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®
QuickPan
Panoramic Tripod Head
User’s Guide - V1.2 - 12 Jan 2005
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QuickPan III / IV Panoramic Tripod Head Overview Welcome to the Kaidan QuickPan III / IV and Panoramic Photography Thank you for purchasing a Kaidan QuickPan III / IV Panoramic Tripod Head. This manual is designed to help you understand how to use your QuickPan III / IV to create quality panoramas. This document will be re- vised from time to time and updated versions can be downloaded from the QuickPan III / IV page on the Kaidan web site. QuickPan III / IV Overview The QuickPan III /
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The QuickPan III / IV Family Introducing the QuickPan III / IV Components Rotator Base (QuickPan L, III & IV) Standard Camera Bracket This heavy-duty design is lighter and more com- The Standard Camera Bracket is designed pact than previous models and the competition. to support most digital and film cameras in a The QuickPan bases employ interchangeable portrait orientation. Used primarily to shoot indexing ClickDiscs or rings that support various single-row cylindrical panoramas it is adjus
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QuickPan III Rotator Base How to install and remove the indexing rings and adjusting the indexing force Installing Removing Indexing Rings Indexing Rings On the lower portion of the 1) Slide the Indexing Ring onto black Indexing Ring, there is the Rotator Base from the bot- gold colored pin visible through tom, keeping the portion of the the hole in the side. Insert the Indexing Ring with the degree tip of a ball point pen or a pa- label facing up until it makes per clip end into the h
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QuickPan IV Rotator Base How to install and remove the indexing discs and adjusting the indexing force Installing Detent Discs 4) The new Detent Disc is installed by pushing it into the recessed area in the top 1) To install or change the of the Rotator Hub as shown Detent Discs simply loosen at left. the silver thumbscrew on the side of the black Rotator Silver 5) Replace the Horizontal Hub by turning it in a counter Thumbscrew Bracket Assembly into the clockwise direction. Do no
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QuickPan III / IV Rotator Base Tripod threaded bushing adapter The QuickPan III / IV Rotator Bases comes with a tripod adapter bushing which ac- commodates both 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch tripod mounts. 1/4 inch Tripod If your tripod has a 1/4 inch threaded mount, leave the brass bushing in the center hole in the bottom of the rotator as shown at right. 3/8 inch Tripod If your tripod has 3/8 inch threaded mount, remove the brass bushing by unscrewing it in a counterclockwise direction and sc
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Standard Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting Mounting your camera on the Standard Camera Bracket To mount your camera, first select Turn the inner knob into the cam- the appropriate slot in the Vertical era until it bottoms out, then turn Camera Bracket that will best the outer knob clockwise until locate the tripod mounting thread the camera is tight on the Vertical on your camera. You may need to Bracket. Don’t worry about get- reposition the Captive Camera ting the camera level at this time,
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Spherical Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting Mounting your camera on the Spherical Bracket The Spherical Camera Mounting be necessary to use one of the various Bracket has a rotating swing arm slots on the bracket. which is held into position by large black locking knob. The knob allows There are camera mounting shoes (flat you to position the arm and your shaped) and lugs (triangle shaped) that camera from plus 90 degrees to minus are provided for you to help locate 90 degrees . and position
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Camera Mounting - Standard Camera Bracket Mounting your camera on the camera brackets For the Standard Camera Bracket, complished by loosening the purple shown at right, select the appropriate knob and sliding the camera bracket slot in the bracket that will best locate in and out of the slider. Be sure to the tripod mounting thread on your tighten the knob to lock the bracket particular camera. You may need to re- in place. position the camera knob to another slot in order to achieve this.
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Camera Mounting - Compact Camera Bracket Mounting your camera on the camera brackets For the Compact Camera Bracket, is a task you’ll need to do when shown at right, select the ap- you’re ready to shoot. propriate mounting hle in the bracket that will best locate the The left-right adjustment to center tripod mounting thread on your your lens over the pivot point is particular camera. You may need accomplished by loosening the to reposition the camera knob to purple knob and sliding the ca
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QuickPan-L Rotator Using the QuickPan-L Rotator The QuickPan-L is a unique model position in degrees. The subsequent which has three concentric rings rows below the angular position of 24, 18 and 14 positions. There show the number of positions for are three corresponding plunger 24, 12, 8, 6, 4, 3 and 2 respectively. positions in the rotator cap. You can move the plunger from one The engraved number indexes position to another and select below the angular engraving on the any one of the t
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Nodal Point What is it and how do I find it? This is one of the most frequently about six inches away from your asked questions when it comes to open eye. Rock your head from stitcher-based panorama creation. side to side. Notice how your Once you understand the basics, finger moves with respect to you’ll be able to easily locate the the background. This relative nodal point for any camera and movement is due to the fact that lens combination. you’re not rotating your head around your eye’s
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Nodal Point (continued) What is it and how do I find it? Step 2: Fore-Aft Adjustment move with respect to each other as you rotate the pan from left to right. Slide the camera to the front This step is most easily or rear as required to eliminate accomplished out of doors. Find a vertical edge or line, such as a this relative movement. doorway or edge of a building. Position your camera and tripod Step 3: Record Your Results about 2-1/2 feet away, or as close as possible with the edge
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Nodal Point (continued) What is it and how do I find it? comes to the Fore-Aft adjustment, you won’t be able to look through the viewfinder to determine the proper setting since the viewfinder is a separate optical path that doesn’t really “see” the same image as the film. Instead, you’ll have to start with the bracket all the way to the front and take pairs of test shots. Each pair will have the vertically aligned objects in the left and then the right side of the viewfinder. After each
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Shooting Panoramas How do I begin? constantly repeats from shot to shot. You aligned with respect to rotation when How much Overlap? may need to experiment somewhat to viewed from the front (looking into the The amount you turn the camera for each obtain the best results. lens). shot varies. It is dependent on a number of factors such as the field of view (the angle) Taking the Photos This can happen because the camera is not of your camera and lens, as well as which When you’re ready to s
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Shooting Panoramas (continued) How do I begin? stairstepping of images as you progress rotation plane and the camera/CCD is not around the panorama. Stairstepping has rotated, slight variations in level as the head nothing to do with the state of the entire rotates is generally not a problem. head being level with respect to the horizon. This can be corrected by rotating As you shoot around the circle, try to all the images a slight amount in your avoid capturing any moving objects that a
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Warranty and Product Return Information Copyright © 2004 Kaidan, Inc. All Rights Reserved. First Edition, June 2002. QuickPan damages, or limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above exclusions their shipping company. is a trademark of Kaidan, Inc. Other products mentioned herein may be trademarks or limitations may not apply to you. This warranty and any claims which arise with the • If damages occur in shipping, customer must submit claim with shipping company of their resp
