Asa Buchanan
Posts: 7
Location:
Registered: 2 Jan 2010
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Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 4:17 GMT
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I'm looking for a heavy use panorama head. Nodal Ninja seems to be quite popular and 360precision seems like pro-level but they appear to be lacking in the customer service area. If you were to buy a new panorama head for an SLR w/ full frame lens, what would you buy? This will be for real estate production work.
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Asa Buchanan
Posts: 7
Location:
Registered: 2 Jan 2010
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 4:21 GMT
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Note: I read the 'vineyard' thread and he is asking the same question. Thoughts anyone? Is the NN5 pretty much it? Are people still buying panorama heads from 360Precision?
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Seba
Posts: 77
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Registered: 19 Aug 2005
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 4:43 GMT
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Hello Asa
I have been through few heads and on advice of one of the forum members, I tried the NN5 and with all honesty, it has been the best one so far. I like the fact that it is very easy to assemble, straight forward to use and very light to carry around. Secondly, the support has been inspiring.
I could only wish other companies would follow NN example. I recommended NN to another friend, who went into panorama and his experience has been pretty much the same.
I would definitely say "go for it", you not going to regret it.
regards
Sebastian
P.S. Very Happy New Year 
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mediavets
Posts: 1948
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 10:14 GMT
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Asa Buchanan said: I'm looking for a heavy use panorama head. Nodal Ninja seems to be quite popular and 360precision seems like pro-level but they appear to be lacking in the customer service area. If you were to buy a new panorama head for an SLR w/ full frame lens, what would you buy? This will be for real estate production work.
What camera body and lens do you propose to use with whatever pano head you purchse?
Andrew
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mediavets
Posts: 1948
Location: Isleham, Cambs., United Kingdom
Registered: 8 Feb 2008
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Asa Buchanan
Posts: 7
Location:
Registered: 2 Jan 2010
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 16:34 GMT
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Nikon D90 with either the Tokina fisheye zoom or the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye. I really don't need anything fancier.... IMHO
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 16:46 GMT
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Asa
You mentioned wanting something like Ross is looking for in the Vineyard thread.
Is the output you want a fully immersive spherical/cubic image or an ultra-wide rectangle like the stadium photo I put in the Vineyard thread?
The equipment requirements are different for the two outputs
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Asa Buchanan
Posts: 7
Location:
Registered: 2 Jan 2010
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 17:15 GMT
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They will mostly be cylinders/partial cylinders with an occasional full spherical.
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Doug Aurand
Posts: 3282
Location: Albuquerque, NM, United States
Registered: 2 Jan 2008
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 17:26 GMT
updated: 2 Jan 2010 at 17:33 GMT
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Then if I remember correctly that the Tokina is not that big or heavy, the Nodal Ninja 3 MKII will work fine and save some money.
In November I finished shooting 14 hotel virtual tours in a little over 2 months, 8-10 360° scenes and 25 stills per hotel, with a NN3 MKI
I had lost my rail stops, so I had to be careful each time I remounted the camera to the NN3, but I only caught myself with the wrong rail position once in the middle of shooting a scene.
I bought some new rail stops and won'te have to focus quite so intently each time I mount he camera
Its a great little work horse.
The NN5 is great too, just more robust. If you get the NN5, get one with the click stops for the upper rail rotation, you'll know you're locked in to level or what ever tilt you want.
The advantage a 360Precision Absolute is that its foolproof. Their camera mount aligns the camera precisely the same way each time becasue of a pin on the base or the shape of the base as well as the screw into the camera.
The NN3/5 only has the screw into the bottom of the camera, so its easy to not have the camera & lens aligned with the Upper Rail.
I worked out a way to use dots in the the camera's viewer to align my camera the same way each time that worked well.
It depends on fast you want to be able to switch back & forth from Virtual Image and Still Photos and how much your time is worth
Good luck
Doug Aurand
Albuquerque, NM
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Hans Nyberg
Posts: 2760
Location: Denmark
Registered: 28 Aug 2005
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 2 Jan 2010 at 18:43 GMT
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You can probably not use the standard NN3 with the Tokina. You need one of the new rotators Nodal Ninja 3 MKII w/Rotator R-D8.
This is because the zenith image needs some more space.
Hans
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Asa Buchanan
Posts: 7
Location:
Registered: 2 Jan 2010
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 3 Jan 2010 at 2:01 GMT
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Any thoughts on the MK panorama heads? A couple of people noted off list that they thought MK heads were a good alternative.
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Bradford Bohonus
Posts: 224
Location: United States
Registered: 29 Jan 2008
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Smooth
Posts: 3729
Location: Mount Panorama, Australia
Registered: 21 Jul 2004
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 3 Jan 2010 at 3:37 GMT
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Asa Buchanan said: Any thoughts on the MK panorama heads? A couple of people noted off list that they thought MK heads were a good alternative.
Personally I don't think you need an alternative. What is your issue/concerns over the Nodal Ninja? If you want to improve the NN5 then you need to add a NN Quick Release and get a camera specific mounting plate or "L" bracket (read Markins, Kirk, Really Right Stuff). You will not find a better rotator than the NN RD-16 (that's not to say it couldn't be improved) but it is the best available and the price is right.
As stated over and over by many users, service and support is second to none.
Really, there is no need for anything else unless you are doing so for fashion brand tagging and wasting money.
Regards, Smooth 
www.smooth360.info
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Guest
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 3 Jan 2010 at 3:54 GMT
updated: 14 Mar 2011 at 16:13 GMT
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I do not know anything about the MK head, other than it does exist... while I am a very happy owner and user of NN5.
Based on what I know, you would be doing yourself a huge favour by going with Nodal Ninja.
Rather than blindly trusting my words, I would like to suggest you to search these forums (and other places online) for comments on the quality and customer service provided by Nodal Ninja... and other well known brands.
Spend a day doing such a search, and you will KNOW FOR SURE, that your final choice will be the right one, and not based on wishful thoughts and a hunch alone.
... and welcome to the panoramic part of the world.
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MK Panorama
Posts: 173
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Registered: 27 Jul 2004
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Re: Panorama head - reviews?
Posted: 3 Jan 2010 at 6:34 GMT
updated: 3 Jan 2010 at 6:37 GMT
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Hi:
Our MK PanoHead II / MK PanoGiga are working very fine, very accurate, high quality and are stable . Are produced in small series in Germany.
Our customer service is also very good.
Review of MK PanoHead (1. generation)
www.rosaurophotography.com/html/panoramas/vr_revi...
Now we sell generation Nr. 3 !!! With a lot of improvements.
Certainly a good choice...
If you want to know more - please contact us by email or call us +49 4181 94 95 48.
Best regards
Marc
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