Our methods are very similar. I use Acratec gear : nodal rail, leveling base, and pano head. It’s lightweight and compact yet still allows me to make multi row panos. When I am shooting panos, I do target a specific aspect ratio : 2x3, 2x4.5, or 2x6. I prefer 2x4.5 as it gives me a wide image without making a thin ribbon.
@@jayplatt8798 that’s an awesome setup. Likewise, my panos tend towards the 1x2 to 6x17…in the days of film (I suppose we haven’t left them) I always hankered after a 6x12 camera like the Gaoersi 612)
@@emilvonmaltitz I never shot panos with film. I was a 35mm chrome shooter. Now, I shoot only monochrome landscapes with my 30 Mpix EOS R. I’ve shot multi row “panos” with as many as 63 separate frames and no parallax. 3 rows, 7 images per row, 3 brackets +/- 2 per image. That will yield a 270 Mpix image that is 2x3. It can be printed as large as you want without any loss of detail.
Hi Emil. Thanks for this excellent video on panoramas! As a landscape, product and wildlife photographer, I often shoot panoramas, pretty much exaxtly as you describe...single row, in my case, using a Leofoto LS-365C tripod with a Leofoto LH-40 ball head, and a RRS Nodal Rail. Using a Nikon Z8 with mostly the NIkkor S 14-30 f/4 S lens, I often find that mounting the camera vertically on the rail gives me more detail in the foreground. I do use a Sunwayfoto pano head when I want more precision in the overlapped images (25 or 35 degrees). Thanks again!
I have a similar setup - got a leveling base for my MR Q as an option for panos. But since I don't do panoramas with problematic foregrounds, I usually don't bring the rail. About the 1/3 overlap - looks like you used a lot more in your example here though ;-) I usually use about 50% to be on the safe side.
😂 I don’t always practice what I preach I suppose. Yes, technically you don’t need a full third if shot properly, but I do tend to err on the side of caution.
Setback rail? Is that the same as a nodal rail? Sorry, I’m not familiar with the kit, or know it as something else. Sorry. Possibly you’d find the center or nodal point of the lens in the same way I describe in my video: Perfect Panos.
You’ve gotten innovative on tripods, it’s time to do the same with pano rigs. Just because they don’t sell something doesn’t mean it can’t be built (you should know that). A generic L bracket and a rotating arca swiss mount, added to what you have, makes for a good multirow rig. Shooting panos and stitching images together is a way of eliminating limitations of the camera and lens. Need a wider angle lens? Take multiple exposures. Need a larger sensor? Take multiple exposures. Need more detail and less depth of field? Use a longer lens and take multiple images… The real question is how much can you do with it? I have ridden my bike in the mountains of Switzerland with a pano rig on my back. You can make it as small or as large as you want. I use micro four thirds for its pixel density and size, and the whole thing fits around the camera like a second L bracket. As with everything else photography, it’s a system to me. I’ve been exploring the idea of ultra detailed images by using longer lenses and taking more images. I have the Nodal Ninja rotator and the Rokinon manual focus 135mm lens (M43 has a 2x crop). The setup weights a ton, but I can get stunning detail in city skyline images.
I actually do have a home-made multi-row rig...a Heath Robinson like contraption that I use for VR images of interiors. I just haven't done a video about it. Your idea about the long lens wide angles is the same scenario as the Gigapixel images of various cities. I did something similar with another hodgepodge of gear (including a Wimberley Sidekick) with a 300mm f2.8 to shoot a city skyline. The resultant image was enormous and lovely to pixel-peep. Thanks for commenting
I have been shooting panos for decades now, but left it for the past few years to travel and do wildlife photography. I have been toying around with my pano gear today and trying to figure out a puzzle. I have a D850 with a Nodal Ninja 5 and also 6. I attached a 14-24.. F2.8 to check the settings for the Nodal point were still correct at 14 and 24. What my issue is, is that when set to dead centre with a reference 1 meter away and the second 20 meters away, turning to the right, both references are rock steady and not moving, returning to the center again and moving to the left, the reference 20 meters away shifts to the right, but this only is happening on one side of the rotation. Any one got any clues please? Never experienced this before.
That’s a bit odd. There must be a misalignment somewhere, but for the life me I’m not sure where as it’s odd that you’ll get alignment on the one side, but not the other. One ‘horror’ scenario is that the lens has misaligned elements (unlikely, but it’s easy to tell… do you get a flat field of focus at infinity? Or is it in focus on one side and not perfectly on focus on the other?)
@@emilvonmaltitz thanks for the response. Off the panohead the lens is excellent. No issues at all with focusing or alignment. I will keep looking into it.
I always wanted a Linhof or Horseman 😂 almost had that feel with a Linhof Technika but the processing costs eventually turned it into a nice display item 😒
Our methods are very similar. I use Acratec gear : nodal rail, leveling base, and pano head. It’s lightweight and compact yet still allows me to make multi row panos. When I am shooting panos, I do target a specific aspect ratio : 2x3, 2x4.5, or 2x6. I prefer 2x4.5 as it gives me a wide image without making a thin ribbon.
