Panoramic QTVR

1. What is QTVR?
2. Can I create QTVR on both PC and Mac?
3. If I am using a 35mm camera how do I get my images downloaded onto my computer?
4. What is the Nodal Point?
5. How do I find the Nodal Point?
6. How many shots do I need to take to do my panorama?
7. What is the F.O.V.?
8. What is meant by the focal length?
9. Can I use a fisheye lens and is there a per-click fee?
10. If I am using a digital camera how do I get my images downloaded onto my computer?
11. Why should I mount the camera in the portrait mode?
12. Why do I need one of your panheads to do panoramas?
13. What are the benefits of using the QuickTilt™ Leveler?
14. What are the benefits of the KiWi+™ over the KiWi™-L?
15. I recently purchased a Nikon Coolpix 880 digital camera. Which of your panoramic tripod head products would best suit the use of my Nikon for panoramic photography?
16. I am new to QTVR and looking for an inexpensive way to get into it, what panhead do you recommend?
17. What software do I use too stitch my fisheye images together?
18. Can the KiWi 290 Panoramic Tripod Head for the Kodak DC 290 digital camera be used with a Kodak DC 265 camera?
19. Can the Nikon Coolpix 995 be used on the KW-990 panhead?
20. What heads support fisheye?
21. What do I need to do sphericals?
22. What software can handle sphericals?
23. What is a landscape bracket and what does it do?
24. Do I have to make sure that the panhead is level between each shot, or only at the beginning?
25. What kind of tripod should I use?
26. We bought a Kaidan QuickPan Magnum and need to attach it to a Bogen 3036 tripod, but the threaded post hole on the magnum is to small for the tripod.The directions say I need a different base plate, how do I get this?
27. Does the QuickPan™ Magnum support the Nikon D1?
28. Do I need different discs than those that are included with the KiWi™ Plus?
29. Does the KiWi™-L or KiWi™ Plus support the CoolPix 990?
30. Do you offer a complete solution for someone who wants to do panos and virtual tours for real estate?
31. Will the KiWi™ Spherical work with any camera?
32. I have a Bogen Tripod with a quick disconnect mount. Is it OK to mount my Quick Tilt leveler and my 990 Panoramic Tripod Head on this type of mount or should I go with a straight screw in mount?
33. Can I use detent disks with Kiwi™-L? If not, what should I do to upgrade my Kiwi™-L?
34. I just got the fisheye lens and I'm wondering how many pictures are needed if I use my Nikon CP990 at the fisheye2 setting?
35. What is a rectilinear lens?
36. Will the KW-700/800 work with the CoolPix 880?
37. What camera do I need to use to do QTVR panoramas?
38. What is required to create Cubic VR?

Answers

1. QTVR is an enhanced version of the QuickTime™ standard developed by Apple for displaying multimedia content on computers. This gives you the ability to display and rotate objects in three dimensions and view panoramas, i.e. architectural interiors. [back]
   
   
2. Yes you can. Even though software such as Apple's QuickTime™ Authoring Studio is Mac specific, there are other software companies such as VR ToolBox™ that offer solutions such as The VR Worx™, which is cross-platformed. [back]
   
   
3. First have the film developed and then scan the developed film onto your computer using one of the various film scanners that are available, or when you have the film developed have the images put on a Photo CD which you can then load onto your computer. (Note:When you have the images put on a Photo CD request to leave the exposure alone and not perform a auto adjustment) You can also have prints made, then scan them on a flatbed scanner onto the computer. [back]
   
   
4. The nodal point is the optical center of the lens where the light rays entering the camera lens converge and flip over. [back]
   
   
5. There are 5 easy steps to finding the Nodal Point:
   
• STEP 1: THE EASY PART - THE SIDE-TO-SIDE ADJUSTMENT
  Once your camera is fastened to your pan head, move to the front of the unit so you're looking into the lens. The center of the lens should be directly over the pivot axis of the pan head. Adjust the side-to-side adjustment so the lens is centered over the pivot.
  
  
• STEP 2: THE SLIGHTLY HARDER PART - FORE-AFT ADJUSTMENT
  This step is most easily accomplished out of doors. Find a vertical edge or line, such as a doorway or edge of a building. Position your camera and tripod about four feet away, or as close as possible with the edge still in focus when you look through the viewfinder. Looking through the camera's viewfinder, find another vertical edge or line that is far away, such as another building or telephone pole. Align the two objects and rotate the pan head so they are in the left hand side of the viewfinder.
  
