Nodal Ninja 3 User Manual
Contents
1. 16 Vertical Rail Mounting Knob partit NSVRMK 17 Metal Washer partit NSMW1 18 Lower Rotator Lock Knob part NBLRLK 19 Rail Stop Screw partit NRS 20 Lower Rotator Outer Housing part NSLROH 21 Lower Rotator Hex Screws 2ea partit N5LRHS 22 Lower Rotator Detent Pin part NBLRDP 23 Reversible Detent Ring part Nb degrees rings available 10 12 degrees number of stops around n 30 36 15 18 degrees number of stops around n 24 20 20 24 degrees number of stops around n 18 15 30 36 degrees number of stops around n 12 10 45 60 degrees number of stops around n 8 6 90 120 degrees number of stops around n 4 3 45 amp 60 90 amp 120 degrees number of stops around n 816 413 24 Lower Rotator Inner Housing N5LRIH 25 3 8 to 1 4 Screw Adapter N38 14 S OMS Oen No Nj oe Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Part Specifications Lower Rail Assembly Adjustment distances from the lower rotator center point to the upper vertical arm mounting point minimum adjustment distance 53mmmm 2 1 4 maximum distance 146mm 5 3 4 The lower horizontal rail is used to slide the upper vertical assembly when attached into 1 of 2 needed entrance pupil positions depending on the camera and lens being used The rail has a laser engraved scale marked in millimeters 1 mm intervals The grooves of the scale are filled with water resistant paint to increase clarity The lower rail asse2. is the apparent shifting of a foreground object relative to a background object when viewed at different angles or perspectives With panoramic photography multi shot images or images shot side by side create an issues know as parallax This is because each image shot is actually different from the one before it due to the minor shifting of objects in the field of view The foreground objects will tend to shift from the back ground objects if the camera is rotated outside the no parallax point NPP of the lens Seamless stitching of adjacently shot photos is almost impossible with tell tale lines whenever parallax is prevalent Things simply won t line up properly Parallax Demonstrated Hold your thumb out in front of you at arm s length and view it with your right eye left eye closed Move your head side to side while remaining focused on the background and you ll see your thumb move side to side relative to the background this apparent change in position is due to the effects of parallax This is the same thing that happens when a camera is rotated on a tripod Tripods are NOT designed to eliminate parallax with panoramic photography Using a special head like the Nodal Ninja and adjusting it properly so it rotates about the entrance pupil of a lens will eliminate virtually any parallax Parallax and Panoramic Photography Once parallax free images are taken and with the use of special stitching software you are able to seamle
3. more obvious in the viewfinder with objects close to the camera The more distant the objects the lesser the parallax If using a lens with zoom capability the entrance pupil will change in position as the zoom changes Because of so many variables it is best to learn how to find the entrance pupil manually Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual To locate the NNP of a lens have the camera lens setup on NN3 as shown to the right You want the camera as far back on the upper rail pointing towards the horizon and parallel with the ground Position in front of the camera two objects one nearer than the other For example indoors you could use two lamp poles one at about 6 feet the others at about 10 feet or if outside try using two fence posts or light poles Any two objects creating a vertical line will work as long as one is positioned behind the other In this example we ll use two floor lamps Looking inside the viewfinder or at the LCD screen rotate the camera so the two objects are towards the left side of the frame Note the exact position of the two lamps Ideally place the lamps so they aren t directly behind each slightly offset them Note the apparent distance between the two lamp poles as shown below eB B Bv iiinis So Au ARG G8 0 1 1 xi E i og og og ne 20 co x ca z i Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Now rotate the camera so the two objects are now in the right side of the viewfinder
4. Demarcations in increments of 2 5 degree on both upper and lower rotators great for doing high resolution mosaics at longer focal lengths 21 Rail stops for remembering camera and lens settings 22 Leveling built in quality bubble level for exact leveling as 20 rado N a Fame Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual vb 23 Lower and upper arm rulers for precise measuring of Entrance pupil settings 24 Compact breaks down to only 90mm x 210mm 8 x3 4 25 Weight only 857 grams 26 Attractive foam lined zippered hard shell carry case 27 Customer support 28 Two year manufacture warranty Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Nodal Ninja 5 Exploded View Parts List Upper Assembly 1 Upper Rotator Tightening Knob partit NSUTK 2 Metal Washer partit NSMW1 3 Upper Arm Rotator Detent Pins 4ea partit NSURDP 3a Upper Arm Rotator Hex Screws 4ea partit NSURHS 4 Vertical Rail part N5VR 5 Upper Horizontal Arm part NBUHR 6 Rail Stop Screw partit NRS 7 Camera Mounting Knob partit NbCMK 8 Metal Washer partit NSMW1 9 Camera Mounting Plate parti NCP 1 10 Rail Stop Plate part NRS 11 Upper Arm Support Screw Lower Assembly 12 Lower Horizontal Rail partit N5HR 13 Rail Stop Plate partit NRS 14 Lower Detent Release Knob with Rubber O Ring part NBLRRK 15 Lower Rotator Tension Knob partit NBLRTK
