Shooting Panos (Page 4): Unless you are shooting interior architecture or have a lot of foreground there isn’t really is no point in sweating the nodal point issue. Just stand still.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

mikegreenwald wrote:

I too, like some commenters above, have shot many panoramas without concern for the nodal point. ...

Unless you are shooting interior architecture or have a lot of foreground there isn’t really is no point in sweating the nodal point issue. Just stand still.

PGHphoto Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

selmslie wrote:

That begs the question, “Where is the nodal point?”

The simple answer is to look into the lens from the front with the aperture closed down.

The nodal point is where you perceive that the aperture blades to be. That’s not exactly where they actually are physically but it is their virtual location so far as the scene is concerned.

Caution: they might move when you zoom.

Here is a good explanation of the 'entrance pupil' https://www.panoramic-photo-guide.com/finding-the-nodal-point.html

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

When I first shot panos I used the nodal point and an attachment on my tripod with degree markings and carefully aligned images. After a while I realized I could handhold the camera, keeping a horizontal line of some sort at the bottom of the frame (fence line, road, line, etc) and shoot most panos hand held, and let Phgotoshop merge the images for me. The nodal point is mainly useful when an object like a light post is in front of a building and shooting multiple shots will cause the post to appear in different places relative to the background building. Attached is three handheld vertical shots automatically joined in Photoshop taken from my porch bench.

(Download)

Bobspez Loc: Southern NJ, USA

... duplicate post.

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

Robertven wrote:

I'm trying to educate myself about shooting panora... (show quote)

This is a great site if you are a tinkerer and want to customize a single or dual axis panorama head. Great reviews, instructionals, and they consider value.

https://www.scvphotoideas.com/p/photography-support-equipment.html

PhotosBySteve

Robertven wrote:

I'm trying to educate myself about shooting panora... (show quote)

You are technically correct. When using a pano head the camera's nodal point (the sensor position) should be centered over the pivot point. A simple way to accomplish this is with the use of a nodal rail such as (Sunwayfoto DMP-140R Nodal Slide). Which, will still produce some distortion, yet good alignment.
A better method yet is to use a Tilt/Shift lens in the Shift mode. Which will produce un-distorted and perfectly aligned bracketed images.
In both cases, it is best to lock the exposure for all shots.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

With Respect to nodal point. I would think such would be the location of a node which be the intersection of two or more lines (the lines could be any number of things like creeks, forces, thoughts, etc). Every lens has an axis of symmetry, so rotation about any point on that axis would be non-distorting. Manufacturers of lenses and cameras put the tripod screw-in on this axis of symmetry.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

PhotosBySteve wrote:

You are technically correct. When using a pano hea... (show quote)

I'm sorry, but this is incorrect and miss-leading. The nodal point aka no-parallax point (and other names) is not the sensor location. Each len's nodal point is unique for that lens. The point can be found by a simple test. Links to web sites that show the test are posted several times on this topic thread.

selmslie Loc: Fernandina Beach, FL, USA

John_F wrote:

... Manufacturers of lenses and cameras put the tripod screw-in on this axis of symmetry.

No, the camera's tripod socket is simply at a convenient place under the body. In some cameras (Leica M) it's not even centered horizontally - it's off to the right.

The tripod socket is usually under the estimated center of gravity of the lens and camera.

Neither has anything to do with the nodal point.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

John_F wrote:

With Respect to nodal point. I would think such would be the location of a node which be the intersection of two or more lines (the lines could be any number of things like creeks, forces, thoughts, etc). Every lens has an axis of symmetry, so rotation about any point on that axis would be non-distorting. Manufacturers of lenses and cameras put the tripod screw-in on this axis of symmetry.

The tripod screw is typically located on the center line of the lens but it is not the no parallax rotation point. That point varies from lens to lens. Read further on this topic thread.

PhotosBySteve

Rich1939 wrote:

I'm sorry, but this is incorrect and miss-leading. The nodal point aka no-parallax point (and other names) is not the sensor location. Each len's nodal point is unique for that lens. The point can be found by a simple test. Links to web sites that show the test are posted several times on this topic thread.

You are correct. I'm so sorry for being general and trying to avoid symantics by being to technical. Per DP Preview "It's a misnomer to call it the nodal point. As some of the brainier, optical engineers here have told us more than once, there are two Nodal Points for every lens.
It's more correctly referred to as the No-Parallax point, a point around which the lens can be rotated and not produce parallax in successive views."
Yes, I probably should not have said at the sensor position but close to the position of the sensor. Hence the purpose of the nodal rail. Which is used to make the minuet adjustments about the nodal point to find the No-Parallax point.

Reference for further details
http://archive.bigben.id.au/tutorials/360/photo/nodal.html

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

PhotosBySteve wrote:

You are correct. I'm so sorry for being general an... (show quote)

You say potato I say patoto. Some say bison I say buffalo.
My point is that the important thing is not what it is called but where it is located and how to find "it"
Maybe we should just refer to "it" as the panning point.
BTW I think you'll find that "it" is seldom very close to the sensor.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Robertven wrote:

I'm trying to educate myself about shooting panora... (show quote)

Buying the equipment for panos should give you a more precise and accurate rendition. BUT as OP have said, you can shoot a pano hand-held or from a regular tripod mount. I don't have any special equipment, but overlap images around 50%, which has resulted in good stitching without distortion. My preference is to use a tripod [I have a tendency to tip the camera out of level hand-held!]. First I level the tripod and then I level the mounted camera [in portrait orientation]. This way the camera will travel a level path. And by moving it through the entire scene before shooting, you can choose the focal length that will capture the full height of the subject matter.

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

That's what I posted... no wait...Started my thought correctly then I totally botched the wording up on that - sorry. I'm tying to type with one hand - my left hand is all wrapped up in a splint - Grrrrr!.

rmalarz wrote:

Daniel, you'll find that the correct method is to rotate the camera around the nodal point of the lens, not the sensor.
--Bob

Robertven Loc: Fort Worth

Gene51 wrote:

This is a great site if you are a tinkerer and want to customize a single or dual axis panorama head. Great reviews, instructionals, and they consider value.

https://www.scvphotoideas.com/p/photography-support-equipment.html

Thank you Gene51. It is a great site.