Panogear its a Merlin sold on Kolor Website.
You can use a Bluetooth Device to connect your Panohead with your Computer for us with Papywizard. Stick in the Head and make a Connection with your BT in your Computer.

The gray Device its a Touch Controller to controll the Panohead without a Connection to a Computer. You can use it standalone. Start your Shoots and after you are back at home you can plug it in you Computer and download the XML File. This file you can use to generate your Pano in the Stiching Software.

mediavets wrote:

If you choose a different Papywizard host platform and wish to use a Bluetooth wireless conection then you may need a USB Bluetooth adapter/dongle if your chosen host platform doesn't have built-in Bluetooth, or if the built-in Bluetooth doesn't work with Papywizard.

Very good explanations by Mediavet but for Bluetooth an USB dongle is included in all Panogear kits that is Class 1 (it grants you a range nearly 100m and avoids to use internal bluetooth interface that is pretty bad in most computer and class 2 so short range !).

Vincèn

Destiny wrote:

Now, I am assuming that the personal touch control, the greyish thing, replaces the need to have a laptop and bluetooth dongle.. Saves lugging a laptop around... Is this right...

Right, but be careful that the Touch Control offers less options than Papywizard, but allows you to shoot in the field without computer

Destiny wrote:

I have fond the lens I will be using with my D90... its the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED VR II Lens... bit expensive but I have to save up for it all.... but at least I know have a clearer understanding of what what I need... I feel this motorised head is the best in its class and affordable... The lens will last for a life time... So its a long term investment....

It's a good investment, and if you want to go further, you can always buy later a doubler

Destiny wrote:

Now, the question is.. Is this software to program the head hard to use... I am assuming its the app for driving the Kolor Panogear... does it do things like a test run..

If you speak about Papywizard, it includes a lot of options and possibilities, but to shoot regular panoramas, you can use it by setup of very few parameters and no need to play with all buttons You'll find also in Papywizard section of the forum all help you need in case something goes wrong ! For the touch control there is a manual to use it, it's pretty simple and basic, same for Panorama, the configuration software to use with it (Be careful that software exists only on Windows, but works fine in VMWare/Parallels if you are on Mac !).

Vincèn

Sorry.. I moved this from somewhere else.. I love the image of my D90 and future lens.. Briger told me what lens it was on the Panogear page....

The images is better put here...
http://www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/70-200mm-ii.htm 

Destiny..

Last edited by Destiny (2011-12-16 09:53:42)

Destiny wrote:

Hi Vincèn, I am assuming that the Papywizard software is all included...

Papywizard is an open-source software You can download it from Papywizard website or my support website (http://support.skivr.com)

Destiny wrote:

Hey.. what does doubler mean... ??

It's an optical equipment you install between lens and camera and that doubles the focal length of lens used You loose some light but it's interesting to use for gigapixel panoramas

Vincèn

Destiny wrote:

Ok Vincèn... I understand it all now... I will download the software and play with it.... Will it work ok on SnowLeopard... ?? I think I read somewhere the there might be issues..

It works fine on Snow Leopard mainly on Lion where some problem occurs !

Destiny wrote:

oh Wow... it must get very looooong... so.. whats it look like for this lens.. =

Nope it's not so long but depending of doubler, you'll get 140-400 with a 70-200 lens

Vincèn

Destiny wrote:

Sorry, I have to start a new thread so I understand it all.. As I understand it.. The Panogear stuff is a Merlin with the Controller and Blue thing all in one.. or is there more to it.... I am so confused since there are two post areas.. one for Panogear and other for the Merlin, Orion etc.. oh hum....

Now, am I right in saying, the the little bluetooth dongle thing clicks into my laptop where i can use it to send data via bluetooth to the blue dangly receiver thing... and the other greyish thing is the controller if I did want to do it via blue tooth... I am guessing I use the Papywizard software on my laptop and set my program shooting array and then click the greyish controller thing into the Merlin then upload my data.. or have I got it all very wrong...

Destiny....

The bluebox works as an interface and communicates with the Nokia N800/810/Papywizard, a Note-/MacBook or a Mac via Bluetooth. Because of the Merlin has a serial interface the Bluetooth signals must be transferred to serial - that´s what the bluebox does beneath being a BT-receiver.

