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DIY nodal slide anybody?

Started Oct 2, 2019 | Discussions thread
Sailor Blue
Sailor Blue Forum Pro • Posts: 15,536
Re: DIY nodal slide anybody?
5

You can buy this one from China with free shipping for less than the cost of making one.

200mm Quick Release Rail Nodal Slide Plate Clamp for DSLR Macro Photography New | eBay

Add a Nikon compatible L Bracket so you can shoot in either landscape or portrait orientation.

eBay - MPU105 Quick Release L Plate Bracket For Nikon D7200 D5300 D810a D500 D750 80D

Here is a reference that give the nodal point of many lenses.

Nodal Point-Entrance Pupil Database - PanoTools.org Wiki

You can use the camera hand held for panoramas but using a tripod with a nodal rail makes it easier for the software to achieve a match between the images.

It is better to overlap too much than too little.  I have my camera set to display the Golden Rule lines in the viewfinder.  The lines make it easy to overlap each image by 1/3 of the previous one, which is more than enough to make aligning the images in post easy.

Another good use for the nodal rail is holding the camera with a long lens steady.  If you simply mount the camera on a tripod the heavy weight extended some distance from the tripod head makes it hard for the tripod head to hold the camera without creep.  Use the nodal head to move the camera and lens center of gravity over the tripod head and you will eliminate creep after you lock the tripod head.

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Living and loving it in Pattaya, Thailand. Canon 5DS R & 7D - See the gear list for the rest.

 Sailor Blue's gear list:Sailor Blue's gear list
Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS 5DS R Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro Tokina AT-X 16-28mm f/2.8 Pro FX +9 more
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