Now that we know what a panoramic head is and why it is almost essential to own a 360° panoramic head (Spherical) and not a cylindric one, we'll review all panoramic heads on the market - manual or motorized. For some of them, it will be possible to access my detailed review later...
Here is an almost exhaustive list of the spherical panoramic heads that can be used to make virtual tours, possibly complete ones and even gigapixel for some of them:
I recommend you three spherical manual panoramic heads: 1 - You need a compact and light head to go hiking or walking: you need the new head Bushman Panoramic Gobi! 2 - The heads Nodal Ninja 3 Mk3 or 6: very well designed, rather light, stable and even very stable for NN6, very well manufactured, for not too heavy equipment (Canon 5D, Nikon D610 or D850 and lighter bodies + fisheye lenses). 3 - If you own a rather heavy body and you like good mechanics, I recommend you the new and very beautiful Cambo CLH 500 (spherical) and Nodal Ninja Ultimate M1 /M2 that I just reviewed... 4 - To work very fast or on a pole, I like heads Nodal Ninja RS1 but an NN3 can also do the trick while being more versatile.
And two spherical motorized panoramic heads: 1 - The motorized head Gigapan Epic Pro for its stability (two U-shaped arms), full battery life, built-in computer. 2 - The brilliant head Roundshot VR Drive II. Top-range but expensive.
Bushman Panoramic Gobi head
This new Gobi panoramic head, by Bushman Panoramic possesses at once three obvious assets: it's very well manufactured - materials and finishing -, it's very light since it only weighs 320 grs and it's super compact since it fits in your hand! It won't take a lot of space in your photobag or even in your pocket. It's not the more stable on the market but this is of no importance regarding its qualities...
Light enough, the Nodal Ninja3 and 6 heads are spherical heads. The matter of stability when the camera is placed in overhang is thus raised. They're mostly dedicated to point-and-shoot cameras or to light reflex cameras like the Canon Eos 700 D, 70 D or 5D Mark III or even the Nikon D7100 or D610. They're also not bulky at all and well thought. They take very few space in a camera bag.
There are several posiioners: MKII, simple rotator, R-D3L , RD-16.
The model NN3 Mk3 is light and versatile if you have a pole and the NN6 is always very stable. My favorite panoramic heads!
* RD-10: 120°, 90°, 60°, 45°, 36°, 30°, 24°, 20°, 18°, 15°, 12°, 10°, 7,5°, 5°, 3,75°.
The weight depends on the presence of a RD rotator.
It also varies depending on the model of rotator, RD-10.
Buy it from...
Nodal Ninja 3 Mk3
Price in € with VAT
Retailer
€235,00 *
Buy it from...
Nodal Ninja 6 + RD-10
Price in €
Retailer
€427.35 *
Nodal Ninja Ultimate M1 or M2 heads
These new panoramic heads by the Company Fanotec (Nodal Ninja) are competitors of Manfrotto 303 SPH and Cambo CLH-500 heads. I think it's the reference spherical panoramic head for heavy equipment. Universal, very stable and well-manufactured and thought. Very few defects or disadvantages.
* Nb of notches: 120°, 90°, 60°, 45°, 36°, 30°, 24°, 20°, 18 °, 15°, 12°, 10°, 7.5°, 6°, 5°, 3.75° . ** Nb of nocthes: 30°, 15°, 6 °, 5°, 4 , 3°, 2.5°, 2°.
Buy it from...
NN Ultimate M1 + RD16
Price
Retailer
$629.95
Buy it from...
Nodal Ninja Ultimate M2
Price in €
Retailer
$699.95
Manfrotto 303 SPH Panoramic head
The model Manfrotto 303 SPH is the spherical model from Manfrotto. This head, quite heavy, is thus more appropriate to big bodies like the EOS 1DS Mark III with a 50mm. Anyway, I avoid to add it an open wide-angle 2.8 zoom lens!
I often work with this head to make high definition virtual tours (at least 128 photos) as for the realization of the virtual tour for the galerie Dorée of Banque de France.
* Nb of notches: 90°, 60°, 45°, 36°, 30°, 24°, 20°, 15°, 10°, 5°.
Buy from...
Manfrotto 303 SPH
Price
Retailer
$531.90
$542.90
Novoflex VR panoramic head
There are two types of heads: cylindric VR-System and spherical VR-Pro. It is thus this second one that interests us here. It is especially well manufactured - in the vein of Arca Suiss for connoisseurs! It is adjustable, not too heavy but very stable because well designed. Then, it can be dismounted but Caution! the vertical arm can't turn over, easily at least.
There are several notches bases among which a top-range PANORAMA=Q PRO.
* Several bases: never bulky
PANORAMA:
not notched
PANORAMA=Q: not notched
PANORAMA=Q6-8: 60°, 45°.
PANORAMA=Q PRO: 60°, 45°, 36°, 30°, 24°, 20°, 18°, 15 °, 10°.
The weight depends on the presence of a rotator.
It also varies depending on the rotator.
Novoflex VR-Slant head
This new spherical head was meant to be used with a full-frame fisheye lens (with the photo filling the frame). The sensor's diagonal then covers 180°. In order to use this embraced field of view as much as possible, Noveoflex engineers had the good idea to tilt the camera body's plate on 30°. The diagonal of the camera is then directed vertically! This way, in four or six photos, you can theoretically shoot from the floor to the ceiling. Caution though! it means no overlap. This head is thus only for photographers who want to work fast and are ready to make punctual edits to zenith and nadir, though less than with the classic method.
