OptiCole Loc: Fresno, CA

I am interesting in getting more into panoramic photos and have read that many are using tripod heads that allow taking more precise photo intervals and use a vertical/portrait positioning of the camera. Has anyone used the Nodal Ninja with success? There are others on the market which seem more heavy duty but are more expensive. I am wondering if this "entry level" head is sufficient. I will be using a Sony A7rII with some relatively small prime lens.

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

I do about half of my panos hand held. Nodal Ninja is great if you have a parallax situation, aka when you have something in the foreground that partially obscures the background. It could be a tree, utility pole, rock, or in interior photography, furniture or walls. As you rotate the camera on a tripod, the point of view changes a bit if you are not using the center of the entrance pupil as a pivot, and you get parallax error. If you are using a zoom, it is a real pain to determine the location of the entrance pupil for each focal length. So more than likely you can save your money on getting a specialized head, at least until you actually need it.

As long as you take enough images to cover the completed version, with enough overlap, you are good to go. You don't have to be precise, you just have to overlap at least 40%. Even if you multi-row panos.

This is a three shot vertical pano done on a ball head with a zoom set to 38mm - even though I was pretty close to the trees across the falls, there is no evidence of parallax error, even though I was pivoting on a ball head.

(Download)

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I just use a ball head indexer. A little more accurate than guessing the angles.

https://www.amazon.com/Gemtune-DH-55-Panoramic-Indexing-Rotator/dp/B010CP4K5S/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1494642360&sr=8-3&keywords=Nodal+Ninja

mainshipper Loc: Hernando, Florida

If you want precise panoramas you need to use some form of indexed tripod head like the one shown from Amazon. You also need another component and that is a nodal rail that will allow you to position the nodal point of the lens directly over the point of rotation on the tripod. Here's an example of that component https://www.amazon.com/Desmond-180mm-DNR-180-Dovetail-Compatible/dp/B00F1IFZCE/ref=pd_sim_421_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00F1IFZCE&pd_rd_r=M63S2T5KKFTY0DTQ1M8B&pd_rd_w=Va4OY&pd_rd_wg=t2MXL&psc=1&refRID=M63S2T5KKFTY0DTQ1M8B When all of this is set up you will get a set of images that will not have the "scalloping" typically associated with panoramas. Personally, I take many "spur of the moment" panos with my Canon G15 and almost always hand held. I would also suggest taking your shots in portrait orientation and with the lens around 50MM.

As far as Nodal Ninja is concerned, they sell a quality product and have great customer service. As I have been taking a lot of 360 panoramas over the last two years I purchased one of their R1 packages https://shop.nodalninja.com/products/r1-rd5-custom-build-pkg that I use with a Canon 8-15MM fisheye shooting at 12MM mounted on a 5D III. That head is designed specifically for 360s but I have used it for regular "strip" panos as well. It's a lot of fun but does take some setup to use. Here's an example of a 360 shot I took last summer in Canada http://alantigner.org/pano/fh2/. FYI, that 360 was comprised of only six images.

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

I use the same Desmond Macro rail that you mentioned. It works well and with the panoramic indexer it's a little less expensive than the Nodal Ninja. I also use an "L" bracket to allow me to move from horizontal to vertical easily.

cthahn

If you are serious, a heavier head is better. All you need is a head that can be leveled and the rotation marked in degrees. It does not have to be a fancy automatic head for good results, but a tripod is necessary, and quality software.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Nodal Ninja is a great tool - I have several that I was learning to use before leg issues limited my movements.
Technique is as important as tools - if you are going to do multi-row, very wide panoramas parallax error is something to be dealt with and Nodal Ninja offers easy an exact way to calibrate both camera and lens.

stratmantes

I only ever use my Nikkor 50mm f1.8 for landscpes in portrait mode. I made a bracket with the relevant details that I got from Panotools database :-
http://wiki.panotools.org/Entrance_Pupil_Database
Here is my bracket attached hope this helps people who have access to metal work or friends who an help the only thing i had to buy was the camera fixing D-nut.
My 50mm lens works perfectly at 5mm from lens flange between f4 and f11 which suits me. If anyone wants furthur info please ask
Heres a photo I took with it a view from Angelsey looking at Snowdonia

stratmantes

Sorry about the quality of the landscape shot UH has compressed the image immensely

peterg Loc: Santa Rosa, CA

Agree with Gene51. Properly set up, the Nodal Ninja works great to avoid parallax problems when there are close objects.

lovelights Loc: Rockford, Il.

I have used the Nodal Ninja for about 3 Years and once set up it is very accurate. I use a Sigma 8 MM which allows for less cropping issues. There is a learning curve, It took me about a year before I became proficient with the 360's. I take seven pictures, which is all you'll need with the Ninja. I learned from a fellow named Florian on You Tube. Good Luck and have fun.

mainshipper Loc: Hernando, Florida

Interesting that you use an 8MM lens and seven shots since 360 is not divisible by 7. I would also think the distortion at 8MM would be very pronounced. When you refer to a 360 are you talking about a spherical or linear outcome? My 360s are all spherical which require a totally different setup. The Nodal Ninja R1 head has detents at 10, 36, 60, 90, and 120 degrees so that you can decide how many images you want to capture in your rotation. At 12MM, four images (90 degrees) is the minimum and I typically shoot six stopping at 60 degree intervals.

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I use a ball head but have a friend that's used the Nodal Ninja. He showed it to me once but I've never seen him use it. I've done many hand held and using a tripod with ball head with success. I think if I were going to do nothing or mostly panos, I'd invest in one. I'd like to learn how to do multi row panos. Might need something like the Nodal Ninja for that.

shelty Loc: Medford, OR

I have used a Nodel Ninja for those special 360 degrees shots that you can move all around on your screen. But it does take time to set up, and I would strongly recommend shooting in the 'manual' mode when doing so. If you don't do that you will find that your exposures will be different, and you will have a heck of a time matching them. But you can just hand hold for a simple panorama, overlapping each shot, and Photoshop will put it all together for you. I do this sometimes at fairs, etc.. But don't forget to shoot in 'Manual Mode' though.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

I likewise only attempt the simpler, handheld procedure and have found PhotoShop produces as good a result as I need. Practice makes "perfect". Well, not "perfect" but mostly good enuff!