  Rotate the pan head so the two objects move over to the right hand side of the viewfinder. Unless you've managed to unwittingly locate the right position, you should notice the two objects will move with respect to each other as you rotate the pan from left to right. Slide the camera to the front or rear as required to eliminate this relative movement. It may help to first locate the camera all the way to the front or rear and then move it a little bit at a time. This way you'll more readily see the parallax effect and notice how it improves as you slide the bracket. [back]
  
  
• STEP 3: LEVEL THE CAMERA
  Once you have located the fore-aft position, you now must level the camera. If your camera has a flash hot shoe, you can use a bubble level designed to slide into the shoe. You should be able get these at a good photographic supply store. Kaidan also has these levels for sale at competitive prices.
  
  
• STEP 4: RECORD YOUR RESULTS
  After you've discovered the two location dimensions, be sure to record the settings. Kaidan panheads have convenient indicator scales for this purpose. These numbers represent the nodal point for this given camera and lens combination. If you change cameras or lenses, this procedure may have to be repeated.
  
  
• STEP 5: HOW ABOUT RANGEFINDER CAMERAS?
  A rangefinder camera is a camera where you look through a separate viewfinder and not through the actual lens (such as an Apple QuickTake) The process is basically the same. Locate the Side-to-Side adjustment as discussed in Step 1. When 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 Òsee" 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 pair of photos, slide the bracket rearward and repeat the process. Slide the bracket the same increment each time (i.e. 10mm). Be sure to record the scale setting for each pair of images. Process the film, or in the case of digital cameras, download the images to your computer. At the end of this process you will be able locate the pair of images with the least relative movement. If no single image is optimum, you may need to interpolate between two images to find the closest value. [back]
  
  
6. This all depends on the size of the lens, (i.e.field-of-view), you are using on your camera. Of course the wider the field-of-view of the lens, the fewer shots you will have to take. Each image should overlap with the next image by up to 50% (or at least between 30 and 50%). Also check the manual that was included with the stitching software you are using for their recommended shots per revolution and also check the manual that came with the camera or the documentation to any add-on lens that you are using to find out the field-of-view. [back]
   
   
7. F.O.V. is short for field-of-view. There is both a H.V.O.V, (horizontal field-of-view) and V.F.O.V. (vertical field-of-view).  35mm cameras produce rectangular pictures (36 x 24mm negatives) and therefore the field of view is greater for the longer dimension. Generally when someone refers ambiguously to the field of view of a 35mm image they are referring to the field of view along the longer of the two dimensions, regardless of which way up the camera is oriented (portrait or landscape). [back]
   
   
8. The focal length is the distance between the optical center of the lens and the rear focal point when the lens is focused on infinity. Focal length determines both the magnification and angle of view that can be taken with the lens. [back]
   
   
9. Yes you can use a fisheye lens. In using the Kaidan Panoramic Tripod Heads that support fisheye lenses, there are no per-click fees. [back]
   
   
10. With digital cameras once you take your pictures the images are stored on some kind of removable media, i.e. Compact Flash™ cards, Smart Media™ cards or in the case of Sony™ cameras, a Memory Stick™. The removable media is then taken out of the camera and inserted into a card reader, (which is connected to the computer), and then the images can be downloaded onto the computer. Another way is to have the camera itself connected to the computer via a serial or FireWire cable and download the images directly into the computer in using the software that is included with the camera. [back]
    
    
11. By mounting the camera in the portrait mode, it will give you a greater vertical field-of-view in your finished panorama. In other words you will be able to view more up and down. [back]
    
    
12. When doing QTVR panoramas there are certain requirements. Kaidan panoramic tripod heads address all these issues.
    a)They allow for adjustment  to locate the camera's nodal point.
    b)They orient the camera in the portrait mode so that you get a greater field-of- view
    c)They allow you to shoot in precise increments so that you have the proper amount of overlap of images required for the stitching software. [back]
    
    In the case of our camera specific brackets, there is no need to figure out the nodal point because the camera mounting points are already designed into the brackets, for example, the Kiwi 990. [back]
    
    
13. In doing QTVR panoramas the panhead must be level. The QuickTilt™ Leveler will speed up the process of leveling the panhead at each node. If you don't have a leveling feature on your tripod and don't have the QuickTilt™ Leveler, you will have to adjust the length of the tripod legs at each node. As you are leveling on two planes with the three tripod legs, this can be difficult and time consuming. The QuickTilt™ Leveler is mounted between the panhead and the tripod. Once mounted you can level your unit by adjusting the thumbwheels on the QuickTilt™ Leveler. [back]
    
    
14. The Kiwi™ Plus comes with interchangeable detent discs from, that give you precise click-stops while rotating the panhead without having to look at the degree label on the lower part of the panhead like you have to on the Kiwi™-L. [back]
    
    
15. If you don't currently own any Kaidan panheads, the solution would be the Kiwi™ 880. If you already own the Kiwi™ 990 you can purchase the Kiwi™ 880 Upgrade Kit which consists of a plastic slider-adapter, lens location label and a camera knob. This camera specific product has the nodal points for different lenses already designed into it and also comes with the required click stop discs. [back]
    