5. Revised 3 2008 FANOTEC S NODAL NINJA Spherical Panoramic Tripod Head NN5 NN5L ee a O loce 10 Li 12 13 14 15 16 T 18 Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Table of Contents TOC Cover Page pg 2 Table of Contents pg 2 Introduction pg 3 Nodal Ninja Features pg 4 Nodal Ninja 5 Exploded View pg 7 Parts List pg 8 Part Specifications pg 9 Hard Shelled Cases pg 10 Basic Assembly pg 11 Removing and Replacing Detents pg 12 Setting up with Known NNP pg 13 Setting the lower rail pg 13 Setting the upper rail pg 14 Using the Camera Mounting Plate pg 15 Mounting in Landscape Mode pg 16 Quick Release Adapters pg 17 Cameras Grips with off axis tripod mount pg 18 About Parallax pg 19 Finding the Entrance Pupil of a Lens pg 20 Warranty pg 23 Copyright information pg 24 Contributors pg 24 Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Introduction Congratulations on your recent purchase and welcome to the exciting and growing world of panoramic photography Panoramic photography is one of the fastest growing segments in photography With developments in hardware and software this technology allows for the creation of seamless stitching of multiple images From simple two shot panoramic images or complex 100 shot super mega pixel mosaics the Nodal Ninja is hardware designed to work in conjunction with your camera and lens to elim
6. ation The rotator is engraved with demarcations in 2 5 degree intervals with longer tic marks at 5 and 10 degree intervals Numerical values of O 30 60 and 90 degrees with diamond marks every 10 degrees These markings add for great visual reference when tilting the camera to do mulitrow panoramas and full spherical panoramas NN5 NOTE The upper rotator assembly can be locked positively every 15 degrees The weight load limit of camera lens with this locking detent system is approximately 10kgs 20 Ibs The upper rotator detents can be easily detached by unscrewing the 4 hex screws see 3a above This will free the rotator for detent free rotation This is ideal when using longer focal length lens and for those doing mosaic photography When opting to detach the upper detents the weight load limits decreases to approximately 7kgs 15lbs The upper rotator detent system is NOT available with NN5L san cei No Nj oe Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Hard Shelled Cases for Nodal Ninja 5 We have available very attractive hard shelled Cases item N5HC These cases are padded with a foam lining Dual zippered for added opening convenience Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Basic Assembly NN5 comes preassembled in two parts upper and lower assembly Place vertical arm assembly on lower rail assembly and Secure with the Vertical Rail Mounting Knob Place vertical arm assembly 2 on lower rail assembl
7. cost less shipping and handling Items missing from shipment will be deducted from the refund at full retail price at time of receipt Items received back in condition noted above after 14 days of buyer receipt but no later than 60 days will be offered 7596 refund off purchase price less shipping and handling paid Please allow up to 7 days to process and issue your refund For international orders we are not responsible for exchange rate differences from the time you buy to the time money is actually refunded Our return policy only applies to purchases made through this website and may differ from those of our other online store fronts and or authorized resellers eBay r Note Nodal Ninja s sold on eBay from individuals are NOT covered by any warranty nor we can offer any support buy at your own risk Also please report any illegal use of images and text that may have been copied from our website If you wish to return your order please contact us for instructions Polices do change with time so please reference our current return policy on the website Co OMS O No Nj oe Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Copyright Information The materials contained in this manual and website as well as any translations may be downloaded or copied provided that all copies retain our copyright notice No material may be modified edited or taken out of context such that its use creates false or misleading information The name and t
