Matt Rogers
[360 Precision]
Posts: 153
Location: Oxford UK, United Kingdom
Registered: 16 Jun 2005
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[ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 12:21 GMT
updated: 29 Apr 2008 at 12:23 GMT
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360Precision product announcement.
Pre-Order Price: £159 ex VAT (final price est. £199 ex VAT).
Shipping: End of May 2008
Available for: Nikkor 10.5, Sigma 4.5, Sigma 8mm, Sigma 10mm and others to follow shortly.
For the past 15 months we've been working on an evolutionary design for a new panoramic tripod head. Finally after numerous prototypes, testing and changes we're proud to announce the availability of the new 360Precision Atome.
The 360Precision Atome continues our tradition of unique products designed for panoramic photographers by panoramic photographers.
The 360Precision Atome features a unique quick release lens clasp system. The quick release clasp allows for fast one-handed operation. As the clasp stays permanently attached to the lens you only need to level the lens/camera in the Atome on initial set-up. Each time you place the lens/clasp back into the holder you can be guaranteed that the camera/lens will be level and ready to shoot.
We're in the process of verifying the accuracy of the 360Precision Atome for use in a batchable work-flow. Initial tests are extremely positive and we'll post an update when out tests have been finalised.
We're launching the 360Precision Atome at a pre-order price of £159 ex VAT + shipping. We're expecting initial stock to sell out in days so get your order in quickly. The Atome will be shipping initially for the Nikkor 10.5 with the various Sigma versions shipping shortly afterwards.
Features of the 360Precision Atome include:
• Quick release lens clasp.
• Clasp stays permanently attached to the lens.
• Lightweight at only 420gms (standard stainless base).
• Zero footprint base rotator (applicable lenses only).
• Perfect for use as a second head for
hiking, travel or back-packing.
• Initially available for Nikkor 10.5mm, coming soon for
Sigma 4.5mm and Sigma 8mm f3.5
• 3,4 or 6 click stops (lens dependent).
• Central 3/8" mount, perfect for use in pole
panoramic photography.
• Stainless steel or lightweight aluminum base option.
The 360Precision Atome is the perfect panoramic head where weight, accuracy and ease of use is a priority. The quick release system allows you to go from panoramic photography to standard photography and back in seconds. Each clasp and holder is designed to minimise the nadir footprint and allows for full 360º spherical panos without the need to shoot a zenith shot. If you do need to shoot a zenith you can remove the camera and lens one handed in 2-3 seconds, shoot the zenith handheld and slot the clasp back into the base.
We'll also be offering special bundles for customers wanting to purchase an Atome with an Absolute or Adjuste. We'll be adding cheaper shipping options to the website shortly but if anyone needs cheaper shipping now just reply to the order confirmation for options.
You can check out the more details and photos on the 360Precision website: www.360precision.com
If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.
Matthew Rogers
Co-founder
360Precision.com
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 252
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 13:54 GMT
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Matt
It looks like a great solution for vr photographers that don't want to play with finding the "no parallax point" when they move up to a Nikkor 10.5mm or Sigma 8mm or 4.5mm like me who has been using a Coolpix 5400/FC-E9 and an iPIX Rotator that requires no adjustment.
Will there be any "tilt" on the Sigma versions, or is that asking for just a little too much from such an affordable rotator?
Thanx
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Matt Rogers
[360 Precision]
Posts: 153
Location: Oxford UK, United Kingdom
Registered: 16 Jun 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 14:18 GMT
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Hi Doug,
Each version will have a fixed tilt to optimise the stitching at the zenith and also minimise the nadir foot. So in most circumstances you should be able to shoot a full spherical with 4 shoots on the 8mm and 6 on the 10mm.
But with the quick release it literally takes 2 seconds to remove the camera and lens to shoot a handheld zenith.
Matt
www.360precision.com
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gus
Posts: 306
Location: United Kingdom
Registered: 19 Jun 2007
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 15:44 GMT
updated: 29 Apr 2008 at 15:45 GMT
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Matt,
The Atome looks fantastic, I think its going to be a great seller at that price!
Few quick questions:
1) How does the bracket fix to the lens?
2) In low light conditions, it would be ideal if I could swing the setup down by 90°, (which my ballhead allows), move the tripod 300mm or so, and take a shot of the nadir ( and zenith for that matter). Doing this however, means the weight of the camera is now shifted, and the force of the camera is now exerting a bending moment on the connection between the bracket and the rotator. If you look at the image on your website, imagine it turned 90°, and you'll see what I mean.
Is it designed to withstand this?
I appreciate the footprint of the Rotator is small, but you still have the tripod to deal with.
A little fisheye bubble on the top of the rotator would have been a useful....
gus
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mediavets
Posts: 152
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 16:13 GMT
updated: 29 Apr 2008 at 16:15 GMT
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Matt Rogers said: Hi Doug,
Each version will have a fixed tilt to optimise the stitching at the zenith and also minimise the nadir foot. So in most circumstances you should be able to shoot a full spherical with 4 shoots on the 8mm and 6 on the 10mm.
But with the quick release it literally takes 2 seconds to remove the camera and lens to shoot a handheld zenith.
Matt
www.360precision.com
Well I'm confused by this statement.
I shoot with a Nikon D40 and the Nikkor 10.5mm FE on a Nodal Ninja 5 head. Some quick-n-dirty experiments suggest that one would require a tilt (pitch) of at least +20 degrees to get coverage at the zenith from 6-around. And that leaves a BIG hole at the nadir.
Am I mistaken?
