Here's the scenario - you take delivery of a new DSLR, and not wanting to have to fiddle about with settings - you decide to set it on AUTO ISO and just go out and shoot, to get a feel for your new toy, before you get into all of the elaborate settings, and the whys and wherefores. Then, someone asks you to post a photo - one you consider great - and you do - and then find, to your dismay, the camera chose to use a ridiculously high ISO on a bright sunny day. Now, here's the thing - there's NO NOISE evident. So, exactly what does the camera know - you don't? … Do you know what I mean? … Maybe, the electronics of your new toy - are sophisticated enough - to impose a high ISO without YOU trying to rein it in, and to do so - well. So, what are we missing here, in this puzzle? Do we artificially try to put a hold on the camera's CPU / electronics - when - in fact - the engineers who designed these computer-aided photo-taking instruments - know better?

Some photographers feel it is necessary to not only make sure your camera is perfectly level before you begin your pano sweep, but that you must have your lens' nodal point directly in line with the center of pivot. I used to use the Kaidan Kiwi-L bracket, shown here, to achieve this, but it was an extra thing to carry and at the end of the day, I really didn't notice much of a difference in the final stitched shot. In fact, I just put it on e-Bay, where I found a few other ones listed. RRS and other tripod/ballhead manufacturers sell similar items, but I don't think they're necessary. As others have mentioned, just make sure your tripod base is level before you start, and you should be OK.