Micro focusing rail for panorama shift photography

[Winedemonium]

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I just bought the 28mm PC-Super Angulon-R, which I intend to use on the M(-P)240 with the R adaptor M.

 

In this very useful thread on the subject, Chris Tribble suggests two products that allow for precise panorama use of this lens using a rail. This one at Amazon is the closest thing I can find. I can't find anything on B&H. 

 

Does anyone have any product suggestions? 

 

Specifically what I want to do is what Manolo Laguillo describes in post #8 - as follows: 

 

If you shift the lens sideways, the point of view changes.
Therefore, a panorama with a close foreground made in this way will be impossible to be stitched correctly because of the parallax.

But if you put the camera on a lateral moving micro focus rail, you can do the following:

1. Make the first picture after moving the camera on the rail 11mm to the right and with the lens shifted 11mm to the left.

2. Make the second picture moving the camera 11mm to the left and with the lens shift zeroed.

3. Make the third picture after moving the camera again 11mm to the left and with the lens shifted 11mm to the right.

The lens is in the 3 pictures is in the same spot, only the camera moves.

With a 28mm the total angle will be 90 degrees, the one a 18mm delivers. But there will be a greater amount of pixels!

The tripod must be a really sturdy one, of course...

 

 

 

[AndreasAM]

For this I use an old stereo focus rail from Kaiser, although they were also produced by Novoflex.

Costed me 25 or so Euro's on Ebay. Can't remember the type number, but it isn't difficult to find on the web.

Works well with the metric scale in two directions, a smooth knob for a fast horizontal shift of the camera on the mm (which resistance can be adjusted). 

 

I use a Novoflex adapter M-R or T-R, which gives you the option for rotating the camera from portrait to landscape.

It does also work for a vertical panorama (good for architecture and trees), but you have to put the rail vertical by adjusting the ballhead 90 degrees.

 

A simpler solution, although a bit crude in practical use, is a 4 inch Hejnar rail with a metric scale engraved. It works and it is a small item, which fits in the pocket easily.

 

Here is the setup wit the Leica T (APS-C crop 1,5), gives you in portrait mode, with 2x11 mm. shift, in three shots, a focus length equivalent of 18 mm. and a file of 38 Mp. With the M (FF), the equivalent is near 22 mm with a file size of 46 Mp. 

But more important the dimensions are almost 3x2.

Shifting with the camera in landscape mode, this panorama changes to 3x1. This is not very practical in normal publications and when viewing on the screen. You can't see any detail because of the limited height.

 

All in all a good R-lens for shooting Architecture and Landscapes, with nice rendering and little distortion. More practical in use on a Leica camera, than a Canon TS-E lens , although the Canons have better quality and shorter FL's.

 

(pictures are shot with the Iphone, so they are not that good, sacrilege on this site I know!)

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[Winedemonium]

This is great advice, thank you. I found something suitable here in Hong Kong from Novoflex - their "CASTEL-Q" focusing rack. I have the L-plate set from Really Right Stuff on the way for the Leica M, so that will take care of horizontal & vertical orientations too. 

 

I really appreciate you putting photos up here of your set-up AndrewAM. Hopefully it will help some others too.

[hoppyman]

Really Right Stuff also offer a range of items including a micro focusing rail and many other items that can integrate perfectly with your LPlate setup too.

[Winedemonium]

Thanks hoppyman.

 

RRS, Novoflex and Arca-Swiss are the three brands I tend to use most for bits and bobs (occasionally Kirk too). I have the RRS l-plates for M and for S on their way to me as I write this. My Arca-Swiss C1 and P0 heads have the classic turn-knob quick release system (I briefly had the flip-lock versions but they are not always compatible with so-called 'Arca Swiss type plates' - go figure).

 

In the end this is the micro focusing plate I bought - available locally here in Hong Kong. It's also on its way to me. Let's hope it all fits together!

http://www.novoflex.asia/#!product/prd1/3520009651/castel-q