Tell Me About Pano Heads

I have a decent tripod head for doing pano's now. It's an older Bogen something or other, very similar to the normal three axis heads. It's got a bubble level in it and degree marks around the base. The camera mount platform is pretty large and cork covered with a T slot in it for the mounting bolt to slide in. Unfortunately, this slot is not quite long enough to reach the Front Nodal Point in my Tokina 12-24, and comes pretty close, but not exact for my 70-200/4.

For anyone with experience shooting panos with Ultra Wide Angle lenses, you know you need to get the Front Nodal Point right on, or they won't stitch well.

So, my question is, what kind of accessory can I get that will go on to the mounting plate to extend the limits of that T-slot. I'd prefer something thrifty, but am looking for anything that will work. Don't know where to start now, cause I don't know what to even call it.

Not quite sure what piece you are looking for to solve your lens/nodal issue, but I ended up going with the Really Right Stuff solution and have been very impressed with the results.

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Unless you are trying to do 360x180 panos or panoramic shots with objects very close to the lens you really don't need a panohead. May I ask you what software you are using ? I use both Hugin and PTGui and they work great, ocasionally you have to tweak the control points a little but those 5 minutes or work are not a big problem.

I think NodalNinja is a very good option for a panohead if you want to check an alternative to the reallyrightstuff one.

Luigi

Thanks Ben. Yeah, a little steep for what I want to put in it now. And I do not have an Arca-Swiss system. Something for the future though. Possibly an Arca-Swiss plate and long rail would work if I can mount it to the head I already have using the 1/4-20 screw in it?

Luigi, I looked at the NodalNinja site just now, and again, out of my price range for now. I am using CS3 to make the panos and it has done very well so far. I also have Pfactory I got a couple years ago to do QTVR. It does well also, if you start with perfect frames.

I also just found something called the Panosaurus for $80 which is around my speed for now.

http://gregwired.com/p​ano/pano.htm

My experience is that CS3 is miles behind Hugin and PTGUI for panoramas. Hugin is free software so you can give that a try for free as long as you have some minutes. I'm sure you will like the results.

I did look at Hugin, but was unimpressed with their header image on the home page. The sky has light and dark sections in it. CS3 merges all that stuff out and cleans it up with a single click. Which is why I am very surprised with CS3. I have PFactory and have downloaded several other trial versions, and so far, I haven't found anything easier or as good.

IMO CS3 is limited compared to Hugin or PTGUI.
I've also tried AutoPano, which looks good,

In CS3, you can choose one image as "center", but not somewher "between" images. (Unless I'm missing something). Hugin can do that.

PTGUI works better then Hugin IMO, but isn't free .

Oh. Pano heads: I've recently made a cheap DIY version out of a QR, a QR plate and an old Metz rail (of a Metz 45).
Not too stable (flexes visibly), but usable with MLU.

Can you explain what benefit this is?

Rene, I have been looking at Arca Swiss stuff all morning. Since I have a decent solid head for pano, it just lacks about an inch or less of travel in the slot to get the lens over the nodal point, all I need is some sort of dovetail rail and a QR clamp? Is that right. Tell me if these would work. Problem is, I can't find a rail that will mount to the camera base.

OOOpps, I think I just stumbled on the perfect solution.

canonloader wrote in post #6512657
OOOpps, I think I just stumbled on the perfect solution.

Wow thats cool you found that. Looks like it might do what youre looking for. Wonder how the quality is?

Well, it's all machined aluminum, so as long as the tolerances are tight, it ought to do what I want. And it has the added benefit that I can turn it 90 degrees and shoot 3D pairs also. Which are quite fun and you can do hand held, but are much nicer with something like this to use.

I just ordered the 8" one, so I will see in a few days.

[QUOTE=canonloader;651​1773]
For anyone with experience shooting panos with Ultra Wide Angle lenses, you know you need to get the Front Nodal Point right on, or they won't stitch well.[QUOTE]

Have you experimented shooting your panos with a longer focal length lens in the portrait position? That way you can get increased top to bottom coverage using a longer lens. The left-to-right coverage, of course, is predicated by the number of exposures you plan to stitch.

I use the Really Right Stuff L-bracket with the camera in the portrait position and tend to use 50mm or above (with a 1.6x body). This gives me good top to bottom coverage, increased distance compression (which, IMO, increases interest) and makes stitching the pano relatively easy because nodal point positioning is not as critical - especially for single string panos.

I did try portrait a few times, but it took so many, it crashed the program I was using. I think there were 21 shots in a 180* span. Can't imagine what CS3 would do.

I did get a wide angle one to come out very good once, and only 4 shots. All in Landscape though.

canonloader wrote in post #6512626
Can you explain what benefit this is?

Advantage when you want to do "rectilinear" pano's.

Say you want a pano of a building, and it takes four shots. If you forget to take a fifth "center" shot, you're screwed with CS3: Either image #2 *or* image #3 can be chosen as middle. Resulting in either #4 or #1 getting severely transformed. (Possibly resulting in an error message in PSCS3)
With hugin you can center the pano wherever you want.

If I remember to, I'll see if I can post an example tomorrow...