Here is a Rig i use for Spherical QTVR. I've used it to shoot timelaps too. Great way to get nice POV


And here is an example of use for VR :


This is an Manfrotto 269HDBU tripod. It goes up to 7 meters high but i usually only use 2/3 of the height so it doesn't bend too much.
I use Nikon ctrl from a laptop to ctrl the POV and shoot parameters.
I use 2 X 5 meters long USB cable. They have a signal boost system.

I'll try to Put the Milapse head on top to control the 2 axes !
And wish there is no wind when i need it

Whoa, that looks really useful. Opens up a lot of new territory as potential timelapse spots. Think I'll have to get myself one of these. Setup will be somewhat of a pain, but I suspect the results will be well worth it. In another post I saw you had a shot where it looked like you were using this on a sidewalk. No camera shake even with bypassing traffic, or did you deshake footage in post?

I'll post a footage soon here when using it at 5 meters with no wind and another with a lot of wind at 3 meters.
I had to stabilize the windy one

And yes is si really cool to get unreachable POV

Here is a 360° QTVR took at 7 meters high close to an Airbus A380 from Qantas !
Didn't want to break a 350 000 000 $ airplane

Mr Ziegler,

I am most impressed by your work. Please excuse my ignorance, but how do you make these 360' VR images?

THANKS

OK use a large FOV. The largest the easiest but the worst quality.
My airbus one are done with a 15mm fisheye from sigma but i did some with a rectilinear 14mm that are better

You need an QTVR head. I use an Nodal Ninja http://www.nodalninja.com/
It allows to turn arround the optic center (for no paralax change between 2 shoots).

Then you shoot in all manual mode lets say 6 horizontal shoots (every 60°) + 1 top + 1 vertical.
I do shoot 3 bracketed images a -1 0 +1 EV for HDRI exposure fusion).

Use PTgui http://www.ptgui.com/ to stitch all these. Pretty easy to follow the software as it will find the exifs to help.

Gives an equirectangular image. (I get up to 16 000 / 8 000 pixels wide )

I use KRpano to display them. It is a Flash Player. http://www.krpano.com/

And you are
Here is some airbus views :
http://www.bziegler.com/posts/2009/03/vr_airbus/vr/index.html

A complex interactive visit of a Private Jet :
http://www.bziegler.com/posts/2009/07/tag/visit/index.html

Or a simple VR shoot by night at 7 meters :
http://blog.bziegler.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/pano_maison/nuit/krpano.html

Or a movie set :
http://www.bziegler.com/posts/2009/04/tournage_atr/pano01/

You can get help on this web site : http://www.panoguide.com/howto/;jsessionid=B5163BBD4F2EFB80F786D46EE58A625C

Those panos are really nice, thanks for sharing your knowledge. Another couple of questions:
1) How do you remove the tripod from the panos?
2) A curiosity: In your night pano in front of your house (or so I suspect; says Ben/Val on the pavement ) the pano viewer generates a dynamic flare around the moon, but not around any of the other highlights. Does it do this automatically, or did you specifically set it to do so?

thanks I really enjoy doing this and being payed for is really cool

1) you have to convert the equirect to cubic and then édit thé bottom face with photoshop.
I take an extra shoot with the tripod removed.

2) i forgot i did signed the pavement ! Still waiting for Google earth to update
The flash player allows you to manualy place the flare. You CAN place a lot if you want !

That explains it. Now I'm just wondering how you have the camera suspended 7m high without the tripod for that extra shot.

I use eavy PS work, stamp... Take longer but works

BTW here is a timalaps where i used the TRipod. All traffic sequence where done with it !

Thanks for the workflow. Have you ever tried making one of those gigapixel images?

Nope !
You need a special hardware.
This not a full Spherical Image
No client needs it and so do i

Thats nice 360 work.

I have an Agnos 5 m monopod myself which I use for panos and gigapixel images and I`m to buy a tripod to use it with timelapse as well.



I thought that 5 m was the limit because of the protocols timing of signals. May you share some more information ?

Do you use the MiLapse for the panos as well ? Papywizard may be used for panos with a similar astronomy head.



Just move the rig 2 m. ( with or without tilt ) and take an image down and correct in PS.



You really dont need special hardware for gigapixel images all you need is patience and when shooting the necessary 100+ images and AutoPano or PtGui to stitch and render.

2-20 gigapixel imges are more demanding though cause you need some hardware power for rendering and editing if you use blending algorithms like SmartBlend.

Actually theres a guy making a system for gigapixel timelapse

John Myrstad

I really need to learn how to do that little blur effect at :46. the images cannot be RAW, correct? they need to be tiff or jpeg or something for the image stacker?

Search in AE for Time Blend FX should work with RAW...

exactly
Did it with jpg but works with raw !
I've set 100 duplicate on a 100 footage.
Long as hell passing over 30 duplicates
but nice effect !

Awesome panos and timelapse photography.

Thanks for sharing.

Regarding the Manfrotto 269HDBU tripod, specs say it has the top has a 5/8" stud and 1-1/8" female receiver. How were you able to attach your Ninja pano head to it? Did you have to buy an adapter of some kind?

I'm very interested in this tripod and I'm trying to figure out how to use it for stills and panos:

- Stills using a Nikon D70
- Panos using a Nikon D70s via an Agnos mRotatorTCPShort

I wish I had known about the Nodal Ninja though Learned about it after I bought the Agnos. It's nice but not as small or versatile as the NN.

Would appreciate your help.

Please keep posting pictures and tips on using this tripod also.

Thanks,
eagle

I use my Manfrotto center column !
Fits in perfectly and adds 30 more centimeters

Would you mind sharing the model/product number?

BTW, I just realized they have two versions of this tripod:

- 269HDBU with the 5/8" stud and 1-1/8" female receiver
- 269HDB-3U with camera plate (Non-tilting, with standard 1/4"-20 threaded top), Adjustable Leveling Bubble, and Wind-Bracing Kit

Did you get the 1st one or the 2nd one?

r,
eagle

I have the the 269HDBU

I use the center colum of the 055Pro B tripod !

Thanks.

I take it you removed the center column from your 055B tripod and attached it to the top of the 269HBU?

If so, is there a threaded 5/8" hole at the bottom of the 055B column to for you screw it on top of the 269HDBU?

Thanks,
eagle

There is a big hole (don't know the size) where the center colum goes entirely !

Thanks!

So, I guess I can plan on getting the 269HDBU vs. the 269HDB-3U: $239 vs. $639.

Then get the 055Pro B center column vs. the whole tripod; 055 tripod is $180 vs. $114 for the center column (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/2 ... olumn.html)

Appreciate your help.

r,
eagle

THis one is enough : http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... olumn.html

Yes! That's even better!!!!

Thanks bziegler.

r,
eagle

That looks like it could be really useful. Although if It's an area with trees, then I would normally climb a tree and tie my tripod to it, for a high vantage point.

bziegler- I enjoyed your video.

I like the credits at the end (ca. 58 sec) coming in from space and then arranging. I'm working on a short video showing the earth's biomes (major vegetation classes) and would like to do something similar in After Effects. If I were to attempt this then I would probably have each letter as a layer and give it individual movements. This is pretty tedious though. Am I to assume this is what you did or is there an easier way. Sorry for the newbie question.

Kurt

There is animation presets for text
Of course i didn't animate all letters

Check these tutorials out.
http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/08.Titles/
http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/08.Titles_02/

Bziegler,

I have been doing the 360 panos for about 4 years and I use the same equipment and software. I am glad to see that you have found a way to make money doing it.

hi

do you every use the 7m for videoshots or timelapse? how stable is it on 7m?

regards,

rene