World's lightest pano head for bicycling and hiking

[DennisS]

In an effor to shave off those ever so precious last few grams of equpiment weight (just do not look at the 20+ pounds on my "spare tire"), here is my latest creation:



Note the shaved monopod head. 5 degree tilt. A hand held Nadir patch shot is more than enough to cover what little bit of this pano head is left in the picture.

[Vincèn]

hum nice tweaking :) how do you use it on bike ? pictures ? as I'm interested in process to do the same on BMX here while driving down the mountains ;)

Vincèn

[hindenhaag]

Once again well done Dennis,

Will there be the rally version with a lot of wholes in it too?

This is for the BMX version:

http://www.feisol.de/spezial-stativ-...9v5r5pist0ubh6

cheers,
Heinz

[Vincèn]

This is for the BMX version:
http://www.feisol.de/spezial-stativ-...9v5r5pist0ubh6

You rock Heinz exactly what I was looking for shoot of panos on BMX and also on chairlift it should do the trick

Thanks,

Vincèn

[DennisS]

Finally have had time to play with my NEX-5/Samyang 7.5 lens combo. Here is the 2lb 1oz solution (total weight including the monopod) I now have for cycling and hiking.




Only the clamp from my R1 pano head remains.

[nick fan]

Hi Dennis,

Thx for sharing. Nice looking.
Wow, you machine the ring from solid aluminum! That is more expensive than our lens ring.
BTW, our lens ring for Samyang 7.5mm is shipping next week.

nick

[hindenhaag]

Hi Dennis,

Nice garage! Would like to have one. So to see you machined the adpater ring as well. Could you please tell us a bit ore about alterations on the lens and the adapter?

@Nick that's quick. well done.

Regards,
Heinz

[DennisS]

Nick,

Actually, I machined it from a piece of scrap L shaped aluminum extrusion. Materials cost me about $3.00 and I have enough for 3 more adapters. Since I am more concerned with function over marketability, I have the luxury of making something work "one off". There is no way this design would sell on the market. It is more of a “proof of concept”. Since you are already tooled up for production, machining a new plastic insert makes sense and is cheaper for you.

Heinz,

The MFT/NEX adapter does not allow the lens to focus at infinity. You have to take the back mounting flange off the lens. There are 3 very small screws. Once you remove the screws, you simply lift the mount off. Remove whatever spacers you find (this differs from lens to lens), then bolt the mounting flange back on.

I took this one step further by drilling/counter boring 3 holes in the MFT/NEX adapter. (Thanks Smooth for that one). I used the three bolts from the mounting flange to bolt the adapter back onto the lens. I also removed the spring steel piece and turned down the outside diameter of the adapter. Now the lens looks like it has a small brass ring in the back.

The body of the lens is plastic, so don't be too aggressive when putting the screws back in place. It would be a shame to strip the threads.

The front lens hood also needs to be shaved. The ring on the front that has the lens name and such stenciled on it can be GENTLY pried off. You will find another set of 3 very small and easy to lose screws. Once these screws are removed, you can lift the lens hood off. This makes shaving the lens hood much less dangerous. If you completely remove the petals from the hood, you will not have any place for the lens cap to grab onto.

Dennis

[hindenhaag]

Hi Dennis,

Thx a lot for explanation. Did you have to machine the lens flange itself as Smooth mentioned when I remember well to get "free space" before focussing to infinity?

I am as lucky as you have been. Foto-tip can not deliver cause they have run out of black 7.5 samyang lenses. Though waiting for weeks now, it will probably take another one. Though my money was booked, I did not get a mail for delay. I had to send them two mails to get response.

So everybody who likes to order the lens now in EU or even in US, Andrew Badders has them in stock since a while too. USPS shipping to US or the other way around US to EU always takes weeks and offers very bad track and trace. To Us it still says "to be set ready to deliver at sender" even the day it arrives in US.

@Andrew, do you have the adapter for Sony NEX-5 as well?

Regards,
Heinz

[DennisS]

Heinz,

I just machined .012" off of the inside of the mounting flange (the thickness of 1 brass shim, just in case I messed up). F11 now looks good across the entire image. F8 is still soft along the edges. Smooth was right about machining off material. He was not right in how much. If I were to take off the thickness of the adapter as well as the shims, that would have been .065" Focus at infinity would not even be close. I think I still need to find longer screws.

Tracking from EU was horrible. The status never changed even after I accepted delivery. It took 12 days or so to get here. So far, it seems to be well worth the wait as initial tests continue to look good.

Dennis

[DennisS]

For that hand held Nadir shot:



This is the bottom of the camera, the side that faces you when you hold the camera out for the Nadir patch shot.

[badders]

So everybody who likes to order the lens now in EU or even in US, Andrew Badders has them in stock since a while too.

UPDATE: SOLD OUT! We are waiting for stock as well. Pre-order or subscribe to the RSS stock feed on my site and get in quick as these little gems are selling like hot cakes!

@Andrew, do you have the adapter for Sony NEX-5 as well?

Err.... Which adaptor would that be?

[hindenhaag]

Andrew,

This one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/M4-3-Micro-f...ht_2334wt_1165

Heinz

[badders]

Andrew,

This one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/M4-3-Micro-f...ht_2334wt_1165

Heinz

OK- Nope - don't sell that.

[DemonDuck]

For that hand held Nadir shot:

This is the bottom of the camera, the side that faces you when you hold the camera out for the Nadir patch shot.

I find that leaving the camera on the monopod and just holding the monopod horizontally over the nadir works just fine and I can back off far enough to get a nadir that has a "friendly" shadow.....