Coming soon: the new affordable Nodal Ninja 4

Got my NN4 yesterday.
I like it!!

Heinz, I didn't really expect the calibration settings to be exact on my NN4 with the numbers you provided from a NN5 (60/103) for the D200 / 18-200mm VRII @ 18mm but figured it would be a good place to start to shorten the iteration cycle. They were exact - I got perfect alignment first try!

Thanks - it saved me a little picture taking time. My batteries are all charged, my flash cards are all empty and it's a beautiful spring day ... I'm off to take some panos!

Calvin

Pleasure Calvin,

thx for lettings us know. Helps me a lot too checking all the settings on NN4.

Enjoy your new equipment and success.

Heinz

Destiny - First In The Whole Wide Word To Own The NN4

Hello Nick..and everyone one.... My name is Destiny.. and I was the first in the whole wide world to own the NN4 :biggrin:
This is a fact that I am very proud of! :clap:
I have been testing the NN4 out for about a week now. It's the most wonderful pano head ever!
I use with it the Arca Style Quick Release System and that's just great....Camera On - Camera Off.. And I also have the Nadir Adapter. This is a really nice little thing, I love it so much but I am still working on how to use it properly though. I have never taken a Nadir shot that can be used on my pano's.. It's tricky I think.. But the Nadir Adapter will help me to achieve this. All this mounted on my RD16.

If anyone needs to know anything about the NN4, I will be more than happy to!

D..

Hi Destiny and welcome to the forum,

Great to get to know that you are happy with your new equipment. Nice you are number 1! Got mine yesterday evening. Of course I tried it at once. Steps on in the NN Fanotec quality program. I am happy with these products since years.

Using the Nadir Adapter is not a very tricky thing. What sort of equipment do you use? Camera lens combination?

Anyway: first of all you have to measure the Pivot Distance: the distance from center of RD16 to center to fixing screw of the nadir adaptor, the turning point of the adaptor. First nadir shot: -90º with closed adaptor. Then move the tripod sideways in direction of third leg by 2x Pivot Distance. Just use the third leg to adapt your distance. Open up the nadir adapter and shoot the second nadir shot.

This will only work when you use a special set up of NN4 RD16 to your tripod. The lower rail has to be set to 90º to the "two front legs of the tripod". And it has to be "in line" with the third leg. Otherwise you can not mask out the tripod in a proper way.

The first nadir shot will show the tip of the third leg of the tripod on the left side. Important area! The second Nadir Shot will show the corner of the nadir adapter between the two legs of the tripod on the right hand side of the picture. Second important area! When you mask and stitch the two nadir shots, you have to check that there is space between the corner of the tip of the third leg and the corner of the Nadir Adapter. If they touch, move the tripod beyond 2x Pivot Distance. If it is far beyond the old position of lens axis - center of Rotator in N1 - may be you have to use a "viewpoint correction"

Most of us use PTGuiPro. You can download a trial at www.PTGui.com. Just load the two nadir shots, in same orientation, go to >mask, and mask out the tripod. Then stitch. Check if there are black or checkered areas left in the two important areas. Then you have to move the tripod beyond 2x Pivot distance.

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f...NNadaptor1.jpg

Thx to offer help to forum members. We keep in contact with Australia!

Feel free to ask,
regards,
Heinz

BTW Bill: Think you have to open up a NN4 Line on the forum:clap:

Quote:

Originally Posted by hindenhaag

BTW Bill: Think you have to open up a NN4 Line on the forum:clap:

Very good point :biggrin::clap:

Quote:

Originally Posted by hindenhaag

Hi Destiny and welcome to the forum,

Great to get to know that you are happy with your new equipment. Nice you are number 1! Got mine yesterday evening. Of course I tried it at once. Steps on in the NN Fanotec quality program. I am happy with these products since years.

Using the Nadir Adapter is not a very tricky thing. What sort of equipment do you use? Camera lens combination?

Anyway: first of all you have to measure the Pivot Distance: the distance from center of RD16 to center to fixing screw of the nadir adaptor, the turning point of the adaptor. First nadir shot: -90º with closed adaptor. Then move the tripod sideways in direction of third leg by 2x Pivot Distance. Just use the third leg to adapt your distance. Open up the nadir adapter and shoot the second nadir shot.

This will only work when you use a special set up of NN4 RD16 to your tripod. The lower rail has to be set to 90º to the "two front legs of the tripod". And it has to be "in line" with the third leg. Otherwise you can not mask out the tripod in a proper way.

The first nadir shot will show the tip of the third leg of the tripod on the left side. Important area! The second Nadir Shot will show the corner of the nadir adapter between the two legs of the tripod on the right hand side of the picture. Second important area! When you mask and stitch the two nadir shots, you have to check that there is space between the corner of the tip of the third leg and the corner of the Nadir Adapter. If they touch, move the tripod beyond 2x Pivot Distance. If it is far beyond the old position of lens axis - center of Rotator in N1 - may be you have to use a "viewpoint correction"

Most of us use PTGuiPro. You can download a trial at www.PTGui.com. Just load the two nadir shots, in same orientation, go to >mask, and mask out the tripod. Then stitch. Check if there are black or checkered areas left in the two important areas. Then you have to move the tripod beyond 2x Pivot distance.

hi guys, i am new to NN.

