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RRS Panorama components?

carstenw

Active member
I am trying to put together a Really Righty Stuff order for a complete single-row panorama kit for my Contax 645 AF as well as my Leica M8, and I don't find some of the components I am looking for.

I am starting with a ballhead, and just to be on the safe side, I decided on the BH-55 PCL setup. This gives me the swivel ability I need. Then I added a "192 FAS Package; FAS Clamp and MPR 192", but this I am less sure on. Is this rail sufficient for some of the longer Contax 645 lenses, like the 120mm Macro and the 210mm?

With a head, swivel, rail and clamp, I should just need some plates for my cameras. I have generic plates for the M8, but no L-plate, nor anything for the Contax 645. Does anyone know if there is an L-plate which will work with the Contax, and if there is an L-plate which works with the Leica M8?

Thanks in advance for any help.
 

carstenw

Active member
Hmm, it seems a lot cheaper if I order the "BH-55 No Clamp" and the "Pano Elements Package; For Single Row". Is that equivalent, or do I need a more stable rail and/or clamp on the rail for MF?
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
The panning clamp that comes with the elements package will replace and mount directly to the standard clamp version BH55, so yes you can do a proper single-row pano with that combo.
 

Dale Allyn

New member
The package includes the heavier rail which also has the laser engraved rule on it. It should be strong enough, and likely stiffer than the slimmer, lighter alternate.

(heehee, typing slow again)
 

carstenw

Active member
Sorry, I am being dense here. Jack, so you are saying that the BH-55 no clamp + Pano elements Package is enough to get started with single-row panos?

And Dave, "Package" means "Pano elements Package", which has the stronger rail?

If both of those are okay, then I guess that is what I am ordering.

Does anyone know what to do about an L-plate for the Contax 645 *without* MP-1 battery pack? I will probably order the MC-L generic L-plate for the M8, since that is one of the configurations they show. Maybe it will work for the Contax 645 as well...
 

Dale Allyn

New member
Sorry, Carsten, Yes I was agreeing that the Pano Elements package has the heavier rail. I'll go grab my printed catalogue to confirm the part number if you like (their site can be a pain at times).
 

Dale Allyn

New member
Looks good. That will get you going.

If you don't want to use the Pano clamp as you full-time clamp (due to weight, etc.) you can go with one of the other clamps at some point. There is also a dovetail plate that can be attached to the bottom of the Pano clamp so that one can temporarily clamp it into a standard-type clamp as well.

All kinds of ways to go broke with RRS. ;)
 

carstenw

Active member
The screw is included with the plate, I am pretty sure, but I have taken your advice and added one. Cool, I look forward to ordering and getting this. Thanks guys!

Dave, I saw the dovetail and quick-release combination option, but decided that with the BH-55, the extra weight of just leaving the PCL-1 on there was not going to make a difference. I just hope now that my old Manfrotto 055C is up to the task. I will have to do some tests.
 

Felipe

Member
just to make you drool:

though thiis is the L-plate for the c645 with the grip. i´d deerly recommend to go that route. before buying the RRS stuff i had the generic manfrotto L-plate and it was unbearable. the c645 grip is really good (far better than the grips for the canons) and it allows you to use a set of 4 AA batteries. might be a saving over the costly 2cr5´s. the RRS-L-plate for the C645 is rock solid. i have the shorter rail to do singel row panos, it is solid enough, but the lack of a millimeter scale is a pitty, but i was not sure if the longer rail would interfere with the ultra wide angle lenses, so i went with the shorter one.

 

carstenw

Active member
I am considering this option, but to be honest, the 2CR5s are not that expensive, and I have a couple extra. The MP-1 and the 4 AAs add significantly to the weight though, which I am not keen on. I am considering the Kirk Big L, but it isn't custom, and I am not sure how well it would fit. I presume the 35mm without battery grip one is the best fit for the C645 without MP-1.
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I've been playing in this sand box for a couple years now and would like to offer my thoughts.

An L- bracket is a must - this allows you to shift the camera from horizontal to vertical without changing the focal point or level.

Recommendation: Get a good L-bracket.

I like and used the RSS Pano Elements Package with great success then I moved to their Ultimate Package then on to the Cube.

Good choice and you'll be able to build off this.

BH-55 Ballhead... Looks good and actually had thought of trying one before the Cube. The BH-55 gets excellent reviews from everyone who has one.