The Handheld-controller - designed and produced by Josef, who also builds the New Head - goes another way: instead of needing several devices to control and connect the Merlin you only need ONE device. In this device an implemented software controls ALL: the moves of the head and firing the camera with bracketing, mirror-lock and so on.

We realized that there´s sometimes  a lot of hazzle using Bluetooth - you can read about it here quite often - and because of Bluetooth might be sensitive to interfering signals ( i had that several times in industrial surroundings) we don´t use Bluetooth any more. But ´t´s possible to attach a BT-/Infrared-device foe remote-release the handheld if someone wants it (nobody asked for it anyway).
A connection between the handheld and Merlin cam be some centimeters but also can be 25 meters. In the case of a long cable the camera can be connected to the head (Merlin/NewHead) and get triggered by the head via a 10cm usual 3,5mm (NewHead) and 2,5mmto3,5mm (Merlin) male-male jack cable.
That´s fine to integrate other devices like PromoteControl and so.

The handheld is powered by the head´s accus.

So in the field you jist select your camera and shooting-modus and push "go". There´s more options if you like of course - but it´s far less complicate than to carry round a laptop, setup a Bluetooth connection and so on.

I completely switched over to the handheld - some weeks ago i tried to use my NokiaN800 with the Merlin . . . and failed completely . . I surrendered to the complexity of it - which i don´t want to handle when i want to concentrate on shooting aesthetical images instead of dealing around with hard-/and software. Didn´t take one shot - forgot how to configure Bluetooth, zillions of connectivity-modes and so on.

There´s a version of the handheld for Merlin and another version for the New Head. Both of them write xml files for postioning the shots in APG.

best, Klaus

Thank you for all this information guys...

This will also be good to direct others to.. since its all here now..... The idea of using the Touch-Controller sounds great but they are a bit expensive for what they are and do... Bluetooth has often caused issues I realise this... we have Lego Robotics at school and often had to go back to the computer to dock the Brick to upload the data when bluetooth doesn't work... For the price of the Touch-Controller we can buy a new Laptop which will do a lot more so when I buy my Panogear we will take the risk about connection issues... I wonder, has anyone tried a different bluetooth dongle... we did this for our lego.. and it worked.. Not all bluetooth dongles are the same.. and you can download and try different drivers too...

Destiny....

Destiny wrote:

The idea of using the Touch-Controller sounds great but they are a bit expensive for what they are and do...

I've never used one but can see the attraction of its ease of use in the field the setup/configuration tasks being performed at home.  The LCD displays of Nokia Internet Tablets and laptops and netbooks are not always very legible in bright outdoor conditions. I believe the system works a little faster when using this Touch controller rather than Papywizard too.

Bluetooth has often caused issues I realise this..I wonder, has anyone tried a different bluetooth dongle.. Not all bluetooth dongles are the same.. and you can download and try different drivers too...

Destiny....

I am not aware that anyone has reported Bluetooth problems when using the Deltawave-PapyMerlin/Panogear Bluetooth-TTL adapter and Bluetooth USB dongle supplied as part of the Panogear kit. And I've had no problems using the Bluetooth-TTL adapter and Nokia Internet Tablets (which have built-in Bluetooth devices).

As far as I know the Bluetooth issues have involved other Bluetooth hardware devices.

As a recent panogear acquirer, I agree with Klaus that once you have the touch controller, you'll seldom going back using the laptop with papywizard.

My suggestion is if you want to save money and time, go for the touch controller.

My route was saving the money for buying an Asus netbook instead of the controller. However, with the limited battery life for this netbook, I bought another battery of higher capacity......this all and all add weight to my photo session. And not to mention bug/ mismatch between papywizard and panogear that when using longer lenses, the mosiac that taken will have an axis shift
http://www.kolor.com/forum/t8952-merlin … king-shots .  I finally bought the touch controller and  the controller has no axis shift issue.


With the controller, another valuable feature that often not mentioned is that there's a battery indicator on the controller for the panogear/ merlin. Pls note that there is no light/ indicator on panogear alone that show whether the power is on or off. I 'd got very frustrated on the field sereral times either if the device is powered on or off, or if the battery is bad contacted, or if I hadn't recharged/ discharged the battery.

Don't save this money otherwise you 'll lose more.

john

Last edited by johnchoy (2011-12-17 18:56:27)