QuickPan III Panoramic Tripod Head User’s Guide - V0.
QuickPan III Panoramic Tripod Head Overview Welcome to the Kaidan QuickPan III and Panoramic Photography Thank you purchasing a Kaidan QuickPan III Panoramic Tripod Head. This manual is designed to help you understand how to use your QuickPan III to create quality panoramas. This document will be revised from time to time and updated versions can be downloaded from the QuickPan III page on the Kaidan web site.
The QuickPan III Family Introducing the QuickPan III Components Rotator Base Standard Camera Bracket This heavy-duty design is lighter and more compact than previous models and the competition. The new base employs interchangeable Indexing Rings that support any number of click-stop positions from 2 through 22. The rings can be easily swapped at any time and contribute to the light weight. The indexing mechanism requires no lubrication or adjustments and has no loose parts.
The QuickPan III Family Welcome to the Kaidan QuickPan III and Panoramic Photography Pro Quick Release Camera Bracket The Pro Quick Release Camera Bracket is designed to support most digital and film cameras that are equipped with fisheye lenses, or for those users who desire or appreciate two independent sliding and locking axes of adjustment with the convenience of a quick release mounting system. You can choose from either a Bogen or a Arca-Swiss mounting plate (Arca-Swiss shown at right).
Rotator Base How to install and remove the indexing rings and adjusting the indexing force Installing Indexing Rings Removing Indexing Rings 1) Slide the Indexing Ring onto On the lower portion of the black Indexing Ring, there is gold colored pin visible through the hole in the side. Insert the tip of a ball point pen or a paper clip end into the hole and push the gold pin inward till the Indexing Ring drops down, then slide the Indexing Ring off the Rotator Base.
Standard Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting Mounting your camera on the Standard Camera Bracket To mount your camera, first select the appropriate slot in the Vertical Camera Bracket that will best locate the tripod mounting thread on your camera. You may need to reposition the Captive Camera Knob. To remove the knob simply slide it along the slot to the end that has the threaded hole. Carefully unscrew the knob out of the threaded hole, being careful not to crossthread the knob.
Spherical Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting Mounting your camera on the Spherical Bracket The Spherical Camera Mounting Bracket has a rotating swing arm which is held into position by large black locking knob. The knob allows you to position the arm and your camera from plus 90° to minus 90°. There are camera mounting shoes (flat shaped) and lugs (triangle shaped) that are provided for you to help locate and position the camera.
Twin-Axis Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting Mounting your camera on the Twin-Axis Camera Bracket Select the appropriate slot in the bracket that will best locate the tripod mounting thread on your particular camera. You may need to reposition the camera knob to another slot in order to achieve this. To remove the knob simply slide the knob along the slot to the end that has the threaded hole. Carefully unscrew the knob out of the threaded hole, being careful not to crossthread the knob.
Nodal Point What is it and how do I find it? This is one of the most frequently asked questions when it comes to stitcher-based panorama creation. Once you understand the basics, you’ll be able to easily locate the nodal point for any camera and lens combination. how your finger moves with respect to the background. This relative movement is due to the fact that you’re not rotating your head around your eye’s nodal point, which is somewhere in the center of your eyeball.
Nodal Point (continued) What is it and how do I find it? Step 2: Fore-Aft Adjustment left to right. Slide the camera to the front or rear as required to eliminate This step is most easily accomplished out of doors. Find a vertical edge or line, such as a doorway or edge of a building. Position your camera and tripod about 2-1/2 feet away, or as close as possible with the edge still in focus when you look through the viewfinder.
Nodal Point (continued) What is it and how do I find it? the proper setting since the viewfinder is a separate optical path that doesn’t really “see” the same image as the film. Instead, you’ll have to start with the bracket all the way to the front and take pairs of test shots. Each pair will have the vertically aligned objects in the left and then the right side of the viewfinder. After each pair of photos, slide the bracket rearward and repeat the process.
Shooting Panoramas How do I begin? How much Overlap? Taking the Photos The amount you turn the camera for each shot varies. It is dependent on a number of factors such as the field of view (the angle) of your camera and lens, as well as which program you intend to use. For example, in their QuickTime VR Authoring Studio, Apple recommended that the images should overlap by anywhere from one-third to one-half. That’s a good rule of thumb for most stitching applications.
Shooting Panoramas (continued) How do I begin? You can also shim the camera/head to compensate for such misalignment errors as well. A few layers of tape is usually all that it takes. Let me also reiterate what's not as important as some people think. The overall level of the head/camera is not as critical in order to produce good stitched results.
Warranty and Product Return Information Copyright © 2002 Kaidan, Inc. All Rights Reserved. First Edition, June 2002. QuickPan is a trademark of Kaidan, Inc. Other products mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies. Patents Pending. Information in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Kaidan.
