Rotate the camera around the optical axis?

How about a sample? I'm picturing those 80's mirror highschool photos.

Why not use a wider lens? With the Z7II's 45mp I hardly ever have to rotate my camera.

hendrikm2 said:

Hi,
for a stillife studio shoot I need to take vertically and horizontally oriented shots of the same setting which can be merged afterwards. To be able to merge these, they need to be perfectly aligned. If I use a lens with a tripod collar I can just rotate that.
What accessories would I need to do this with a lens without collar like a 105mm micro lens?
Cameras would be Z9 an Z7 without grip.
Thanks for your help, Hendrik

Click to expand...

Sigma makes a 105mm/f1.4 in the F mount. That lens has a tripod collar, so does the 58mm/f0.95, but you probably don’t want to spend that much.

I have done this! If you use an ARCA-Swiss quick release it’s pretty easy. Use a gimbal designed for a telephoto lens which has a variable height cradle.

Examples: https://promediagear.com/collections/gimbal-heads/products/gkjr-katana-pro-gimbal-tripod-head

https://benrousa.com/benro-aluminum-gimbal-head-gh2n/

https://www.tripodhead.com/products/wimberley-main.cfm

You could also simply use an L shape ARCA-Swiss type quick release bracket

Example: https://promediagear.com/collection...-bracket-plate-for-nikon-z9-mirrorless-camera

on the camera and turn the camera sideways.

With either of these approaches make sure the axis through the lens remains constant.



A third approach is to use a medium format lens in one the shift adapters made by Fotodiox.

--
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio

hendrikm2 said:

Hi,
for a stillife studio shoot I need to take vertically and horizontally oriented shots of the same setting which can be merged afterwards. To be able to merge these, they need to be perfectly aligned. If I use a lens with a tripod collar I can just rotate that.
What accessories would I need to do this with a lens without collar like a 105mm micro lens?
Cameras would be Z9 an Z7 without grip.
Thanks for your help, Hendrik

Click to expand...

They may not be perfectly aligned but as long as the scene itself doesn't change (much) Photoshop's auto-align works pretty well. But the key is that the images cannot differ by much (how much I cannot say because it seems PS can be picky at times but it may have gotten better in recent updated versions). I cannot say that the scene (captured) will be 100% the same as you'll have more width in one frame, and more height (and less width) in the other. I suppose if you cropped them down in post to the same size (which sort of defeats the purpose of doing this in the first place) then it would work.

I would suggest just doing a regular pano (vertically) and stitching in PS or LR or something else that supports Pano stitching. Shoot tall, because in the process you will lose some of the top and bottom, and overlap each frame by about 1/3 (or 30%). Photoshop is quite good with stitching Panos with little effort on your part.

There’s this gizmo that made the rounds a few months ago:


I remember thinking “who could possibly need such a thing ?”. I guess now I know.

With a Z7 II, a Zeiss CF 3.5/100 T* Planar lens, and a Fotodiox Vertex (https://fotodioxpro.com/collections/rhinocam-vertex/products/hbv-nkz-rcv), Starting with these four photos:









Using the Photo Merge Panorama feature in Lightroom Classic (Photo > Photo Merge > Panorama), I made this composite



The full resolution of the last image is 10,860 x 10,860 pixels.
Technical details:
Lighting: indirect sunlight through a tall window with open Venetian blinds.
Exposure: 0.6 seconds @ f/11. ISO 800

There is a trick to focusing when using the Vertex. When you set up, rotate the camera through the four positions and note what part of the subject is in all four frames. It is near the upper edge and about 1/3rd of the frame width towards the right side.

--
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio

Thanks Fazal,
I had forgotten about that device. Going through the comments in the post I had even made a few too!
I also saw this comment thread:



For the basic Atoll setup the available early backer total is now up to 999 with only 10 spots left! With delivery date is now promised for October 2022.

--
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio

Not cheap, but I still love and use my Gigapan Epic Pro - an amazing device along with GigaPan Stitch - easy to program the head and let 'er rip. Probably overkill for your needs but thought I'd at least mention it. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...CjkYPz_l9YVj6UoWNoo0rDuRrdVMc0qRoCBm4QAvD_BwE

Mike

I remember Rhinocam Vizelex made a simpler adapter that was shift-only (2 frames). Basically it's a shift adapter except it's the camera rather than the lens you are shifting.

Michael Firstlight said:

Not cheap, but I still love and use my Gigapan Epic Pro - an amazing device along with GigaPan Stitch - easy to program the head and let 'er rip. Probably overkill for your needs but thought I'd at least mention it.

Click to expand...

I have the Epic 100, which is great with a Leica, but apparently the mechanical components of the Gigapans are not durable, with plastic gears.

I've picked up a Benro Polaris motorized pano/astro head (their Kickstarter took forevcer to deliver the goods). I don't have enough personal experience with it yet to give a definite opinion, but it looks much more solidly made than the Gigapan (like a dense ball head), and is cheaper than the Epic Pro to boot.

