Help finding the right ultra wide lens (Page 4): Thank you Gene. I was wondering if not being level was important. My ball head can be rotated, but the camera is often not level after...

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Gene51 wrote:

Susan, I do both. The two images I posted were don... (show quote)

Thank you Gene. I was wondering if not being level was important. My ball head can be rotated, but the camera is often not level after I turn it. But since it does not have to terribly accurate I can adjust it. Interesting that you can use moving the camera and tripod sideways along with camera rotation!

Always learn something from you! I looked up PC-E lenses and Nodal heads. Don't think I will add them to my gear, but am wondering if adding a leveling base would be a good idea.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

SusanFromVermont wrote:

Thank you Gene. I was wondering if not being level was important. My ball head can be rotated, but the camera is often not level after I turn it. But since it does not have to terribly accurate I can adjust it. Interesting that you can use moving the camera and tripod sideways along with camera rotation!

Always learn something from you! I looked up PC-E lenses and Nodal heads. Don't think I will add them to my gear, but am wondering if adding a leveling base would be a good idea.

Thanks for the props, Susan!

Not being level is not that important if shooting hand held - just take enough pictures to cover your scene.

I use a level on my tripod (bowl with level, actually) to make sure the top of the tripod is level, and the in-camera level with the camera on a ball head. I first get the tripod level, then I use the in camera leveling indicators to level the camera (and ball head), and the results are pretty accurate. I find that I can get to within 95% accuracy with very little shift between frames.

With the PC-E lenses, I am not moving the camera, only shifting the lens, and if I need wider, I rotate the camera. The tripod stays put. When you move the camera sideways or up and down, you risk parallax errors.

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Gene51 wrote:

....
if I need wider, I rotate the camera. The tripod stays put. When you move the camera sideways or up and down, you risk parallax errors.

Doesn't rotating the camera make a {small} change in perspective {the angles will be different}.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Gene51 wrote:

I use a level on my tripod (bowl with level, actually) to make sure the top of the tripod is level, and the in-camera level with the camera on a ball head. I first get the tripod level, then I use the in camera leveling indicators to level the camera (and ball head), and the results are pretty accurate. I find that I can get to within 95% accuracy with very little shift between frames.

I'll put a leveling base on my wish list! Thought about it before, because even if the camera is level, rotating the camera will not stay level unless the tripod is level. (The little "dot" level on the tripod is next to useless...)

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

SusanFromVermont wrote:

I'll put a leveling base on my wish list! Thought about it before, because even if the camera is level, rotating the camera will not stay level unless the tripod is level. (The little "dot" level on the tripod is next to useless...)

You can get one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Neewer®-Leveling-Cameras-Tripods-Monopods/dp/B00MVNBTDG

But this is much cheaper, weighs nothing, and does the job - it takes a little more to set up because you need to adjust the legs to get the tripod level, but it works well for me.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=882986&gclid=CjwKEAiArbrFBRDL4Oiz97GP2nISJAAmJMFarpWW41TuwE-p-U7uDLU8pH0xAmC6bAAPDM4Yz4uB2RoC4Fbw_wcB&is=REG&ap=y&m=Y&c3api=1876%2C92051677682%2C&A=details&Q=

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

rehess wrote:

Doesn't rotating the camera make a {small} change in perspective {the angles will be different}.

not for elements in the distance - what you are describing is parallax error. If you are shooting a house from the sidewalk, and there is a tree in the foreground, turning the camera will produce an obvious parallax error. But if there is nothing in the foreground, as in the shots I posted, it is not an issue.

This explains it very well.

http://www.boltnev.com/panoramastitcher/parallax/

Also, shifting the lens on a shift lens also can introduce a bit of parallax, unless you have a collar that attaches the lens directly to the tripod - so in effect you are shifting the camera behind the lens.