Hi,
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I'm please to announced that since a year, I've done a lot of tests with photo equipment. The Nodal Ninja equipment was the main item of all my tests.
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When you enter into the particular area of panoramic photography, it is not always clear what equipment will bring the desired results. Given the significant investment required to purchase good cameras and lenses, it is important to make an informed choice . However, it is clear that after extensive research on the Internet, it is difficult to obtain complete information about it. Information on how to make a panoramic photograph is found quite easily, unlike the comparative information. So I undertook, in all modesty, to make a detailed test with different cameras and lenses, in order to be able to compare the results obtained with different cameras and lenses combinations, at different prices, depending on the budget. For this test, I focused my attention on fisheyes and wide-angle lenses. The presentation of the test results allows side- by-side comparisons, thus facilitating the choice depending on various criteria such as the type of camera, budget and quality rendering.
-
-
The panoramic photographs test is available vis the following links:
- http://quebecpanorama.com/en/kits
- http://quebecpanorama.com/en/kits/compare
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Initially, there is the choice of sites. The first site is the Church of Saint-Alphonse of Thetford Mines, which is suitable for such a test, because of its architecture, the colors and details. I chose to do the test in the evening to have a constant control of lighting and so facilitate the results comparison. The second site, the Redpath Museum of Natural History - McGill University in Montreal, for its part, has a beautiful architecture and different objects offering an interesting perspective. This test was done in a partially sunny day. The test at the second site is to corroborate the results obtained at the first site.
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-
Very large images are problematic, their loading time is too long. JPEG is a format called "destructive", mening it loses detail in the image while remaining within acceptable size limits of the final file. Saving images in jpeg format within a limit file size of 7000 pixels wide by 3500 pixels high, greatly reduces the quality of images to distribute. But this is the price to pay for a comfortable viewing of images. This also has the effect of attenuating a little difference between high-range and mid-range lenses. Reality makes that the Internet distribution of panoramic images is subject to this choice, so our test takes it into account.
-
For each site, a 6 hours photo shoot was required with 7 cameras and 17 lenses, as well as the Ricoh novelty. It should be noted that some lenses have been used with more than one camera, which allows to see the behavior of some lenses with a particular camera. Here are the details of the equipment used during the test:
-
Canon :
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Canon 8-15mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Samyang 8mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Sigma 8mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Sigma 15mm
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Sony :
- Sony A7r - Fujiyama 12mm
- Sony A7r - Rokinon 8mm
- Sony A7r - Samyang 8mm
- Sony A7r - Sigma 8mm
- Sony A7r - Sigma 15mm
- Sony Nex-7 - Madoka 7.3mm
- Sony Nex-7 - Samyang 8mm
- Sony A6000 - Rokinon 7.5mm lens
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Nikon :
- Nikon D800e - Lensbaby 12mm
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 8mm (old)
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 10.5mm
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 16mm
- Nikon D800e - Samyang 8mm
- Nikon D800e - Sigma 8mm
- Nikon D800e - Sigma 15mm
- Nikon D800e - Tokina 10-17mm
- Nikon D800e - Zeiss 15mm
- Nikon D5200 - Nikon 12.5mm
- Nikon D810 - Nikon 10.5mm
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Ricoh
- Ricoh Theta
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Here are the two panoramic heads most commonly used during the test.
-
Nodal Ninja Ultimate M1-L With RD16 II Rotator Panoramic Head
Nodal Ninja R1 Adjustable Tilt Ring Mount Package
-
-
I hope that the publication of this test will give to many photographers interested in the world of panoramic photography, the answers to several questions on the subject.
I invite you to view and compare the results.
Do not hesitate to contact me for any questions or comments.
-
Bernard Déry
[email protected]
-
I'm please to announced that since a year, I've done a lot of tests with photo equipment. The Nodal Ninja equipment was the main item of all my tests.
-

When you enter into the particular area of panoramic photography, it is not always clear what equipment will bring the desired results. Given the significant investment required to purchase good cameras and lenses, it is important to make an informed choice . However, it is clear that after extensive research on the Internet, it is difficult to obtain complete information about it. Information on how to make a panoramic photograph is found quite easily, unlike the comparative information. So I undertook, in all modesty, to make a detailed test with different cameras and lenses, in order to be able to compare the results obtained with different cameras and lenses combinations, at different prices, depending on the budget. For this test, I focused my attention on fisheyes and wide-angle lenses. The presentation of the test results allows side- by-side comparisons, thus facilitating the choice depending on various criteria such as the type of camera, budget and quality rendering.
-

The panoramic photographs test is available vis the following links:
- http://quebecpanorama.com/en/kits
- http://quebecpanorama.com/en/kits/compare
-
Initially, there is the choice of sites. The first site is the Church of Saint-Alphonse of Thetford Mines, which is suitable for such a test, because of its architecture, the colors and details. I chose to do the test in the evening to have a constant control of lighting and so facilitate the results comparison. The second site, the Redpath Museum of Natural History - McGill University in Montreal, for its part, has a beautiful architecture and different objects offering an interesting perspective. This test was done in a partially sunny day. The test at the second site is to corroborate the results obtained at the first site.
-

Very large images are problematic, their loading time is too long. JPEG is a format called "destructive", mening it loses detail in the image while remaining within acceptable size limits of the final file. Saving images in jpeg format within a limit file size of 7000 pixels wide by 3500 pixels high, greatly reduces the quality of images to distribute. But this is the price to pay for a comfortable viewing of images. This also has the effect of attenuating a little difference between high-range and mid-range lenses. Reality makes that the Internet distribution of panoramic images is subject to this choice, so our test takes it into account.
-
For each site, a 6 hours photo shoot was required with 7 cameras and 17 lenses, as well as the Ricoh novelty. It should be noted that some lenses have been used with more than one camera, which allows to see the behavior of some lenses with a particular camera. Here are the details of the equipment used during the test:
-
Canon :
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Canon 8-15mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Samyang 8mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Sigma 8mm
- Canon EOS 5D Mark III - Sigma 15mm
-
Sony :
- Sony A7r - Fujiyama 12mm
- Sony A7r - Rokinon 8mm
- Sony A7r - Samyang 8mm
- Sony A7r - Sigma 8mm
- Sony A7r - Sigma 15mm
- Sony Nex-7 - Madoka 7.3mm
- Sony Nex-7 - Samyang 8mm
- Sony A6000 - Rokinon 7.5mm lens
-
Nikon :
- Nikon D800e - Lensbaby 12mm
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 8mm (old)
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 10.5mm
- Nikon D800e - Nikon 16mm
- Nikon D800e - Samyang 8mm
- Nikon D800e - Sigma 8mm
- Nikon D800e - Sigma 15mm
- Nikon D800e - Tokina 10-17mm
- Nikon D800e - Zeiss 15mm
- Nikon D5200 - Nikon 12.5mm
- Nikon D810 - Nikon 10.5mm
-
Ricoh
- Ricoh Theta
-
Here are the two panoramic heads most commonly used during the test.
-
Nodal Ninja Ultimate M1-L With RD16 II Rotator Panoramic Head
Nodal Ninja R1 Adjustable Tilt Ring Mount Package
-


I hope that the publication of this test will give to many photographers interested in the world of panoramic photography, the answers to several questions on the subject.
I invite you to view and compare the results.
Do not hesitate to contact me for any questions or comments.
-
Bernard Déry
[email protected]