[NaClH2O]

I've got a problem. I want to create radial multiple exposures around the central axis of the lens mounted on the camera. The pic below was taken hand held, I'd like a steadier platform and one where the central point was exactly the same in each exposure iteration. As you can see, the center point bounced around a bit and in addition if I didn't have to hand hold the camera, I could precisely rotate it to get a full exact 360 view. The only way I can figure it out is to get some sort of L bracket where you can situate it so that the tripod mount is directly behind the camera body on the center axis of the camera. I've looked around a bit but haven't found anything on either Adorama or B&H. Does anyone know of such a bracket? Or does anyone know of a different way of doing this?

[IMG][/IMG]

NaCl(it's a fun technique but would be much more effective with a steadier and more precise platform)H2O

[Heebie]

I think you can get "gimbal" style mounts that will do what you want as long as you adjust it right.
The potential difficulty here is that the central point you need to keep centered is *NOT* in the camera body, it's in the lens. If you have a lens that has a mounting collar on it (like a 70-200 f2.8 will) that collor will be positioned in the right spot on the lens that you want to keep steady.
It's the point in the lens where the light coming in crosses from one side of the centre line of the lens to the other... there's a technical term for it, but I cannot recall it right now. (Focal Point??)
With a good gimbal or panoramic mount, you can mount the camera far enough "back" into the mount so put THAT point of your lens in dead centre up, down, left, right front and back. Then the centre will "hold" better.

Unless you want the central part of the flower to remain in essentially the same place in every shot, then the central point of the flower must be the point that everything revolves around.... and that would involve some significant euclidean geometry... or possibly a metre rule (or yardstick) that you can use to make sure you keep a straight line down the lens from the body to the central point of the flower. There will still be some "movement" but it should be lessened.

You could use a 4-way macro focusing rail, and something else on top of that like a gimbal, and lots of adjustments to make sure you keep the lines straight, and that you have reproducible positioning. (start at the centre point left to to right and the lowest point up & down, and use the rules on the macro focusing rails to determine how far left, right, up & down you move the camera for each successive shot, always making sure your central focus point in the camera is exactly on the centre of the flower, or using some very stable, solid stick/pole to check that you have things lined up correctly... doesn't sound like fun.

Some of the fancier gimbals and/or camera stabilisers might even be able to automatically keep the camera pointed at the same point for you... probably not cheap for something like that.

I hope that's intelligible!

[Arjay Bee]

Or do the shot in post by using multiple rotated transparent layers

[interested_observer]

Try a Panorama Head like the Nodal Ninja. If you use something like the rotator, set to a specific amount of angular movement, you will come back to the same place on successive movements. You can also use a L Bracket to have the camera body in landscape orientation.

You Tube

You Tube

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Last edited by interested_observer; 05-29-2017 at 08:45 PM.

[NaClH2O]

I think you can get "gimbal" style mounts that will do what you want as long as you adjust it right.
The potential difficulty here is that the central point you need to keep centered is *NOT* in the camera body, it's in the lens. If you have a lens that has a mounting collar on it (like a 70-200 f2.8 will) that collor will be positioned in the right spot on the lens that you want to keep steady.
It's the point in the lens where the light coming in crosses from one side of the centre line of the lens to the other... there's a technical term for it, but I cannot recall it right now. (Focal Point??)
With a good gimbal or panoramic mount, you can mount the camera far enough "back" into the mount so put THAT point of your lens in dead centre up, down, left, right front and back. Then the centre will "hold" better.

Unless you want the central part of the flower to remain in essentially the same place in every shot, then the central point of the flower must be the point that everything revolves around.... and that would involve some significant euclidean geometry... or possibly a metre rule (or yardstick) that you can use to make sure you keep a straight line down the lens from the body to the central point of the flower. There will still be some "movement" but it should be lessened.

You could use a 4-way macro focusing rail, and something else on top of that like a gimbal, and lots of adjustments to make sure you keep the lines straight, and that you have reproducible positioning. (start at the centre point left to to right and the lowest point up & down, and use the rules on the macro focusing rails to determine how far left, right, up & down you move the camera for each successive shot, always making sure your central focus point in the camera is exactly on the centre of the flower, or using some very stable, solid stick/pole to check that you have things lined up correctly... doesn't sound like fun.

Some of the fancier gimbals and/or camera stabilisers might even be able to automatically keep the camera pointed at the same point for you... probably not cheap for something like that.

I hope that's intelligible!

Thanks Heebie. What I'm looking for is a bracket with the tripod mount situated directly behind the camera so I can set it up so that the center line axis of the lens (and yes, it's the lens center line I need not the camera center line, I should have been more clear). I'm not sure that a gimbal head would give me that flexibility. As far as the rest of it goes, I don't think I'll need a yard stick or anything like that. I have a geared head that allows for minute micro adjustments so I should be able to exactly center the camera on the center line axis of the lens, but it's getting the tripod attachment point from the bottom of the camera to the centerline axis of the lens that is the problem. It also doesn't have to be exact exact, because multiple exposures will allow for some slight off center sloppiness. Just not the 1/4 inch or so exhibited in the explanatory photo.

NaCl(it's a difficult problem)H2O

---------- Post added 05-30-17 at 12:10 AM ----------

Or do the shot in post by using multiple rotated transparent layers

I may have to go this route Arjay, but I'm hoping there is an "in the field" solution. My photoshop skills are not that good, and I can see myself spending many minutes in PP work, whereas in field situation shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

NaCl(in addition I'm not particularly fond of PP work)H2O

[RAART]

Macro rail should solve the problem... This will move back the axis of the camera and the rest will do your geared head. The video bellow is just example of the Neewer Pro 4 way macro rail but you have other manufacturers like Manfrotto that have 2 way macro rails.

I still did not quiet get what you try to achieve but I think even hand holding and later in Photoshop stack those images as panorama will yield the desired results as it will center and overlap the images... search on youtube for some tutorials in this matter.

Youtu.be

Youtu.be

[alfa75ts]

The only way I can figure it out is to get some sort of L bracket

Correct, you need an L bracket attached to the camera tripod mount and up the back of the camera to a pivot at the height of the lens centre line. A second L bracket back down to the tripod could be used (ie. two brackets back to back).

You could use an Arca Swiss L bracket and a rotator which would give you height adjustment plus a bearing or as the height will not change you could just use 2 small cheap steel shelf brackets from the hardware, drill a hole through each at the pivot height and a hole in each bast for the camera and the tripod.

The only other option I can think of would be a massive ring bearing mounted to the tripod with the camera suspended in the centre, but I wouldn't go there.

[Nuno Almeida]

L bracket turned to the back of the camera, ball head on tripod, vertical orientation on the ball head, not super precise, but should work

[atlrob]

L bracket turned to the back of the camera, ball head on tripod, vertical orientation on the ball head, not super precise, but should work

How about a Lazy Susan type of device where the camera is fixed but you turn the subject(flower}

ROB

[Nuno Almeida]

How about a Lazy Susan type of device where the camera is fixed but you turn the subject(flower}

ROB

Would work for pot flowers, a little bit harder if they are stuck on the ground, could always rent a satellite....

[atlrob]

Would work for pot flowers, a little bit harder if they are stuck on the ground, could always rent a satellite....

That's a thought.

ROB

[abruzzi]

How about a Lazy Susan type of device where the camera is fixed but you turn the subject(flower}

ROB

Or a lazy susan with a hole in the middle, the flower under the hole, a 45 degree mirror above the hole, and the camera on the lazy susan pointed at the mirror.