8. e rail so the ring is centered with the upper rotator which is also in line with the center of the vertical rail Entrance Pupil on the 10 5mm Nikkor Lens is very near the Gold Ring Insert a rail stop as shown and tighten to lock and remember this position The upper position is now set unless you change camera and or lenses or vary the focal length it will remain as is Using the rail stops after you learn your settings will allow you to remember the same position when re mounting your camera You can place the rail stop on either side of the camera plate The image above shows the rail behind the plate Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Using the Camera Mounting Plate NCP1 When mounting the camera plate CP make sure it is perpendicular to the camera body to assure a snug fit Do NOT twist he CP to tighten secure using the 1 4 screw with coin or screwdriver Twisting the CP to tighten may damage the rubber skid plate on your camera base This would also apply to using the t adapter as well When using the CP mounting plate it is possible to rotate it 180 degrees on the base of the camera giving a bit more forward or backward movement depending on which way it is mounted This is a personal preference as some cameras allow for a better grip in one position while others will allow for a better grip more surface mounting area in the opposite position This setup allows you mount your camera and lens in
9. frame Go back and forth a few times and watch to see if the distance between the two poles changes If the distance changes even slightly then you have parallax and you ll need to move the camera and lens slightly forward or back on the upper rail Loosen the camera mount knob and move the camera forward approx inch 10 mm and tighten Repeat until the lamps remain relatively unchanged as shown below You do not want to any change in movement between the two objects RB E S E AU EERIBB BIY mI cm eETJEPBB B Or 8 8 tuus eETJEPBB B O88 tula Simple recap outside you could use two trees or two power poles target one forward the other distance and slightly offset from each other giving you a space between them When looking through the viewfinder of your camera move target from left to right side of viewfinder if they move closer of farther aprt you need to adjust camera on upper rail either slightly back of forward until no movement is noted between the two while rotating camera left and right Note the position on both upper and lower rails and use the rail stops to set the position If you change cameras or lenses you ll need to repeat the above steps Now you re ready to start shooting panoramas Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Warranty Nodal Ninja is a quality instrument Under normal usage it will last many years We feel so confident our product will stand the stand of time we issue a 2 year war
10. inate parallax when shooting adjacent images Our panoramic tripod head is a quality piece of equipment designed to give you many years of use Nodal Ninja 5 is specially designed Spherical Panoramic Tripod Mount allowing the photographer to adjust a camera lens exactly over its correct rotational axis called the entrance pupil aka Nodal Point This helps to eliminate parallax error inherent when shooting multiple images side by side Without parallax a photographer can seamlessly stitch multiple photographs together forming a larger higher resolution composite image This manual will cover the important aspects of both Nodal Ninja 5 NN5 as well as a slightly modified version of NN5 called Nodal Ninja 5 Lite hereafter referred to as NNSL It is important to note that some features may vary slightly from the actual unit you have Because NN5L is basically a NN5 without the upper arm click stops more on that later this manual will primarily focus attention to the NN5 unless noted otherwise Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Nodal Ninja 5 Features We have compiled a list of the features and benefits of Nodal Ninja When shopping panoramic tripod heads you need as much information as you get We feel Nodal Ninja offers the best performance with features against price Here is a summary of the strong points of Nodal Ninja 5 1 Price much lesser expensive to comparable heads 2 Longer arms about 40mm longer than NN3 This help
11. mbly incorporates the lower rotator assembly The lower rotator assembly allows for 360 degree horizontal rotation The rotator base is engraved with demarcations in 2 5 degree intervals with longer tic marks at 5 and 10 degree intervals Numerical values every 20 degrees with diamond tic marks every 10 degrees make for great visual reference when rotating or panning the camera lens across the horizontal plane Mounting a camera lens in horizontal mode allows for very precise rotation to shoot across the horizon line Using in conjunction with the upper rotator allows for very precise rotation for single row and mulitrow spherical panoramas Upper Rail Assembly Overall dimensions of upper rail 190mm x 35mm x 10mm 7 1 4 x 1 5 8 x 3 8 Adjustment distances from the upper rotator center point to the upper rail camera mounting point minimum adjustment distance 33mm 1 1 2 maximum distance 148mm 5 7 8 This would be the maximum distance from camera mount to entrance pupil a k a nodal point of a particular lens The upper horizontal rail is used to slide the camera lens into 1 of 2 needed entrance pupil positions depending on the camera and lens being used The rail has a laser engraved scale marked in millimeters 1 mm intervals The grooves of the scale are filled with water resistant paint to increase clarity The upper rail assembly incorporates the upper rotator assembly The upper rotator assembly allows for 360 degree vertical rot
