Which Canon Wide Angle Lenses Are Compatible with Panogear?

[bfawcett]

Which Canon Wide Angle Lenses Are Compatible with Panogear?

by bfawcett » Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:58 am

I have been using the Panogear for a month and have discovered that the 16-35mm Canon is mostly unusable with the Panogear because of weight/balance issues in relation to nodal. The 24-105mm zoom is generally incompatible because you sometimes get movement in the head during exposures. (Movement against the motorized head always happens with the 16-35mm). Camera plus lens setup is ~3.5 pounds. Any suggestions of high qualiity wide angle canon lenses that do work with Canon 5D Mk2.

thanks

Last edited by bfawcett on Thu Mar 01, 2012 5:59 am, edited 1 time in total.

[klausesser]

by klausesser » Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:30 pm

I have been using the Panogear for a month and have discovered that the 16-35mm Canon is mostly unusable with the Panogear because of weight/balance issues in relation to nodal. The 24-105mm zoom is generally incompatible because you sometimes get movement in the head during exposures. (Movement against the motorized head always happens with the 16-35mm). Camera plus lens setup is ~3.5 pounds. Any suggestions of high qualiity wide angle canon lenses that do work with Canon 5D Mk2.

thanks

I usually take a manual 20mm Nikon on my 5D2 - works very fine. Excellent sharpness, no CAs - i use f:5,6/8 generally. Open the head and tighten the big screws a bit. That prevents the camera from slipping. Avoid moving the head by hand! It wears out the clutch.

best, Klaus

Last edited by klausesser on Thu Mar 01, 2012 12:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[bfawcett]

by bfawcett » Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:24 pm

Tightening the bolt doesn't really work because then the movement is transfered to the clutch and the motors clutch doesn't really like weight of more than 3 pounds at the end of the straight plate. I would assume that the panogear doesn't work at all with DSLR's with battery grips unless the camera and lens are centered on the head.

Last edited by bfawcett on Thu Mar 01, 2012 7:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[bfawcett]

by bfawcett » Mon Mar 05, 2012 9:05 am

Anyone ever use a canon 24mm 1.4L or 35mm 1.4L with the Panogear?

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:16 pm

Anyone ever use a canon 24mm 1.4L or 35mm 1.4L with the Panogear?

my record sized lens on a merlin/panogear is:
http://www.sigma-foto.de/produkte/objektive/120-400mm-f45-56-dg-os-hsm.html
the pano:
http://www.gigapixel.at/wp-content/uploads/SchlossLeopoldskron/schloss-leopoldskron.swf
(there were many issues with this, head was moving too tripod was too weak and it was shaking and finally it was cold ;-)

but about tigthen the bolts..it can be done, I have to do it too once a year or so...
there are two sides you can tigthen the bolt...
and only allowed to tighten is the one on camera side:
http://www.kolor.com/forum/t10399-loose-merlin-head

Georg

PS: with the sigma lens I also tried to use a 2x extender, but this was to asynchronus and head was slipping...
I used the original L-bracket to mount the sigma with its onboard mount on it... so far away from any possible NPP, but it worked because of distance ...
... and I used also a batterygrip on my canoneos400D with the sigma...

Last edited by gkaefer on Mon Mar 05, 2012 5:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[klausesser]

by klausesser » Mon Mar 05, 2012 7:25 pm

Tightening the bolt doesn't really work because then the movement is transfered to the clutch and the motors clutch doesn't really like weight of more than 3 pounds at the end of the straight plate. I would assume that the panogear doesn't work at all with DSLR's with battery grips unless the camera and lens are centered on the head.

Some time ago i used a counterweight to balance a D3x-body and 300mm lens on Merlin. This way you might set the vertical torque to near-zero . .
Worked fine.

best, Klaus

[bfawcett]

by bfawcett » Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:22 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. The counterweight idea was the best solution at this time. You can see my setup here: http://www.ultimatearchivist.com/panogear.jpg

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:31 pm

Thanks for the suggestions. The counterweight idea was the best solution at this time. You can see my setup here: http://www.ultimatearchivist.com/panogear.jpg

dont know what other merlin users think about your image...
... but my personal feeling is that such a cam&lens should be without problem be used on merlins without counterweights and without slipping away.
I would unmoutn the plastic covers to get access to the bolts on both sides and I would tighten the screw mm per mm on camera side until the merlin can hold the wheight and verifying with the handcontroller the movement is not blocked by tithning...
Georg

Last edited by gkaefer on Thu Mar 08, 2012 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[klausesser]

by klausesser » Fri Mar 09, 2012 12:21 am

... but my personal feeling is that such a cam&lens should be without problem be used on merlins without counterweights and without slipping away.
I would unmoutn the plastic covers to get access to the bolts on both sides and I would tighten the screw mm per mm on camera side until the merlin can hold the wheight and verifying with the handcontroller the movement is not blocked by tithning...

