Nikon D7000, 16mm fisheye, 20mm and Kirk camera plate

[viewfinder]

I am considering getting the NN3 to use with the D7000, just want to make sure that with the Kirk camera plate attached it will be compatible with the NN3 with the QRC-2 clamp (http://store.nodalninja.com/products...ase-Clamp.html).

Also, I currently have the full frame Nikon 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens, is there any advantage in considering the Nikon 20mm lens instead? 16mm on DX will be equivalent to 24mm, while 20mm will be 30mm equivalent. Potentially less distortion with the 20mm (30mm) when going through the stitching process maybe? Any thoughts or suggestions as to which is the better option?

I would be interested to find out the various parameters for the D7000 and 16mm/20mm combination as well, if readily available.

Any information or advise would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

Regards,
Jonathan

[hindenhaag]

Hi Jonathan, welcome to the forum and a happy new year to all forum members.

First, you have to get the arca style quick release clamp, http://store.nodalninja.com/products...em-ASQRS2.html, cause Kirk camera plate is an arca style one. I tested D7000 with Kirk camera plate, NN arca style clamp on NN3 MKII for you. It will fit to the LRS. The lower rail can be used to a max LRS of 70.

I use the 16mm/f2.8 on both D3 and DX camera bodies. Works great. Asks 6 shots on FX and 8 shots around on FX body. The 20mm will ask 10 shots around. This will give you a higher resolution, but is more difficult to use in crowded places or on a pole or monopod for example.

Distortion does not matter, stitching software will deal with this.

Looking for another fisheye lens would either be Nikkor10.5mm , asks 6 shots around, for me better optical results than Sigma 8mm/f3.5 with 4 shots. Or if you look for a quick pano use Samyang 8mm/f3.5 with 4 shots around. Manual lens but that does not matter so much. I prefer it to Sigma 8mm lens.

To get higher resolution I would go for a 50mm nikkor, 50mm1.4D/G.

Till now I have not tested the 16mm on D7000, but I will do it for you as soon as possible.

Feel free to ask.

Cheers,
Heinz

[viewfinder]

Hi Jonathan, welcome to the forum and a happy new year to all forum members.

First, you have to get the arca style quick release clamp, http://store.nodalninja.com/products...em-ASQRS2.html, cause Kirk camera plate is an arca style one. I tested D7000 with Kirk camera plate, NN arca style clamp on NN3 MKII for you. It will fit to the LRS. The lower rail can be used to a max LRS of 70.

I use the 16mm/f2.8 on both D3 and DX camera bodies. Works great. Asks 6 shots on FX and 8 shots around on FX body. The 20mm will ask 10 shots around. This will give you a higher resolution, but is more difficult to use in crowded places or on a pole or monopod for example.

Distortion does not matter, stitching software will deal with this.

Looking for another fisheye lens would either be Nikkor10.5mm , asks 6 shots around, for me better optical results than Sigma 8mm/f3.5 with 4 shots. Or if you look for a quick pano use Samyang 8mm/f3.5 with 4 shots around. Manual lens but that does not matter so much. I prefer it to Sigma 8mm lens.

To get higher resolution I would go for a 50mm nikkor, 50mm1.4D/G.

Till now I have not tested the 16mm on D7000, but I will do it for you as soon as possible.

Feel free to ask.

Cheers,
Heinz

Hi Heinz,

Happy New Year to you too!

Thank you for the detailed information. I did not realise that there is a separate Arca quick release, I will make sure I order the right one when I am ready.

I would love to hear more about the D7000 and 16mm combination, if you could do a quick test that would be awesome. I am yet to take deliver of the D7000, so I look forward to seeing what you find. I have the 50mm f/1.8 lens, so that should do if I want higher resolution.

I mostly shoot panorama/VR with the Sony NEX-5 at the moment, but I also have a Nikon D3s and a few lenses, but the D3s is probably too big for the NN3.

Please excuse my ignorance, I am fairly new to some of the terms/acronym used here. What does LRS stand for? I presume it relates to the height of the camera/lens combination when mounted on the upright? In this case the clearance of the tripod plate matters and it might be too high when beyond the value of 70 (not sure what the unit of measure is).

Regards,
Jonathan

[hindenhaag]

Hi Jonathan,

LRS = lower rail setting, URS = upper rail setting. Yes, you are right, it relates to the H, height of camera body bottom to the lens axis = small pin of lens release knob middle left side of the lens flange. Add the thickness of the camera plate or quick release system plus an offset of the vertical rail and you get LRS. Upright = portrait mode, which is used normally.

I roughly checked D7000 by adding a universal kirk camera plate to the arca style clamp and placed it to NN3 lower rail. It lies in between the range of the length of the lower rail. I ended up at 68mm. But I do not know the thickness of your kirk ( L-? )plate. So you have to test this and my URS of 78 for the 16mm/f2.8 D7000 with your equipment.

For D3s you need NN5 RD16, or wait for the new modular system estimated delivery around march. NN5 will take all lenses with D3/s 14-24, 24-70, 70-200.Serves for me since some years. For 300mm/f2.8 you have to wait for the new modular system.

BTW: I use the shaved 10.5/f2.8 for 4 shots around on FF =D3 D700, and 6 around on DX bodies.

LRS and URS are in mm. Marks on the rails. To check or measurements :

http://www.easypano.com/forum/displa...1&TopicID=4162

http://www.johnhpanos.com/epcalib.htm

http://wiki.panotools.org/Entrance_Pupil_Database



Depending on weather I shoot a D7000 test for fisheye lenses the next days.

Regards,
Heinz

[viewfinder]

Hi Heinz,

I have the standard D7000 camera plate (i.e. not L bracket), and the thickness is 1.1mm.

I will be very interested in finding out more about the new modular system that you mentioned, especially if it is suitable for the D3s. I do mostly 360 VR, so I am considering the Ultimate as well, but it is only suitable for use with the fisheye lens, the NN3 is more flexibly though maybe not as good for tilting and multi rows. I will wait for the modular system and decide then.

Thanks again for providing all the information, and I look forward to seeing the D7000/fisheye test it you manage to get out into the cold and shoot something...

Regards,
Jonathan

[hindenhaag]

Jonathan,

The new ultimate modular system has nothing to do with R1/R10 line. This is the one with the lens ring working with fisheye and tokina 10-17.

Modular system is replacing the NN5 system, with rails of different length, quick release clamps, more strength to take bigger lenses, 200mm 30mm.

http://moonshine.homedns.org:2655/pa...ts-april-2010/

Pleasure, I will try my best.

Heinz

[viewfinder]

Hi Heinz,

By Ultimate, I actually do mean the R1/R10. But I am not keen on being restricted to fisheye lens only, unless there is definite advantages in using it for 360 VR.

Am I right in assuming that with the modular system, I can start off with a system similar to NN3, and then later add longer rail to support larger DSLR like D3s, etc.?

Regards,
Jonathan

[hindenhaag]

Hi Jonathan,

Yes you are right. As I am informed the use of lens rings will be possible too. The R1 R10 advantage is to see in "panohead to go". Smallest, lightest system, easy to take with you biking, etc. Nice to use on poles or monopods.

Regards,
Heinz