panoramic questions for the pano pros!

tijoseph

I just love the panoramics that I see both here and on other websites, especially the spherical ones. my 2 questions follow!

How do they do the bottom picture for these? Does someone just hover there with the camera pointed at the ground???

Also, is there such thing as a pano head that doesn't cost 600 bucks?, but does a good job?

ziggy53

tijoseph wrote:

I just love the panoramics that I see both here and on other websites, especially the spherical ones. my 2 questions follow!

How do they do the bottom picture for these? Does someone just hover there with the camera pointed at the ground???

Also, is there such thing as a pano head that doesn't cost 600 bucks?, but does a good job?

I don't do spherical panoramics but I gather most systems employ some image manipulation and cloning (or masking) to eliminate the tripod/stand.

I use the Panosaurus head, purchased used, and I did have to tweak it a bit to make it work smoothly but it does seem to work nicely for camera/lens up to 4-5 pounds or so. Not designed for telephoto lenses, especially with the camera in the portrait configuration, but I did try it using a mini speed-clamp to add some extra control over sagging and that worked OK.

tijoseph

ziggy53 wrote:

I don't do spherical panoramics but I gather most systems employ some image manipulation and cloning (or masking) to eliminate the tripod/stand.

I use the Panosaurus head, purchased used, and I did have to tweak it a bit to make it work smoothly but it does seem to work nicely for camera/lens up to 4-5 pounds or so. Not designed for telephoto lenses, especially with the camera in the portrait configuration, but I did try it using a mini speed-clamp to add some extra control over sagging and that worked OK.

Do you think it would work for 5d mark 11 ?

Does it only do horizontal panoramas?

ziggy53

tijoseph wrote:

Do you think it would work for 5d mark 11 ?

Does it only do horizontal panoramas?

I have used my 5D MKII with the EF 24-85mm, and it is OK (but just barely). I would not recommend it for use with a large and heavy lens. (The EF 70-200mm, f2.8 in either model would be too much IMO, for instance.) I haven't tried it but I think the 5D MKII and EF 17-40mm, f4L USM should be OK.

Primary construction material of the Panosaurus is 1/2" MDF and some of that has been machined. You do need to be careful to avoid damage by not overloading or overstressing the rig.

It will do panoramas with the camera in either the portrait or the landscape orientation, but the panning mechanism is designed for horizontal panoramas (as with most panorama heads).

pathfinder

Pano heads are great, I use the RRS heads and rails.

You can actually shoot a lot of panos hand held ( I call them drive by panos ) if you do not have close by foreground subjects, and if your lens focal lengths aren't too short. I know this sounds heretical, but a lot of folks do it this way some times.

This was shot just that way - hand held in Manual mode and manual focus, with AWB turned off, - 5 frames in portrait mode, pivoting around the lens nodal point - kind of



I don't shoot the 360 degree versions, so no suggestions there, sorry!

Here's a 9 frame pano with a 200mm lens, that was on a tripod to help stabilize it, but no a pano head at all, just point and shoot