Pole Panos: suggestions please on cheap and simple ways to do them.

[M1ke_a]

I've had reasonable success with sticking my NN5 on a monopod and pivoting around at waist height to get up to around 2.5m.

However this has only worked in decent light and there's no chance of doing HDR stitches.

I'd probably only want to go up to 5m in total but I'd like to try some long exposures (30 secs +) so I'm looking at possibly putting the NN5 on a monopod, then mounted on a rotator on a tripod.

I'm having some trouble finding suitable couplings for sensibly priced kit (Gitzo's pods come with 3/8 female threads for the spikes but they're not cheap and the new NN Pole is too expensive as I only do these for fun.)

Would someone be kind enough to share their experiences and suggestions on doing this on a limited time and money budget?

thanks

[nick fan]

Doing HDR at 5m using NN5 will not be easy. You will have lots of flex for lots of poles. if you want to have a cheap and rigid pole/mast, you need to sacrifice severely on its portability.
maybe Manfrotto 269HDBU 24-Feet Super High Aluminium Stand with Leveling Leg will work for you. Not sure if it is rigid enough for HDR work.
http://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-269H.../dp/B001D2EQVI

NIck

[M1ke_a]

Thanks Nick

That's probably the perfect solution but not a cheap one! If I was going to spend that much money I'd buy one of your poles.

I also realise that a NN5 is going to introduce more weight at the highest point but getting a R1 isn't on the cards, especially as this is only a hobby.

I did some more investigation and see that Gitzo's monopods (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-...nopod/p1026587) have 3/8th female threads so I could get one of those and attach it to my tripod and rotator. - Not ideal but a possible option?

Have people done such things before?

[hindenhaag]

I used this combination: Feisol tripod with an old manfrotto N300 on top. Manfrotto adaptor plate on top of rotator. Feisol monopod turned around with an adapted Spikes screw on top, outside end of spike worked down to 3/8" thread, fixed to R1.

The Feisol Cm-1471 is cheaper and much lighter than Manfrotto, very rigid.

I tested the new Pole system last weekend and added the RD16 to top of my tripod with The new Fanotec Pole on top. Works brilliant. Just fix all rotator knobs before shooting.

A very unconventional solution for low budget: take off the lower rail and place your RD8 RD16 Rotator on top of the tripod. Add M6 to 3/8" adapter with concave side of washer to top of rotator. Then you have to add an Manfrotto 3/8" to 3/8" or to 1/4" Adapter and add the monopod on top to the adapter. Have a look to manfrotto accessories. The Feisol monopod comes with a 3/8" - reduced 3/4" part screw on top. May be you have an old ballhead for the top. With my Feisol tripod with center column at max height, this went up to 3,50m. Which already gives you a total different view and is "quite" easy to handle.

Heinz

[Wim.Koornneef]

...I'd like to try some long exposures (30 secs +) so I'm looking at possibly putting the NN5 on a monopod, then mounted on a rotator on a tripod....

Hello Mike,
I am afraid that it will be impossible to make a low budget rig that is capable of doing long exposures on a pole.
I have a lot of experiences with several combination of tripods + monopods + rotators and unless there is absolutely no wind outside it is impossible to make sharp long exposures.
Wind always introduce a movement of the pole and when rotating the pole you always get vibrations (=movement of the camera on top of the pole).

Just to give you an idea how hard it is to get a stable rig for long exposures (use the arrow buttons to see the movie and more images of the rig):
http://www.dmmdh.nl/timelapse/timela...image_002.html

Success,
Wim

[M1ke_a]

Thanks very much for the replies chaps.

Heinz, could I trouble for a couple of photos of the interconnecting parts so that I can get a better visual idea?

I hadn't thought about reversing the monopod but that makes sense to have the thicker end at the bottom. I think I know what adapters you are talking about but need to check further.

Wim.

That's a serious piece of equipment and way beyond anything I'd like to try!

I'd like to have another go at shooting this - http://www.mikeanton.com/360panos/Mi...ehursttree.htm from a greater height, hence my question about poles.

I had to wait 3 years to do that pano because the tree only gets decorated for Christmas and waiting for a decent moon, AND a clear night only equals 1 or 2 goes each year!

[nick fan]

Wim.

That's a serious piece of equipment and way beyond anything I'd like to try!

I'd like to have another go at shooting this - http://www.mikeanton.com/360panos/Mi...ehursttree.htm from a greater height, hence my question about poles.

I had to wait 3 years to do that pano because the tree only gets decorated for Christmas and waiting for a decent moon, AND a clear night only equals 1 or 2 goes each year!

We may consider renting our poles when the system is complete. It may help some casual users. :-)

Nick

[M1ke_a]

We may consider renting our poles when the system is complete. It may help some casual users. :-)

Nick

Sounds like I may be speaking with Badders again ;-)

Oh and I forgot to say we had a chap shooting the shopping complex next to us in the summer. He had a 150Kg 15m hydraulic mast attached onto the rear of his Landrover Discovery.

Don't think he was geared up for 360's but the head was motorised and controlled via USB. Think he said the whole lot cost UK GBP 30,000!

[nick fan]

Thanks Nick

That's probably the perfect solution but not a cheap one! If I was going to spend that much money I'd buy one of your poles.

I also realise that a NN5 is going to introduce more weight at the highest point but getting a R1 isn't on the cards, especially as this is only a hobby.

I did some more investigation and see that Gitzo's monopods (http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-...nopod/p1026587) have 3/8th female threads so I could get one of those and attach it to my tripod and rotator. - Not ideal but a possible option?

Have people done such things before?

I don't want to give an impression that our pole is over priced. You are comparing apple to orange.
Gitzo GM2541 has a max height of 160cm, a max tube diameter of 28mm, weight of 380g.
Fanotec Series 1 Pole has a max height of 275cm, max tube diameter of 32mm, weight of 750g. So nearly twice among of material is used. And the strength is proportional to the amount of material. Carbon fiber tubes account for most of the cost of poles/ monopods. On per unit length/ weight basis, our pole is not expensive compared to monopods in the market. Since we buy tubes from suppliers, we have a disadvantage in the cost of our poles.

Last but not least, 2 short monopods stacked together will be much much weaker than a pole designed for the same height.

nick

[M1ke_a]

Nick,

Sorry but I'm not disputing the cost of the fanotec pole, it's more down to the overall cost of a hobbyist buying a specialist item that's not going to get a lot of use.

That Gitzo monopod would get considerably more use for what I spend 99% of my shooting time doing, - sports photography! The fact that I could potentially use it to also shoot panos, would be a value added bonus.

As I said at the top, I only shoot panos for fun and want to keep the cost and kit list down. If I wanted to spend loads of cash then I'd probably have no hesitation buying an Ultimate R1 and that Manfrotto 269 mast.

[nick fan]

Nick,

Sorry but I'm not disputing the cost of the fanotec pole, it's more down to the overall cost of a hobbyist buying a specialist item that's not going to get a lot of use.

That Gitzo monopod would get considerably more use for what I spend 99% of my shooting time doing, - sports photography! The fact that I could potentially use it to also shoot panos, would be a value added bonus.

As I said at the top, I only shoot panos for fun and want to keep the cost and kit list down. If I wanted to spend loads of cash then I'd probably have no hesitation buying an Ultimate R1 and that Manfrotto 269 mast.

We are heading to make some monopods as well. They will serve you better than a Gitzo in terms of making panos. :-)

Nick