Agree! I often used a 1,4/85mm Nikon and 5D2 on Merlin - no problem. In 3 years i tightened the screw several times. You also can replace the clutch-material.
A counterweight is used with a 300mm lens.

best, Klaus

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Fri Mar 09, 2012 1:23 am

see also here, a more detailed explanation on how to...:
http://www.kolor.com/forum/t8212-counterbalaning-the-lens

Pauls Link to the image does no longer work correctly, you may email him maybe he has/know another source of the image...

Liebe Gruesse,
Georg

[bfawcett]

by bfawcett » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:17 am

thanks Georg and Klaus for your info. My unit is very new and when I slightly tighten the nut on the head, the slippage occurs against the motor, you can hear it winding as it slips. So my preference is to back off the nut tightening (return it factory default as I received it) and counterbalance. It may not be pretty but it works.

The canon nodal on the 16-35 is around the red ring so that particular lens is a problem. Not really very usable at the 16mm position other than a 1 row pano which you can almost do without the panogear.

I would like to try a 24mm 1.4L but again it's a heavy lens in combo with the 5D... but I would imagine the camera position would be much more centered. Anyone have experience with the 24mm or 35mm L-primes? I will be testing a 100mm with tripod collar in a week, hope that no counter-balancing will be necessary.

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Sat Mar 10, 2012 12:41 am

thanks Georg and Klaus for your info. My unit is very new and when I slightly tighten the nut on the head, the slippage occurs against the motor, you can hear it winding as it slips. So my preference is to back off the nut tightening (return it factory default as I received it) and counterbalance. It may not be pretty but it works.

The canon nodal on the 16-35 is around the red ring so that particular lens is a problem. Not really very usable at the 16mm position other than a 1 row pano which you can almost do without the panogear.

I would like to try a 24mm 1.4L but again it's a heavy lens in combo with the 5D... but I would imagine the camera position would be much more centered. Anyone have experience with the 24mm or 35mm L-primes? I will be testing a 100mm with tripod collar in a week, hope that no counter-balancing will be necessary.

sorry for insisting ;-) just wanna be sure: may it be possible you shoot an image of your closed head and that you mark on the image the part which you did tighten?
(if its the wrong of two possible choices it explains your description and if its the correct choice than I would strong suggest you give the new head back to shop!)

and yes of course - tighten the nut so you can hear the winding or even worse that moving gets blocked is the most worst case and can damage the head - so loosing the nut again is not the badest idea ;-) ...

Liebe Gruesse,
Georg

Last edited by gkaefer on Sat Mar 10, 2012 1:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

[bfawcett]

by bfawcett » Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:46 pm

Georg, This is the nut I slightly tightened as instructed by Kolor staff. http://www.budfawcett.com/IMG_0294.jpg

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Thu Mar 15, 2012 9:20 pm

Georg, This is the nut I slightly tightened as instructed by Kolor staff. http://www.budfawcett.com/IMG_0294.jpg

ok this one I did also tithened on my Merlin.

I would contact the shop/support where you bought the Merlin/panohead. In my eyes this is no normal behavior.
Georg

[klausesser]

by klausesser » Thu Mar 15, 2012 10:28 pm

Georg, This is the nut I slightly tightened as instructed by Kolor staff. http://www.budfawcett.com/IMG_0294.jpg

ok this one I did also tithened on my Merlin.

I would contact the shop/support where you bought the Merlin/panohead. In my eyes this is no normal behavior.
Georg

Wouldn´t i be the opposite nut (behind the cover)?

best, Klaus

[gkaefer]

by gkaefer » Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:39 am

Georg, This is the nut I slightly tightened as instructed by Kolor staff. http://www.budfawcett.com/IMG_0294.jpg

ok this one I did also tithened on my Merlin.

I would contact the shop/support where you bought the Merlin/panohead. In my eyes this is no normal behavior.
Georg

Wouldn´t i be the opposite nut (behind the cover)?

best, Klaus

? dont make me uncertain ? sorry if my memories are failing - 'm really unsure. and currently I cant test it for myself, did attach a velco take on my merlin, so cannot open it currently. Will remove it on weekend...

there was a so wunderful thread on the forum more than 1 or even 2 years ago with all needed images.... didnt find it.

Liebe Gruesse,
Georg

[klausesser]

by klausesser » Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:37 am

ok this one I did also tithened on my Merlin.

I would contact the shop/support where you bought the Merlin/panohead. In my eyes this is no normal behavior.
Georg

Wouldn´t i be the opposite nut (behind the cover)?

best, Klaus

? dont make me uncertain ? sorry if my memories are failing - 'm really unsure. and currently I cant test it for myself, did attach a velco take on my merlin, so cannot open it currently. Will remove it on weekend...

there was a so wunderful thread on the forum more than 1 or even 2 years ago with all needed images.... didnt find it.

Liebe Gruesse,
Georg

Hey Georg!

I´m also not certain - years ago i did it . . . .

best, Klaus