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Accessory Review: GigaPan Epic Pro

Jun 14, 2013 at 20:54:26 GMT

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The GigaPan EPIC Pro is an affordable motorized panorama head for DSLRs, built to create high-resolution images from multiple frames. in this article, Ireland-based landscape photographer Carsten Krieger takes the device out into the field to put it through its paces. Click the links below to go to the full review.

Click here to read Carsten Krieger's review of the GigaPan Epic Pro

ARTICLE ACCESSORY PANORAMA REVIEW

Comments

Total comments: 13

I've been creating Gigapans for a few years now. I started with an Epic 100 and this year I purchased an Epic Pro. Not sure why I got it since the Epic 100 worked so well. I like how the Epic Pro has a count down timer to tell you how long you're going to be sitting there reading a book when using a 400mm lens.

One thing that's rarely covered is if you're a shy person and don't like talking to people, don't buy a Gigapan. It attracts people like flies to honey. People will ask you all kinds of questions even if it's not related to the Gigapan itself. I had a young teen ask me about Nikon or Canon just a few weeks ago. Too funny.

Overall, I like the units. I haven't really used the Pro as much as I did the Epic 100 but I can see it being a great unit to own, especially if you use heavy lenses.

0 upvotes

Doesn't even do motion time lapses, even though it physically could.

There is a much better, cheaper, and lighter option that does everything including apps. It is called the Automate 1.0 by thegadgetworks.

But they don't have any special deals with NASA or Google. Perhaps that is why it is better and cheaper though.

0 upvotes

I have a Gigapan Epic 100 and would have to get the Epic Pro to work with my current choice of bodies I own. I won't be upgrading. Gigapan's accuracy is poor. If you run through a tile configuration more than once, you'll see that overlap is variable. Don't expect to do any astrophotography with a future Gigapan update. The motors don't have the precision necessary. The construction is flimsy with stamped steel brackets supporting the camera. Gigapan robots are big, and they have very poor battery life. Unless you need to frequently create stitched images with a large number of tiles, you're likely better off with a solid manual panorama bracket. It will be lighter and more stable, plus you can likely shoot a tile series faster than a Gigapan robot.

1 upvote

Can it be used for astrophotography?

0 upvotes

That's one of the first things I asked as well :-) The answer is unfortunately no... for the moment at least. But I was told it is among the things GigaPan is thinking about.

0 upvotes

the problem is the Earth is moving too quickly so each picture, if shot quickly, will have stars in different areas of the sky. Now that I think about it though, it might work if the stars can match up in stitching. I'll try it one evening and see.

0 upvotes

One of my old High School mates works for this company and I went last year to try one of these bad boys out. The neat thing of it is that you can zoom into the scene, have it take all needed photo's and then it will stitch them for you and be perfect, on preview of the complted image, you can zoom in and see awesome detail... I did a city scape from across the river at 200mm and stitched like 140 some photo's.... it was pretty awesome. More expensive than I will ever buy, but it was cool none the less.

0 upvotes

In today's world I feel this is a bit of overkill.

I shoot panos with my tripod (mono-pod, even hand held at times),
and the great, free stitiching program Microsft Ice.

Many of my panos include people which ICE nicely compensates for thier movement, leaving very few clone touch-ups required.

This way I can shoot fast and can change vantage points on the spur of the moment.

Of course there is a place for a head such as this GigPan, but not in my bag.

0 upvotes

I dont think it's overkill. In all too many circumstances in which I have tried to manually make a panoramic shot with a long lens, requiring both vertical and horizontal movement, I have forgotten some part of the picture.

0 upvotes

Kind of missing the point with the tripod and camera shooting a few pictures. The idea of a Gigapan is to take quite a few pictures with a long lens automatically. I'm sure your photos are great, but putting it up against a picture taken with a Gigapan with a long lens where you can zoom into the picture and see detail are on a whole different level.

1 upvote

Why do people who use these things have so little artistic imagination?

My efforts at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dgeugene/sets/72157629832828886/ were made with pocket cameras and a homemade pan head.

0 upvotes

Personally I prefer his work to yours. Sorry. I do like your industrial landscape ones however.

Comment edited 3 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Well, I am a huge panorama fan, so the more beautiful panos people successful produce with this device, the more I will merrily appreciate them.

Very nice indoor and outdoor pano subjects, and good review. I love Ireland even though I have never been ... your photos tease and tantalize! Good stuff.
Cheers, Camediadude

Comment edited 16 seconds after posting

3 upvotes

Total comments: 13

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