    
16. If you are new to QTVR I would recommend our entry level panhead the Kiwi™-L. You can always upgrade later on to our higher end Kiwi™ Plus panhead. Both panheads will accommodate small size cameras in the 35mm range. If you are using a larger camera you will want to use the QPX-2. [back]
    
    
17. The only software available to stitch fisheye images together is iSeeMedia's Photovista, (stitching five images), and the freeware, Helmut Dersch's PT Tools. [back]
    
    
18. Yes it can. You can use the DC 260, DC 265 and the DC 290 on the Kiwi™ 290 Panoramic Tripod Head. All three of these have the same nodal point. [back]
    
    
19. Yes, only with the Kiwi™ 995 Upgrade Kit which is now available from Kaidan.
    Note: The Coolpix 995 has a different nodal point than the Coolpix 990. [back]
    
    
20. Currently the Kiwi™ 880, Kiwi™ 990 and Kiwi™ 995 panheads. [back]
    
    
21. You would need to use one of the multi-row spherical panheads, the Kiwi™ Spherical or the QuickPan™ Spherical, and REALVIZ Stitcher software. [back]
    
    
22. REALVIZ Stitcher and Helmut Dersch's PT Tools. [back]
    
    
23. The landscape bracket mounts the camera in the landscape mode on your panhead. In that position you will need to take fewer shots per revolution but you sacrifice the wide up and down field-of-view you would get if you were to mount the camera in the portrait position. Some photographers who are doing outside landscapes and don't want a lot of the sky in their shots use the landscape bracket for just that reason. We recommend shooting in portrait mode. [back]
    
    
24. You only have to level the panhead once, right before your first shot and not between each shot. [back]
    
    
25. A sturdy tripod, preferably a unit that has a well supported centerpost. 1/4-20 threaded posts are found on most tripods. If your tripod has a larger threaded post, then it is most likely a 3/8-16 thread, which is more common in Europe. Contact Kaidan for more information on obtaining a base plate that has the 3/8-16 thread. Or, alternatively, you can use an adapter plate. These are commonly available at photographic equipment supply stores. [back]
    
    
26. You can return the base and retain the camera bracket portion of the unit. Follow the product return instructions in your users manual. Once we receive the unit back, a 3/8-16 lower plate can be installed in place of the 1/4-20 lower plate. Or, alternatively, you can use an adapter plate. These are commonly available at photographic equipment supply stores. [back]
    
    
27. Yes it does. If you are using an add-on lens that is unusually heavy we recommend the QPCK-1 (QuickPan™ Counterweight Kit) which is an accessory for the QuickPan™ Magnum. [back]
    
    
28. The Kiwi™ Plus comes with the standard detent discs necessary for most camera and lens combination. If you need a different detent disc we do offer 2-22 position stops. Consult your stitching software manual for the recommended shots per revolution for particular lens. [back]
    
    
29. Yes. However, it will not support fisheye lenses. [back]
    
    
30. We offer Real Estate Kits that include the Kiwi™ +, the Kiwi™290 for the Kodak DC 290 camera, or the Kiwi™ 990 for the Nikon Coolpix 990 along with either Apples QuickTime VR Authoring Studio or iSeeMedia PhotoVista Virtual Tour. [back]
    
    
31. As long as the center of the lens to the tripod mounting surface is 2-1/8" or less and it is a lightweight camera, for example the Nikon Coolpix 990. If you have bigger camera, you will need the QuickPan™ Spherical. [back]
    
    
32. Yes it is okay to use a quick disconnect mount from your tripod on the QuickTilt™ Leveler with the Kiwi™ 990 mounted on it. [back]
    
    
33. No you cannot use detent discs with the Kiwi™-L. To upgrade to the Kiwi™ Plus you can purchase the KW/KW+ Upgrade. [back]
    
    
34. When using the Nikon FC-E8 on the CP990 in the fisheye 2 mode setting you will need to take 5 shots. [back]
    
    
35. A rectilinear lens is a lens which produces an image in which lines that appear straight to the human eye appear straight in the image. A normal lens has an angle of view more or less like what you see with your eyes. Nearly all lenses that are 35mm and above fall into this group. Wide angle lenses will capture more than our eye can see so therefore it will produce some distortion. A wide angle lens has the effect  of extending the field of vision into the periphery and exaggerating the sense of depth. [back]
    
    
36. No. You will need to go with the Kiwi™880, which consists of the Kiwi™ 990 panhead and the Kiwi™ 880 Upgrade Kit. [back]
    
    
37. To do QTVR you can use most 35mm and digital cameras. [back]
    
    
38. To do cubic VR, you can use most cameras, a Kaidan Spherical panhead, either the Kiwi™+ Spherical or QuickPan™ Spherical, a sturdy tripod, your computer and REALVIZ's Stither software. [back]

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