12. portrait mode sideways onto the upper rail on Nodal Ninja Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Mounting in Landscape Mode Mounting your camera and lens in landscape mode allows for horizontal panning only NN5 will support lenses like the Nikon 70 200mm VR f 2 8 When using lens of this length it is advised you mount using the lens tripod mount Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Quick Release Adapters COMING SOON Fanotec s Arca Style Swiss Quick Release Clamp due out mid 2008 Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Cameras Grips with Off axis Tripod Mounts If your camera has a tripod mount that is offset from the center of the barrel of the lens you will need the N3T30 or N3T30 offset t adapter First determine if the t adapter will be needed Look at the base of your camera and note the position of the 1 4 female tripod mount If this tripod mount is off center from the center portion of the lens you ll need to use the small camera bracket If it is 20mm or less you can use the N3T20 If the offset is greater than 20mm and less than 30mm you can use the expanded N3T30 t adapter Using the t adapter allows your camera to be positioned on the Nodal Ninja is such a way as to achieve proper rotation about a camera lens NPP NN3 used in sample images Center of Tripod Mount Lens Center of Tripod Mount Lens Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual About Parallax Parallax defined Parallax
13. rademarks of copyright holders may NOT be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to the Web site its content or specifications without specific written prior permission Title to copyright in these documents and website belong to CircularWorlds com Nodal Ninja and Fanotec Contributors The following people helped to contribute to this User Guide Bill Bailey www CircularWorlds com Nick Fan www Fanotec com Rosauro Ona www RosauroPhotography com John Houghton www homepage ntlworld com j houghton 02008 CircularWorlds com Nodal Ninja Fanotec All Rights Reserved
14. ranty from the date of your purchase one of the best in the industry In the unlikely event a part wears or breaks simply contact us for a replacement part We will replace any part that is deemed to be defective at no cost to the consumer other the cost of postage to send it in Customer abuse or misuse to be determined by manufacturer and or distributor will void any implied warranty This warranty is issued to the original buyer only is non transferable The manufacturer Fanotec and or distributors also assumes no liability for damage caused to equipment or downtime time caused as a consequence of not being able to use our product or injury caused to persons using Nodal Ninja Please keep out of reach of children As with any piece of equipment use it appropriately We do not want to get into a lot of expensive legalize but we would like the buyer to understand and accept at time of purchase ALL responsibilities that arise out of the use of our products either directly or in directly Returns We realize Nodal Ninja might not work for everyone If you find for any reason you are not happy with your purchase please contact us immediately for return instructions We will accept items returned if received back NO LATER than 14 days for NN5 We will refund the original amount paid less shipping and handling Returns must include all materials as shipped no scratches or obvious marks Items received as stated above will be refunded item
15. s to accommodate larger cameras like the D2X D3 or MK Il MK Ill and cameras with battery packs and even many medium and large format cameras 3 Accepts a much broader range of lenses from an 8mm Sigma to Nikon s 70 200mm f2 8 E EI BED Me M 4 NN5 Upper arm 15 degree detents with positive locks NN5L does not have upper arm positive stops 5 Upper arm rotator with 2 5 degree marking good for making high resolution mosaics 6 NN5 will accept loads up to approx 10 kgs due to upper arm positive locks 7 NN5L will accept loads up to approx 7kgs Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual vb 8 Allows your camera to be mounted in landscape mode 9 Fits all tripod heads uses both 3 8 amp 1 4 thread mount adapter 10 Small Rotator Base less foot print to edit out when doing full spherical panos D ipii qrp ru 20 jc 0 11 Closed rail design assures your expensive camera won t slip off accidentally 12 Detachable upper arm detents to rotate about any desired increment 13 Large easy to turn knurled edge adjustments knobs great with gloves in cold weather 14 Allows the use of many Quick Release Adapters 15 As small as 10 degree click stops in lower arm rotator are possible 16 Reversible detent rings 17 Detent rings can be disabled on the fly without any tool 18 More precise rotator base with locking function 19 Made to higher precision tolerances than earlier models 20