Andrew
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 252
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 16:19 GMT
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Matt
So the "tilt" will be built-in so a Zenith shot won't be needed with the Sigma 8mm f/3.5?
Is it specific to each camera/lens combination, or one setting thats enough to handle the Zenith for most Sigma 8mm f/3.5 setups
I ask because I'm using a Canon XTi with the Sigma 8mm f/3.5 and the Canon's sensor is a little smaller than the the Nikon APS-C sensor, so the Sigma image gets cropped just a little at the top and bottom, with the camera in portrait position, as well as the sides.
I don't think a combination like the Nikon D80 with a Sigma 8mm gets cropped at the top & bottom.
Thanx again
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Matt Rogers
[360 Precision]
Posts: 153
Location: Oxford UK, United Kingdom
Registered: 16 Jun 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 16:28 GMT
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Well you can either rotate the lens in the clasp to maximise the overlap or shave the lens. Otherwise you're correct, the 15º isn't quite enough.
Matt
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John Houghton
Posts: 2021
Location: Hitchin, United Kingdom
Registered: 17 Jan 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 17:05 GMT
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Matt Rogers said: Otherwise, you're correct, the 15º isn't quite enough.
Matt, Does that mean that the upwards tilt will be 15º for all the lenses, or will it vary according to the needs of the particular lens?
John
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mediavets
Posts: 152
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 17:09 GMT
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Matt,
The design of the new Atome head looks very elegant.
Could you post a sample image set (on your web site perhaps) shot with Nikon DX sensor camera and the Atome pano head - 6 around as I understand that will be the standard set of click stops? - using a standard (not shaved) Nikkor 10.5mm FE at what you consider to be an optimal configuration (ie. rolled in lens clamp if that's what you recommend)so we can see what kind of results we could expect to get.
Andrew
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 619
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 18:09 GMT
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Andrew
and others who believe you can use 30 degree roll with the 10,5mm
Doing this will not in any way increase the coverage. There is no chance of getting full spherical with 6 around without a zenith image made at 65-90 degrees.
It is so easy to test different lenses just using a set of dummies, You just have to set the FOV or length of lens +sensor, Then play around with the yaw tilt and roll.
Here you can see the coverage of 10,5mm on a 1.5 sensor at zero and at zero + 30 degree roll. Actually you loose about 1 degree.
Hans
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Matt Rogers
[360 Precision]
Posts: 153
Location: Oxford UK, United Kingdom
Registered: 16 Jun 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 18:51 GMT
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If you tilt the lens 10º and rotate 30º then take 8 shots at every 45º you get a full spherical with a star shaped nadir that could very easily be patched using PTGui's viewpoint correction. This is an option but not one I'd recommend. We made the clasp quick release to enable either a quick hand-held zenith or nadir shot.
If you need more precision then a hand-held zenith or nadir offers there's always the Absolute or Adjuste. When designing a product you need to make compromises. We could design a multi-row Atome but that would increase the weight and expense which defeats the purpose of this product. The Atome was designed to be small and light enough to take anywhere and cheap enough to allow beginners to get into the market with a high quality product.
The other option is to use a Sigma 8mm f3.5 which at 4 shots around and tilted which gives more than enough overlap for 4 shot sphericals.
Matt
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 252
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 29 Apr 2008 at 21:44 GMT
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Matt
I'm not sure who's question you were responding to.
A 15° tilt is plenty for the Canon Xti/Sigma 8mm f/3.5 and the "Nadir hole" is about the same size as my tripod.
I've gotten enough Zenith overlap with 10° using an NN3 but am struggling with the No Parallax Point, so the Atome really interests me
So how much tilt does the Atome have on the Sigma 8mm f/3.5 model?
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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fatchai
Posts: 249
Location: n/a, Hong Kong
Registered: 17 Mar 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 30 Apr 2008 at 6:35 GMT
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hi:
will the ring strong enough to tighen the len for spinning around? i used some len ring product before and the camera body will shift after shooting a few sets of panorama.
cheers
fatchai
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Matt Rogers
[360 Precision]
Posts: 153
Location: Oxford UK, United Kingdom
Registered: 16 Jun 2005
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 30 Apr 2008 at 8:02 GMT
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fatchai said: hi:
will the ring strong enough to tighen the len for spinning around? i used some len ring product before and the camera body will shift after shooting a few sets of panorama.
cheers
fatchai
Well I've tested the Atome 10.5 with a D3 and didn't have any problems.
Matt
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gus
Posts: 306
Location: United Kingdom
Registered: 19 Jun 2007
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Re: [ANN] 360Precision Atome - Unique Lens Clasp Panoramic Tripod Head
Posted: 30 Apr 2008 at 10:41 GMT
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Hi Matt,
The replies to this thread came fast and furious, so I'll re-post my previous post in case you missed it:
Matt,
The Atome looks fantastic, I think its going to be a great seller at that price!
Few quick questions:
1) How does the bracket fix to the lens?
2) In low light conditions, it would be ideal if I could swing the setup down by 90°, (which my ballhead allows), move the tripod 300mm or so, and take a shot of the nadir ( and zenith for that matter). Doing this however, means the weight of the camera is now shifted, and the force of the camera is now exerting a bending moment on the connection between the bracket and the rotator. If you look at the image on your website, imagine it turned 90°, and you'll see what I mean.
Is it designed to withstand this?
I appreciate the footprint of the Rotator is small, but you still have the tripod to deal with.
A little fisheye bubble on the top of the rotator would have been a useful....
gus
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|
alert moderator
|
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