@@jayplatt8798 that’s an awesome setup. Likewise, my panos tend towards the 1x2 to 6x17…in the days of film (I suppose we haven’t left them) I always hankered after a 6x12 camera like the Gaoersi 612)
@@emilvonmaltitz I never shot panos with film. I was a 35mm chrome shooter. Now, I shoot only monochrome landscapes with my 30 Mpix EOS R. I’ve shot multi row “panos” with as many as 63 separate frames and no parallax. 3 rows, 7 images per row, 3 brackets +/- 2 per image. That will yield a 270 Mpix image that is 2x3. It can be printed as large as you want without any loss of detail.
Excellent. Have to shoot some panos tomorrow so brushing up on all the tips. Very helpful.
This is advice I can use. Pure gold! 🙂👍 Thanks!
Thanks Harald! Glad you found it useful
Just starting to shoot wide and small. Excellent video. Thanks. 🙏 🇮🇪
It’s a pleasure Kevin. Thanks for watching!
Hi Emil. Thanks for this excellent video on panoramas! As a landscape, product and wildlife photographer, I often shoot panoramas, pretty much exaxtly as you describe...single row, in my case, using a Leofoto LS-365C tripod with a Leofoto LH-40 ball head, and a RRS Nodal Rail. Using a Nikon Z8 with mostly the NIkkor S 14-30 f/4 S lens, I often find that mounting the camera vertically on the rail gives me more detail in the foreground. I do use a Sunwayfoto pano head when I want more precision in the overlapped images (25 or 35 degrees). Thanks again!
That a really nice setup you’re using Steve. Thanks for watching and and thanks for the feedback!
@@emilvonmaltitz Thank you, sir!
I have a similar setup - got a leveling base for my MR Q as an option for panos. But since I don't do panoramas with problematic foregrounds, I usually don't bring the rail.
About the 1/3 overlap - looks like you used a lot more in your example here though ;-) I usually use about 50% to be on the safe side.
😂 I don’t always practice what I preach I suppose. Yes, technically you don’t need a full third if shot properly, but I do tend to err on the side of caution.
@@emilvonmaltitz Same here. I usually take more photos than I need in the final edit if I have time.
Well done!!!! Nice job!
Thank you! Cheers!
Very informative video. I have a setback rail. How do you find the center of focus of a lens?
Setback rail? Is that the same as a nodal rail? Sorry, I’m not familiar with the kit, or know it as something else. Sorry. Possibly you’d find the center or nodal point of the lens in the same way I describe in my video: Perfect Panos.
You’ve gotten innovative on tripods, it’s time to do the same with pano rigs. Just because they don’t sell something doesn’t mean it can’t be built (you should know that). A generic L bracket and a rotating arca swiss mount, added to what you have, makes for a good multirow rig.
Shooting panos and stitching images together is a way of eliminating limitations of the camera and lens. Need a wider angle lens? Take multiple exposures. Need a larger sensor? Take multiple exposures. Need more detail and less depth of field? Use a longer lens and take multiple images… The real question is how much can you do with it? I have ridden my bike in the mountains of Switzerland with a pano rig on my back. You can make it as small or as large as you want. I use micro four thirds for its pixel density and size, and the whole thing fits around the camera like a second L bracket. As with everything else photography, it’s a system to me. I’ve been exploring the idea of ultra detailed images by using longer lenses and taking more images. I have the Nodal Ninja rotator and the Rokinon manual focus 135mm lens (M43 has a 2x crop). The setup weights a ton, but I can get stunning detail in city skyline images.
I actually do have a home-made multi-row rig...a Heath Robinson like contraption that I use for VR images of interiors. I just haven't done a video about it.
Your idea about the long lens wide angles is the same scenario as the Gigapixel images of various cities. I did something similar with another hodgepodge of gear (including a Wimberley Sidekick) with a 300mm f2.8 to shoot a city skyline. The resultant image was enormous and lovely to pixel-peep.
Thanks for commenting
I have been shooting panos for decades now, but left it for the past few years to travel and do wildlife photography. I have been toying around with my pano gear today and trying to figure out a puzzle. I have a D850 with a Nodal Ninja 5 and also 6. I attached a 14-24.. F2.8 to check the settings for the Nodal point were still correct at 14 and 24. What my issue is, is that when set to dead centre with a reference 1 meter away and the second 20 meters away, turning to the right, both references are rock steady and not moving, returning to the center again and moving to the left, the reference 20 meters away shifts to the right, but this only is happening on one side of the rotation. Any one got any clues please? Never experienced this before.
That’s a bit odd. There must be a misalignment somewhere, but for the life me I’m not sure where as it’s odd that you’ll get alignment on the one side, but not the other. One ‘horror’ scenario is that the lens has misaligned elements (unlikely, but it’s easy to tell… do you get a flat field of focus at infinity? Or is it in focus on one side and not perfectly on focus on the other?)
@@emilvonmaltitz thanks for the response.
Off the panohead the lens is excellent. No issues at all with focusing or alignment. I will keep looking into it.
Just buy a 617 haha
I always wanted a Linhof or Horseman 😂 almost had that feel with a Linhof Technika but the processing costs eventually turned it into a nice display item 😒