16. ssly stitch the images together Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Finding the Entrance Pupil of a Lens What is the Nodal Point or Entrance Pupil and why is it important We would like to take moment and dispel misconceptions of the word Nodal Point When referring to this no parallax point NPP many still refer to it as the Nodal Point Technically the point at which you would rotate the camera lens to avoid parallax is called the entrance pupil The entrance pupil is a floating point located inside the lens at the point where the light refracts or reverses itself before continuing to the image sensor or film plane The entrance pupil is different on each lens and changes at different focal lengths The entrance pupil incorrectly referred to by some as nodal point of a lens is the virtual image of the aperture formed by the lens elements in front of it and is the place where light paths cross before being focused onto the CMOS CCD or film plane For a light ray to pass through the lens it must be directed towards the entrance pupil which is therefore the center of perspective Note that the entrance pupil can be outside of the lens and even behind the film plane When taking adjacent images you want to rotate the camera around a line that runs through or very close to the entrance pupil By finding the entrance pupil of the lens and rotating the camera about this point you will assure parallax free images Parallax is
17. y and Secure with the vertical rail friction set knob 1 Make sure the vertical assembly is positioned so the upper rail is facing so it s on the inside You will see the vertical rail also has two feet at the base the longer is to point inwards towards lower rotator Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Removing and Replacing Detents Disassemble the lower rotator assembly by completely unscrewing the friction set knob on top with markings Using the enclosed hex key loosen the inner hex screw enough to release detent ring Some units may have the hex key tool located inside the tension knob as shown above left Place the detent ring with desired side face up Tighten hex screw and reassemble At the time of this writing we have the following rings available 10 12 degrees number of stops around n 30 36 15 18 degrees number of stops around n 24 20 20 24 degrees number of stops around n 18 15 30 36 degrees number of stops around n 12 10 45 60 degrees number of stops around n 8 6 90 120 degrees number of stops around n 4 3 45 amp 60 90 amp 120 degrees number of stops around n 846 443 Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Setting up with Known NNP If you already know the No Parallax Point NNP of your camera and lens there are only two adjustments to deal with on Nodal Ninja to properly position it The exception would be if your camera or battery grip has an offset tripod mount in which case
18. you will need to compensate with a t adapter as explained later In the samples to follow we ll use the NN3 in some images as the same basic principles apply Setting the lower rail With the camera lens mounted rotate the upper rail so itis perpendicular to the ground Point the camera directly down making sure the barrel of the lens is in line with the upper rail Loosen the lower vertical rail knob shown in image as adjustment knob slide the vertical and upper assembly back and forth on the lower rail unit the camera lens is positioned directly over the lower rotator knob with marking You can look through the camera viewfinder to help center Once centered you have your first of two settings Lower adjustment knob Insert a rail stop as shown and tighten to lock and remember this position The lower position is now set and will not change regardless of lens or focal length Nodal Ninja 5 5L User Manual Setting the upper rail Loosen the upper rotator knob and rotate the upper rail with camera lens still attached so it points straight out parallel with the ground as shown to the right This position is known as O degrees Next loosen the camera mounting knob and slide the camera on the upper rail until the NNP of the lens is centered with the upper rotator In the example we show the Nikon D70 with 10 5mm lens The NPP point on this lens is very near the gold ring So we slide the camera lens on th
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