An easy offset nadir shot with a NN5 panohead and a QTop quickmount

Hello Forum,

I guess you already know that the NN5 is a very versatile product.
Although the swingarm is suited for long lenses I rarely use the full length of it until recently.....

With a QTop quickmount mounted on the camera adapter of the swingarm I can make a nadir patch very easy and very fast.
All I have to do after I shot the roundshots and zenith shot is to swing the camera outside the NPP position to the front position, turn the camera in the QTop, shift the camera adapter to the end of the swingarm and take the offset nadir shot(s). The QTop has 12 fixed positions so it is easy to turn the camera 90 degrees for the offset nadir shot.

I can choose to shoot from the same tripod position or to move the tripod just outside the original position.
When the tripod is not moved then I have to retouche the end of the tripod legs out of nadir, with a repositioned tripod the offset is much larger and it can be more difficult to patch the nadir shot but then retouching is not necessary because the legs are masked out. My preferred method is to replace the tripod just outside the original position.

Here are 4 images of the setup with the round shots position, the NPP nadir position and the offset nadir position :
http://www.dmmdh.nl/zoomify/offset_n...image_001.html

Of course it is also possible to use a QTop with a NN3 but the swingarm of that model is shorter so it could be that the offset is not enough to cover all the space between the tripod legs with 1 shot.
If the tripod is repositioned just outside the original position then there is no difference in the results between a NN5 and NN3.

Best,
Wim


EDIT:
Some extra info about the use of the offset nadir shot position

Hi Wim,

thanks a lot for the idea.

There are other methods of taking nadir shot. some are covered in detail by Rosauro.
http://www.rosaurophotography.com/ht...n3_review.html


nick

What exactly is the QTop quickmount? Is that part of the NN5. I tried to do a google search and only came up with this thread.

Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tri3

What exactly is the QTop quickmount?

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Hello Tri3,

A QTop is a small quickmount system for cameras, you can find more about the system here:
www.qtop.eu

Best,
Wim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tri3

What exactly is the QTop quickmount? Is that part of the NN5. I tried to do a google search and only came up with this thread.
Cheers

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Good to see us coming up in the SE's :001_smile:

What exactly is the QTop quickmount? Is that part of the NN5. I tried to do a google search and only came up with this thread.
Cheers

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bill Bailey

Good to see us coming up in the SE's :001_smile:

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What, exactly are the "SE's" ? Also hard to Google.

:confused1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wide-Eyed

What, exactly are the "SE's" ?

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I am pretty sure that SE stands for Search Engines ;-)

Wim

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wide-Eyed

What exactly is the QTop quickmount? Is that part of the NN5. I tried to do a google search and only came up with this thread.
Cheers

What, exactly are the "SE's" ? Also hard to Google.
:confused1:

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sorry - yes I meant search engines

Bill, why don't you make a similar device. Looks real useful and you guys already have the
manufacturing channel in place. How hard could it be:confused1:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DemonDuck

Bill, why don't you make a similar device. Looks real useful and you guys already have the
manufacturing channel in place. How hard could it be:confused1:

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Product develop decisions are left to Nick and his decisions are largely based on end user needs. I'm not sure Nick has had a lot of requests on this but that's not to say he wouldn't consider it. He might even have it on his design table someplace amoungst all the other ideas he's working on.
Feedback from customers (and non-customers) is always encouraged.
thanks
Bill

Those Quick Tops look sweet. Bill you and Nick need to get on that train and make something similar. :001_smile:

Nick - you da' man! what do you think?

If the Q-top quick release was available I would by 2-in a heart beat .

Dan

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tri3

Those Quick Tops look sweet. Bill you and Nick need to get on that train and make something similar. :001_smile:

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the Qtop is a unique design with patent pending.
there are other means to achieve the function. :-)

nick

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nick fan

the Qtop is a unique design with patent pending.
there are other means to achieve the function. :-)
nick

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We do get a lot of requests for a tripod quick release system - mainly folks with the Arca's stlye ball mounts.
While it is handle to take on and off a camera on the NN it's handy to do the same with NN on a tripod. Just this morning I got a call from a guy in Kuwait heading off to the Himalaya Mountain's and ordering a NN5 w/RD12. Working in extreme conditions (and even not so extreme) having the ability to simply unclamp, pack-and-go is an advantage.
Just stirring the pot of ideas :wink:
Bill