I'd like to add another item to the mix. Go to Acratech and look at their leveling base. I had one and loved it. While you can get a decent pano with a ballhead I personally preferred not using one as it can be very difficult at time getting the balance and sweet spot necessary for a panorama. I used to remove my ballhead and used the leveling base followed by the pano gear whenever I was taking a multiple image panorama; I used this setup when I was shooting with my 1Ds II and used it with the AFD. Just a suggestion.

Don
 

carstenw

Active member
Hey Don,

Yup, I would love to get an L-bracket, but the problem is that there doesn't seem to be one specifically for the Contax 645 without the MP-1 battery holder... I might get the Big L from Kirk, which apparently fits.

The Cube is way too expensive for me at this point. I might think about it in the future, anyway, I don't think it helps for multi-row panos, does it? And the pivot point is only an approximation for the Entrance Pupil, i.e. the quality of the pano would be no better. Nice piece, but too pricy.

The levelling base in interesting, and I will earmark it; however I am not doing exclusively panos, so I am not sure if I could avoid getting a ballhead in any case. Thoughts?
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Carsten

By all means get a ballhead; please don't think that I was saying not to.

The thought I was attempting to get across was that you can have two systems, a ballhead for everyday "normal" work and a panorama kit consisting of the leveling base, RSS pano elements package, and some type of l-bracket. I actually kept the leveling base on the tripod all the time and my ballhead attached to that. I used the leveling base as a first line of leveling then the ballhead or pano kit as a second.

I tried the Cube this past week on a single row panorama and found it works; next will be a test to see if I can do mult-row which I think in theory should work just fine. I also use a Noveflex focusing rack with the Cube both with the Cambo and Phase; it helps with focusing the Cambo and the nodal point on the Phase.

Hope this helps

Don
 
D

ddk

Guest
Whichever L bracket you end up getting will probably work well but as far as ballheads go, I highly recommend the Arca Swiss head over RSS, I have both and as good as the RSS is, there's really no comparison between the two, yet the difference in price is insignificant!
 

Dale Allyn

New member
Whichever L bracket you end up getting will probably work well but as far as ballheads go, I highly recommend the Arca Swiss head over RSS, I have both and as good as the RSS is, there's really no comparison between the two, yet the difference in price is insignificant!
Horses for courses. :) The A-S head is a very smoothly operating ball head (smoother ball than the RRS), but I prefer the pan-lock (band-lock instead of detent screw - unless A-S has changed their newest offerings) and the control knobs. I dearly love the large primary locking knob of the BH-55. It fits the way I like to work without looking at the head. Both are good heads though IMO. No need to apologize for either.
 
Last edited:
Carsten,
I got the BH-55 LR and it is fantastic. I have been very pleased with the lever release clamp - it is quick, easy, and secure. You don't need the PCL clamp if you have a leveling base for your tripod because the BH-55 has very good panning capability. You just need to have the ball head base level and the LR clamp level. The LR clamp has a bubble level built-in and my Gitzo leveling base also has a bubble level. In addition to an L-bracket for your camera, you should get a nodal rail so you can adjust for the nodal point of the lens (see photo below for the two options).

I like this setup because you get full time use out of all the pieces (leveling base, ball head with LR clamp, L-bracket) except the nodal rail. The addition of the leveling base dramatically improved my experience using a tripod.

Mark
 

carstenw

Active member
Aaahhh, it all comes together. That makes sense. Thanks Don for bringing the leveling head to my attention, and Mark for pointing out how to make a kit that makes more sense.

It doesn't even cost much more, since the pano kit is $220 more expensive than just the rail, but the BH-55LR costs $100 more than the naked head. the $120 saved goes towards the leveling head, which costs $149. Neat. I am also keen on not duplicating functionality in ways which don't add anything, and I had already looked askance at the pivot base of the BH-55 and the PCL-1.

David, the Z1 is an interesting head, but two things strike me: the locking arm for the panning base is very close to the bottom. I saw one review saying that it hits the tripod and cannot be closed completely. What tripod do you use? The other thing is that I love the RRS LR clamp, and would want to fit one if I were to buy a Z1. Is this possible? All reviews said that the Z1 had a smoother action than the BH-55, and the elliptical ball is a stroke of genius. One minor detractor here is that Arca-Swiss is not online... I find this truly bizarre in today's world. Where are they based?
 

carstenw

Active member
Does anyone have any experience with the Acratech Universal L Bracket? I wonder if it will fit the Contax 645 well.
 
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