* The base isn't notched, you have to turn the head, preferably fastened on a monopod, manually while looking through the viewfinder.
Agnos panoramic heads
Agnos offers very numerous accessories to fasten lenses at the entrance pupils and quite light yet rather expensive panoramic heads that can't be dismounted. Agnos also offers an interesting telescopic pole and a notched base RotatorTBase.
One of the cheapest panoramic heads on the market, the head Pano-Maxx is a spherical head. The question of stability when you place the camera in overhang is thus asked, moreover, it is quite light. It is mainly dedicated to point-and-shoot or light reflex cameras like the Canon Eos 700D, 70D or even the Nikon D5300, D7100. It is also particularly not bulky and well-designed. It takes really few space in a photo bag.
The panoramic heads 360Precision are spherical heads. They're very well designed. Both heads 360precsion are made for rather light bodies for the model Adjust (1) and for all other heads for the model Absolute (2). The model Adjust possesses sliding stages. I notice that this head was chosen by my friend Eric Rougier - FromParis.com - which can't be a random choice. The model Absolute, as for itself, is tailor-made. It is made so that the user doesn't have to look for the entrance pupil of his lens. You thus have to order the model according to your pair camera/lens. It enables, I guess, to improve the overall stability since this models fits big bodies, but it is detrimental to versatility you're looking for when you're stitching panoramas on one range. The model Absolute is thus a tailor-made model which requires to specify the body model and the lens used when placing the order. Caution! the vertical arm can't turn over
This new panoramic head by the company Cambo possesses two obvious qualities at once: it is wonderfully manufactured - materials and finishing - and very robust! Finally a spherical panoramic head heavy indeed but very functional and on which you can fasten almost anything you want. Excellent equipment!
Now reviewed on this site...
$939.00
|
Buy from...
Cambo CLH 500
Price in €
Retailer
$939.00
Really Right Stuff heads
Not too heavy in spite of their stability, the heads Really Right Stuff are very well designed. The manufacturing quality is top-range. The Ultimate Pro version, spherical, can visibly handle without any problem a body like a D300 or a Canon 5D and enables thanks to a tailor-made L-shaped plate to fasten the camera horizontally or vertically. It is very convenient to make a vertical panoramic photography on one range in addition to the classic 360 ° × 180°. The vertical arm can also easily be turned over 180° to shoot the nadir easily.
The L-Plate versions enable to mount a cylindric panoramic head around any digital camera body, even an impressive one, for a very reasonable bulkiness hence without an unbalancing overhang. Interesting equipment even if it lacks a notched rotator! The stages are compatible Nodal Ninja Ultimate, hence its rotators.
This new panoramic head by the company Bushman Panoramic possesses two obvious qualities at once: it is very well manufactured - materials and finishing - and very light since it only weighs 380 grs! It won't take much space in your photo bag or jacket. It is unfortunately detrimental to stability but at this level of lightness, it its hard to do better...
The panoramic heads Kaidan - QuickPan Professionnal and Kiwi - enable to make classic panoramas as well as complete spherical ones. There are numerous models that can adapt to little and light cameras or even heavier models. The new model QuickPan Pro to be released soon sounds promising. Kaidan website
Panosaurus panoramic heads
Although also light, Panosaurus heads seem mainly aimed at point-and-shoot or particularly light reflex cameras. It doesn't really fill me with anything, I have to admit, having had one in my hands on one occasion.Panosaurus website
The fixed heads Nodal Ninja Ultimate R are very specific because they're mostly for users of circular fisheye lenses (8mm in 24x36). A ring of the diameter of your lens enables to fasten the set camera/lens easily on the panoramic head... This head is really not convenient to direct the camera towards the zenith or the nadir, even if the RS1 enables to tilt the body. Then you're far from the entrance pupil...
* depending on the options
Price and weight vary depending on the options: with or without RD rotator.
Nodal Ninja RS1 and RS2 fixed heads
The fixed heads Nodal Ninja RS1 and RS2 are a mix between a head NN 3 or NN 4 and a R10. You thus need a fisheye lens ring to fasten your camera in the tilting axis of the head. It is, according to me, one of the best solutions to fasten your camera on top of a pole if you shoot at least your 360x180° in eight photos.
Gigapan motorized heads are among best value for money on the market. They're very easy to use, very pleasant and above all, very powerful. Remarkable tools. The model Epic Pro possesses two vertical arms for a better stability. To mount directly on a robust tripod. Nowadays, their main limit is the lack of a radio or bluetooth remote control. But I notice that the firmware is regularly updated... Their program is now available in different languages!
The motorized head VR Drive II by Roundshot, is built on a Novoflex base, which tells a lot about the irreproachable quality. One of the best mtorized heads on the market is also the most expensive!
Motorized double-axis;
Very powerful engines;
Very quick shooting mode;
Full touch sensitive control module!
POssibilities "almost"infinite... Video, HDR, Time-lapse modes, etc.
But not completely spherical!
Expensive but wonderful: accurate, stable, with long battery life, fast, versatile. Top-class!
"Find the nodal point or no parallax point accurately in less than an hour"... whether you are photographing a simple panorama or a 360° photo - PDF of 100 pages -More information...
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