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Roger,
Thx for the reply. I never saw this as well. Nice to be proved also from your side. I have tested it on R1, NN3 MKII, NN5 bubbles as well. Always the same results: Level for first picture, then leave it alone and shoot around without leveling.
Nice to get input from your special experiences to the forum.
Heinz
I used the allen head screw for the first aliment and then clamped a Bogen magic arm to the tripod center column with a plumb bob line for the second aliment.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/head6.jpg
This is the Canon 24mm f/1.4 lens, now it's time to go out and try some test shots.
Wish I could use this lens with it, the pano head is definitely strong enough.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/head5.jpg
Roger Berry
My first test with a Canon 5D-2 and 24mm f/1.4 lens.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/vrphotos/river_dike3.html
When mounting the camera plate back onto the quick release clamp there are no aliment marks on the camera plate, it's easy to get the adjustment off a little.
This may have been what caused my error. I could add an aliment mark or even better, drill a hole in the camera plate where the quick release clamp's pen will fall into it.
Something else that would be interesting to try, add a screw in plate inside of the MFR-170 top rail. Drill holes in this new plate to align up with your different lenses where the quick release clamp QRC-55 pin will drop into these holes. Looks like there's plenty of room to add a small plate in there, and it would be easy to replace if you got an aliment hole wrong or changed cameras.
Roger Berry
:biggrin:Ahem....It clearly is not a hack saw method. It clearly is a buzz saw method. Hack saws are straight -- buzz saws are round. Goodness gracious people.:001_smile:
The camera plate included in the package SHOULD have a mark at the center of the plate for alignment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameleer
I will make integrated stops for rails and camera plate. The stop plates will be engaged by the safety pin on the QR clamp, ensuring quick reproducible mounting of cameras or lenses.
I am working hard to speed up development of stop plates, nadir adapter, QR clamp for sliding on the rail and custom camera plates.
Well, at least for what you got in hand, you know the Modular System is on the right track. :-)
Nick
Hi Nick,
Sorry, I should have explained that I was using a different camera mounting plate that's made for the Canon 5D-2.
I have already ordered a better one that has the aliment markings on it, I also needed a high-quality one before making a lens indexing plate.
This photo should give you a rough idea of what I was talking about having a lens indexing plate that drops into the upper rail.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/head7.jpg
If the holes are not drilled all of the way through you could setup 4 different sets of indexing hloes and just flip the plate around or over for use with 4 different cameras.
I hope to have one done this weekend, and once I get the first hole aligned right it should just be a matter of some measurements to get the rest of them right
Roger Berry
nice attempt on the home-made integrated rail stops. the safety pin has a diameter of 3mm, so it will allow multiple stops/ settings to be used provided they are 5mm apart.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cameleer
2 rail stops can be used on the rail, so many combinations are possible. One just need to turn the QR clamp by 180 deg to use the other rail stop.
One can provide me the settings and I will make the stop plate. I need to set up a system to do this effectively. one can also use 3d printing to make a custom plate.
Nick
Hi Nick,
This plate should be thick enough that the holes don't have to go all of the way through, so you can also use the backside of it for 2 more multiple rail stops making a total of 4, one set on each edge.
You may have to use the same brand of camera mounting plate to keep the spacing proper, that's why I'm waiting for my new mounting plate to arrive before drilling any holes.
Roger Berry
I got started on making a lens indexing plate. The plate fits snugly inside the upper rail and the quick release clamp, this makes sure it stays in place, no need for screws and is very easy to change.
The black marks are examples where small slots will be milled to align up with different lenses, and the center is milled out for adding info for what index goes with that lens.
The back side also has the same milling giving you 4 different indexes.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/lens_plate.jpg
Here is a view of everything set up..
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/lens_plate2.jpg
Before I start setting up different lenses and milling out the index slots there's something else I want to try and change around.
Flip the upper rail around so that my indexing plate will be on the other side and use 2 quick release clamps back to back, set it up where my camera slides along the upper rail. This way you won't see the upper rail through the lens when using fisheye lenses.
Here's a few more photos where you can see the lens indexing plate as I was trying out a different configuration with some rail parts I have.
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/head8.jpg
http://www.indiavrtours.com/pic/head9.jpg
Roger Berry
My husband John is.... drooling...!! We both went "WOW" when we saw the images above. He really wants one..!!
Personally I just have one little question... After setting up my NN4, I was told to look straight down on the bubble to centre it.. I found it a bit hard see with the camera in the way, but just about doable. Now that the bubble is more centred on this pano head, do you think it will be visible with a large camera mounted on it, like the D3X???
D....
I do not see the point of having 5 arms on this pano head. This has got to be less stable than 3 arms and the Nadir adapter. Much heavier also. Why 5 arms? I get the indexing plate (nice mod), but don't understand the rest. Better yet, get the lens ring clamp (if it is available for this lens) and you will be down to 2 arms.
Just a quick message to Bill and Nick, el-supremo and designer!.. My dad is a retired engineer and a very good one. He had his engineering business for many years but it was only that last 10 years he had CNC machines so he understands many things associated with the design and manufacture of engineered parts.. He has checked out the photo's at the top of this forum and was VERY impressed! "Thats a nice piece of design engineering" is what he said. He has also checked out my NN4 and is equally impressed....
Destiny...
Why did I use 5 arms, because I could, and it was still amazingly stable.Quote:
Originally Posted by DennisS
Also this way with a Canon 5D, 10mm lens only the end of the lower rail would be in the photo (and tripod) that is if the upper rail where a little shorter. Normally all 3 rails show.
Maybe this is not a problem, I have not tried using it with the fisheye lens yet because of the upper rail being too much in the way.
How long will it take to change from my 24mm lens to my 10.5mm lens with a lens ring, and how about when I want to use my 15mm lens?
The other Ninja heads are made where the camera and lens slides along the upper rail, and I think there's a good reason for that.
So now if I add a double sided quick release clamp along the upper rail, this setup will work like the other Ninja heads and I won't need different sizes of upper rails or a lens ring.
Less equipment to carry around and will only take a few seconds when changing to different lenses.
Roger Berry
No, you can't see the bubble from straight up. To center the bubble before mounting the camera does not help because the bubble will be off center after mounting the camera.Quote:
Originally Posted by Destiny
To solve this, I use a small round mirror one of those dental ones or small electronic mirrors with a handle on it. Using it at a degree of around 45° you can center the bubble for the first shot "from a side view like from on top". Try to check it by moving the mirror to different places around the bubble. You will be surprised of the position of the "centered bubble" set up from the side view compared to the mirror viewed position.
Heinz
Hi Heinz.. Sorry to be a bit bubble mad.. I have had my issues with this since our floor is so slippery so the tripod legs splay out by the time I get to the last test pano, so my bubble has moved position too.. I will fix that when I can afford to buy the levelling plate then I will splay out the leg at max. I was thinking that since the tripod bubble is different to that of the pano head, and that is not far from each other, that the distance from the lens and the pano bubble is a lot further. And after-all, it's the image taken from the lens that's important.. So I had the thought that I would buy the Hot Shoe Bubble which would be a lot closer to the lens and consequently provide for a much more accurate form of levelling device. But I am not sure this is the answer. .. Some web sites say that it's not important that the bubble is level but it does not mention fisheye lenses..
Then I thought, if its not important why put a bubble there in the first place, so it must be important since all pano heads have them....
http://www.epinions.com/t-flash-mount-bubble-level
D...
Quote:
Originally Posted by hindenhaag