The smartphone-powered software is smarter, but the flip side is who knows how it will be maintained for future releases of iOS.

hendrikm2 said:

Hi,
for a stillife studio shoot I need to take vertically and horizontally oriented shots of the same setting which can be merged afterwards. To be able to merge these, they need to be perfectly aligned. If I use a lens with a tripod collar I can just rotate that.
What accessories would I need to do this with a lens without collar like a 105mm micro lens?
Cameras would be Z9 an Z7 without grip.
Thanks for your help, Hendrik

Click to expand...

The camera has a focal plane reference; on a regular tripod, you'd need to align it with the pivot center for the horizontal alignment. For the vertical alignment, you'd need some sort of gimbal mount that puts the sensor in the center of the rotation axes. The only place I've seen that sort of thing were in aerospace applications, custom-built for various air/space frames...

All that said, all the available stitching software I know will accommodate overlapped images, no need to precisely put the image edges together. Others have shown examples...

A reply came in above that addresses the rotating about the roll axis instead of the pitch and yaw directions. Maybe the referenced item will serve.

There are other devices as well from the genre of portrait photography that may be worth searching out via the text “rotating flash bracket”. Some rotate the flash alone, not what I think you’re asking for. Others have a tripod mount below and allow you to roll the camera while still on the tripod, with the flash remaining above. And you aren’t required to use flash of course.

One such device was reviewed online by Neil van Niekerk. The manufacturer’s name is Custom Brackets. B&H carries that brand.

I’ve owned one of those Custom Brackets flip mounts. They are large, bulky and not really designed for the precision task the OP inquired about.

Fazal Majid said:

I remember Rhinocam Vizelex made a simpler adapter that was shift-only (2 frames). Basically it's a shift adapter except it's the camera rather than the lens you are shifting.

Click to expand...

Correct. To avoid parallax errors it’s better to shift the position of the camera body, not the lens. I learned that when using 4x5 cameras for architectural work.

--
To see my work, please visit http://www.ellisvener.com
Or on Instagram @EllisVenerStudio

Ellis Vener said:

I’ve owned one of those Custom Brackets flip mounts. They are large, bulky and not really designed for the precision task the OP inquired about.

Click to expand...

Maybe, but the gimbals that have been linked don’t get that far because they would block the monitor and eyepiece for any lens that doesn’t have a ring itself. That Pitch axis is not an easy to use Roll axis.

--
Wag more; bark less.

Fazal Majid said:

There’s this gizmo that made the rounds a few months ago:

https://www.dpreview.com/news/84874...angle-adjustment-a-breeze-no-matter-your-gear

I remember thinking “who could possibly need such a thing ?”. I guess now I know.

Click to expand...

Me!

I ordered mine the day I first saw it (as Ellis pointed out, lol).

I've always thought rotators were useful. I designed custom rotators for my 14-24mm f/2.8 and 24-70mm f/2.8.

I also own a Just-Rite Bracket (rest in peace, Gary Justice) camera rotator and used to also have a Mamiya rotator.

--
The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

ggbutcher said:

hendrikm2 said:

Hi,
for a stillife studio shoot I need to take vertically and horizontally oriented shots of the same setting which can be merged afterwards. To be able to merge these, they need to be perfectly aligned. If I use a lens with a tripod collar I can just rotate that.
What accessories would I need to do this with a lens without collar like a 105mm micro lens?
Cameras would be Z9 an Z7 without grip.
Thanks for your help, Hendrik

Click to expand...

The camera has a focal plane reference; on a regular tripod, you'd need to align it with the pivot center for the horizontal alignment. For the vertical alignment, you'd need some sort of gimbal mount that puts the sensor in the center of the rotation axes. The only place I've seen that sort of thing were in aerospace applications, custom-built for various air/space frames...

Click to expand...

You mean something like this?





The two geared rotators are aligned through the sensor plane. The leadscrew macro focusing rails move through the sensor plane. I'm actually building this as the rear standard of a view camera. It's not strong enough, so I'm moving to a full "U" yoke with a second rotator and leadscrew on the other side. Steppers moving it all so both sides move in a coordinated fashion. There are also three more rails: bellows draw, unit focusing, and front movement. We're talking six leadscrew focus rails, three geared rotators, nine steppers, and 7 DOF.

But it won't solve OP's problem.

ggbutcher said:

All that said, all the available stitching software I know will accommodate overlapped images, no need to precisely put the image edges together. Others have shown examples...

Click to expand...

That won't solve his problem, either.

--
The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

hendrikm2 said:

Hi,
for a stillife studio shoot I need to take vertically and horizontally oriented shots of the same setting which can be merged afterwards. To be able to merge these, they need to be perfectly aligned. If I use a lens with a tripod collar I can just rotate that.
What accessories would I need to do this with a lens without collar like a 105mm micro lens?
Cameras would be Z9 an Z7 without grip.

Click to expand...

CRUD (not to be confused with CHUD)

The optimal solution, if you have maybe $800, is a device that Really Right Stuff used to make. You can still find them on the used market.

