believe the GP has a 25 pound rating. It holds my 7DII and a 70-200 f4 easily. The 2.8 zoom would add another pound or so. The pano head would appear to be more robust for a full multi-row pano setup like you are setting up but it lacks the versatility of a ball head and still would require a separate leveling base.

I was thinking the following setup:

Feisol CT-3442
Acratech GP-S Head

Then with the GP-S head reversed, that would act as my leveling base and panning base. Then I could either throw the RRS setup ontop of that or sell that and pick up the Acratech pano head. However I'd then have to get another nodal rail.

A leveling base is a convenience, but not a necessity. I put a double bubble level on top of my tripod base and level the tripod in a couple of minutes, then screw on the ballhead.

it'll be super easy to level with the GP-S head.

I love the integrated leveling base on my GP ballhhead. It is quite easy and quick to set up. You can level your tripod by adjusting the legs but it is way more fussy than just loosening a single knob and leveling the panning base itself. It is also much quicker to readjust when you move your tripod. I have the full size GP on a gitzo 2542 and it is a perfect fit. The pair are a joy to use.

nebulight wrote in post #17456499
After draderusa posted info about the Acratech GP head I started looking at the Acratech site and I see that they make a really compact pano head in comparison to the RRS rail system...

...This would make transportation a lot simpler as it's a smaller setup and weighs less than one pound. I know you'd still need a nodal rail, but would this work the same way as a rail system? If so, wouldn't this type of setup be a no brainer compared to having to lug around a bunch of rails? What's the catch? I found another thread here but there wasn't much info: https://photography-on-the.net …/showthread.php​?t=1298362

IMO that Acratech head is really only suited to single row panos. The reason for this is that the no-parallax-point (NPP) is a point, not an axis; you need to rotate around it both horizontally and vertically for multi-row panos.

When you use a nodal slide on the Acratech pano head you do have some pros and cons even for single row work. You need a different amount of slide extension for different degrees of tilt, because when you tilt up you're moving the camera and lens NPP backwards off the panning axis.

The reason for all the hardware on multi-row heads is so that the camera can be rotated both horizontally and vertically around the NPP. Which makes stitching possible!

Yep, i figured that out after talking with a few members over on FM.