I just got my NN4, with RD16 today. I was so excited that i immediately lay my hands on it.

I am using D90 , with 18-105mm lens. I tried to take the nadir shot. But don't seem to get it right. Not sure where i got wrong.

Q1. How do i measure the pivot distance?

"First nadir shot: -90º with closed adaptor" .

Q2. Where do i take this first nadir shot?

Q3. If i move the tripod by the pivot distance, will it not cause any unnecessary movment that will disrupt the images?

"This will only work when you use a special set up of NN4 RD16 to your tripod. The lower rail has to be set to 90º to the "two front legs of the tripod". And it has to be "in line" with the third leg. Otherwise you can not mask out the tripod in a proper way."

Q4. Will you be able to elaborate on this? i don't quite get it.
Q5. What is the 90º? you referring to?

"special set up of NN4 RD16 to your tripod"

Q6. What is the special set up?

sorry guys hope i am not asking too many questions.

Hi,

Keep cool and welcome to the forum,

I know there are a lot of questions about this theme, I add some pics to explain it.

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f...NNadaptor1.jpg

Special set up to tripod: the whole Panohead and its lower rail has to be set in between the two legs of the tripod in 90º standing on the opposite side of the third leg. Red line in picture.

Pivot distance is the distance from the center of the rotator to the turning point of the Nadir Adapter ( Screw with handle ). You have to shift the whole tripod sideways by minimum 2x Pivot distance, to get a free space between the tip of the third leg from Nadir Shot 1 ( Adapter closed ) and the corner of the Nadir adapter of Nadir Shot 2 ( adapter opened to swing outside ) If you do not get free space between the tip of the tripod leg and the corner of the NN Adapter, you have to shift the tripod beyond 2x Pivot distance.

You take your shots around, then zenith shot +90º, then turn the camera down to -90º to take the first Nadir shot. Swing out the Nadir adapter, fix the screw, camera still in -90º position, shift sideways in the direction of the third leg ( blue arrow in the picture ) and take the second nadir shot. Open up screw and swing back the Nadir Adapter to closed position and fix the screw to be save with your equipment.

This is the only way to do it. You have to move the tripod. The software will handle this. In PTGui Pro adding masking and stitching the 2 Nadir shots you have to go to >advanced, the the tab line opens with all the extras like mask etc., >optimizer , in optimizer > advanced and click the viewpoint for the nadir shots.

Hope this helps. Otherwise ask again.

Regards,
Heinz

How to measure Pivot Point Distance: Pics ©2011 NodalNinja

http://homepage.mac.com/hindenhaag/f...Ninja_2011.zip The method to measure the Pivot distance is the same for NN3, NN4 and NN5.

Regards,
Heinz

1 Attachment(s)

The PTGui Viewpoint click:

Attachment 188

Heinz

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick fan

Nodal Ninja 4 vs Nodal Ninja 5
Slightly shorter vertical and upper rails than NN5.

Easier to use upper rotator with 15 degree positive stops

Support offset of +/- 5, 7.5, or 10 degree from the horizon

Support use of FANOTEC lens rings with new QR clamp (coming soon)

More affordable than NN5

Same load rating to support up to 7.7lbs (3.5kg)

Limit to 100mm focal length only (35mm equivalent and 25% overlap)

NN4 will use all accessories from NN3 and 5 series.

Hi Nick.

One quick question:

NN5 load rating is 22lbs/10kg and NN5L is 15lbs/7kg (from NN website), so why do you say "Same load rating to support up to 7.7lbs(3.5kg)" ?

Thanks,

Trico

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trico

Hi Nick.

One quick question:

NN5 load rating is 22lbs/10kg and NN5L is 15lbs/7kg (from NN website), so why do you say "Same load rating to support up to 7.7lbs(3.5kg)" ?

Thanks,

Trico

Hmm, I want to be more conservative in the load rating. 3.5kg is anything practical for any DSLR system.

nick

Quote:

Originally Posted by nick fan

Hmm, I want to be more conservative in the load rating. 3.5kg is anything practical for any DSLR system.

nick

Got it.

Thank you.

Trico,

If you have time and you are interested, you should go to Pamela next week. All the big boys of pano are there, great program. Plus: Nodal Ninja is present with the whole US staff and Bill Bailey. Off course our EU distributors. And you can test the equipment and ask all your questions.

http://www.nodalninja.com/forum/show...-Speakers-List

Heinz

Quote:

Originally Posted by hindenhaag

Trico,

If you have time and you are interested, you should go to Pamela next week. All the big boys of pano are there, great program. Plus: Nodal Ninja is present with the whole US staff and Bill Bailey. Off course our EU distributors. And you can test the equipment and ask all your questions.

http://www.nodalninja.com/forum/show...-Speakers-List

Heinz

Thank you Heinz, I've already decided to go just for the "Marketplace". I'll be there on May 31 to buy a NN4 plus other stuff. I talked to Andrew (from 360 Tactical VR) and he said he'll be there. I was planning to place an online order with him, but instead decided to go to Palmela to try before buy. He also told me that there will be discount prices. I live 350km away from Palmela (in Oporto) so I just hope that the discount will be enough to pay for the car trip. I asked him about the NN4 price at Palmela but he couldn't say.