It was called the "Camera Rotation Device" or "CRD-87" and affectionately known as "CRuD".

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/prod...rd_87_pkg_crd_87_package_camera_rotation.html

Going Dutch

Filmmakers have a concept called a "Dutch Angle", which is simply a deliberately (and allegedly "creatively") non level shot. This is done with some form of "Dutch Angle Rig" or "Dutch Angle Device". Some of those look like larger, more elaborate versions of the RRS CRD. They can be rented. They are not cheap.

Some are much more affordable, but the affordable ones block your view of the screen, so you'd need to plug your Z into an external monitor or a laptop, or both. (Monitor for a fast screen update, laptop for full control).

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1706936-REG/glide_gear_dar_100_rotating_dutch_angle_rig.html

He bellows loudly!


Those who know me, know I'd get there eventually...

My preferred tool for macro and still life is the Nikon PB-4 bellows. Nikon makes two bellows worth having: the PB-4 and the much newer PB-6. The PB-6 is a "monorail" with one big square rail instead of the four rods of the PB-4. The 6 is more sturdy, and generally smoother, but the 4...

Ah, my precious...

It's a super-versatile macro device. It has front standard swing and shift movements. I use that a lot for tilt and rise/fall instead by mounting it sideways (I have a strong and versatile macro tripod, too).

Either PB-4 or PB-6 let you mount an enlarger lens, a short-mount macro like a Leitz (aka "Leica") Photar (my weapon of choice), a Zeiss Luminar, a classic Nikon "Bellows Nikkor" (I have one as a collectable. Not thrilled with its optical performance), a "process lens" like a "Repro Summar".

The rear standard of the bellows has a rotating camera mount, so you rotate the camera without rotating anything else. Like this:


Nikon Z7 on PB-4 Bellows, horizontal


Nikon Z7 on PB-4 Bellows, vertical

You notice I didn't mention PB-1, 2, 3, or 5. That's because they all suck (to use the technical term). Seriously, Nikon only made two bellows worth using, the 4 and the 6. (I also have a 2, because it's an elegant collectable. But I have literally never used it. It does every last thing worse than the 4).

Oh, and that little gem up front is a Leitz Photar 50mm f2.8. It's my goto for macro from 2x to 5x. From normal still-life range up to about 2x macro, I use a 105mm f/5.6 El-Nikkor, an enlarger lens.





Or...

(to be continued).

hendrikm2 said:

Thanks for your help, Hendrik

Click to expand...

You're welcome.

--
The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com

Joseph S Wisniewski said:

Or...

Click to expand...

Mount a rotator to your lens's filter threads, and let the lens support the camera. I would not do this with the Z9, but I'd assume the Z7 would be strong enough, and it's internal focusing.

My goto for attaching stuff to lens filter threads is the Cokin "P-ring". You have no idea... Anyway, the P-ring is just a round metal flange with filter threads protruding from the center.

The 105 Z takes 62mm filters. Get a 62mm P ring:

https://www.amazon.com/Cokin-CP462-62mm-Lens-Adapter/dp/B00009R7QF

And bolt or epoxy it to a small turntable bearing:

https://www.amazon.com/MECCANIXITY-Aluminium-Turntable-Bearing-Rotating/dp/B09MW4Z5YS

Now build a wooden L bracket and bold the turntable bearing to it, and you've got a rotator.

If you have the wood, the total cost will be $29.95

There are $5 P-ring clones. Do not skimp on the ring: I've had the clones fit loose. You don't want it to fit loose when it's holding $3,500 worth of camera and lens.

Oh, astrophotographers have cool gadgets called "tilt adjusters" that let you level a camera no matter what angle your telescope is assuming. They're classy looking, expensive, hard to work with, and weird sizes.

Seriously, they come in weird thread sizes like 42mm, 48mm, 54mm, 63mm, and 92mm that you won't be able to adapt to your 62mm filter thread. You could even use one of the smaller ones if you're not shooting your 105mm wide open. As soon as you stop down a stop, you can use 48mm or 54mm rotator.

https://agenaastro.com/blue-fireball-360-camera-angle-adjuster-rotator-m54-thread-r-06.html

See! Isn't that just a gorgeous piece of hardware?

If you find a source for 54mm to 62mm step-down rings, let me know, because I can't think of one, and I "know stuff (tm)".

--
The term "mirrorless" is totally obsolete. It's time we call out EVIL for what it is. (Or, if you can't handle "Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens" then Frenchify it and call it "LIVE" for "Lens Interchangeable, Viewfinder Electronic" or "Viseur électronique").
-----
Stanley Joseph Wisniewski 1932-2019.
Dad, so much of you is in me.
-----
Christine Fleischer 1947-2014.
My soulmate. There are no other words.
-----
Rahon Klavanian 1912-2008.
Armenian genocide survivor, amazing cook, scrabble master, and loving grandmother. You will be missed.
----
Ciao! Joseph
www.swissarmyfork.com