The minimal tripod?

[ThrillaMozilla]

He seems to keep describing a simple pan/tilt, so it can tilt vertically independently without losing level to the horizon.

No, quite the contrary. With a simple tripod the center column needs to be vertical, but contrary to popular opinion, the camera does not need to be horizontal. The tilt head is so one can tilt the camera up or down. One does not have to keep the camera level.

When the column is vertical, it is level. With a rotary base, you wouldn't need a head to do a panorama.

For the third time, I often don't want the camera level. Contrary to popular opinion, a level camera is not a requirement for a panorama. Reread my first post on the subject to find out why.

I could substitute a monopod tilt-head with rotary base for my 3-way pan/tilt and it would work. And it reduces the size and weight.

 

[john isaacs]

He seems to keep describing a simple pan/tilt, so it can tilt vertically independently without losing level to the horizon.

No, quite the contrary. With a simple tripod the center column needs to be vertical, but contrary to popular opinion, the camera does not need to be horizontal. The tilt head is so one can tilt the camera up or down. One does not have to keep the camera level.

When the column is vertical, it is level. With a rotary base, you wouldn't need a head to do a panorama.

I could substitute a monopod tilt-head with rotary base for my 3-way pan/tilt and it would work. And it reduces the size and weight.

It takes time and effort to level the base of a tripod. I use the tripod ball head as a leveler, and use a rotator on top of the ball head. I have an Acratech GP which can be flipped so the ball head panning base is on top, with the Arca clamp attached to it. But I prefer to use an indexed rotating clamp as the panorama rotator.

The camera can be tilted to capture more sky or ground, rather than keeping the camera level. But the rotation axis is vertical to the ground (for horizontal panoramas) or level with the ground (for vertical panoramas). This tilt can be done with a multi-row panoramic head; or it can be done simply by rotating the clamp that holds the camera on an L-bracket.

A small adjustment to camera position can be made to account for the offset of the no parallax point from the panning axis due to the tilt.

 

[Craig Gillette]

SUNWAYFOTO DT-02D50

This or the DT-03 have a remarkably similar appearance to several other brands (hmmh?) at a quite low price. It looks like both can allow the clamp to be set for sideways or front/back Arca clamping.

If leveling the tripod top plate/center post with careful leg adjustments, these would allow you to pan and also apply tilt to the "camera" or nodal adjustment rail, or not, as desired. Looks to be convenient, less expensive if perhaps a tad cruder than stacking a panning base, tilt head and clamp.

Seems like a fairly simple approach to go with a light tripod. Less fiddly, maybe, than trying to deal with a ball head with a pan base. either approach still requires some attention to getting the legs properly set to get the center axis vertical.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

He seems to keep describing a simple pan/tilt, so it can tilt vertically independently without losing level to the horizon.

No, quite the contrary. With a simple tripod the center column needs to be vertical, but contrary to popular opinion, the camera does not need to be horizontal. The tilt head is so one can tilt the camera up or down. One does not have to keep the camera level.

When the column is vertical, it is level. With a rotary base, you wouldn't need a head to do a panorama.

I could substitute a monopod tilt-head with rotary base for my 3-way pan/tilt and it would work. And it reduces the size and weight.

It takes time and effort to level the base of a tripod. I use the tripod ball head as a leveler, and use a rotator on top of the ball head. I have an Acratech GP which can be flipped so the ball head panning base is on top, with the Arca clamp attached to it. But I prefer to use an indexed rotating clamp as the panorama rotator.

I don't find it difficult. I just use a pocket level (maybe weighs as much as a tripod leveler, but I happen to have one on hand). Just hold the level in the plane of one tripod leg and the center column. That's the leg you adjust. Now adjust one other leg and you're done. It works just as well if you have a level on the tripod.

The camera can be tilted to capture more sky or ground, rather than keeping the camera level. But the rotation axis is vertical to the ground (for horizontal panoramas) or level with the ground (for vertical panoramas). This tilt can be done with a multi-row panoramic head; or it can be done simply by rotating the clamp that holds the camera on an L-bracket.

Good tip! Rotating the camera on the clamp brings up a whole new simple range of possibilities.

A small adjustment to camera position can be made to account for the offset of the no parallax point from the panning axis due to the tilt.

Yes, exactly. It might be a few centimeters. For those of us who make panos only very occasionally, I prefer to substitute technique for pounds of equipment. (Other people have a different use case and prefer to use the equipment.)

 

[john isaacs]

SUNWAYFOTO DT-02D50

This or the DT-03 have a remarkably similar appearance to several other brands (hmmh?) at a quite low price. It looks like both can allow the clamp to be set for sideways or front/back Arca clamping.

If leveling the tripod top plate/center post with careful leg adjustments, these would allow you to pan and also apply tilt to the "camera" or nodal adjustment rail, or not, as desired. Looks to be convenient, less expensive if perhaps a tad cruder than stacking a panning base, tilt head and clamp.

Seems like a fairly simple approach to go with a light tripod. Less fiddly, maybe, than trying to deal with a ball head with a pan base. either approach still requires some attention to getting the legs properly set to get the center axis vertical.

Have you ever done this? I mean, a pan/tilt head is as inappropriate as I can imagine. I have one of these, among others including fluid heads.

leveling the tripod can be done relatively quickly if you have experience and a large bubble level. But it’s so much easier to use a ball head.

And as I keep repeating, a ball head and rotating clamp makes quick work of the whole endeavor.