The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Help Selecting an Alpa setup.

vjbelle

Well-known member
Pick your poison. Once you start shifting you start image degradation. I never shift beyond 10mm..... but that's just me. I take these images to print them so I'm very picky about edges. To me its just as easy to turn the camera 10 or 12.5 degrees left and right and then stitch. There is some/very slight degradation due to interpolation during the stitching process but this is sometimes better than shifting and having soft edges. Some lenses are better than others..... for anything shorter than 60mm I would only rotate the camera at the lens nodal point..... but that's just me.

Victor
 

narikin

New member
One little hint...

If you want to be able to tilt/swing, then don't buy the 34mm adapter so that you can use long barrel lenses on the "regular" cameras.

Buy the FPS 17mm T/S adapter. This in combination with the 17mm "intermediate" adapter, will give you your 34mm, and mean that you can tilt/swing your long barrel lenses on both the FPS and the "regular" cameras :)
Indeed. Do not buy the 34mm t/s, but 2 x 17mm adapters (one t/s one plain) for use with SB lenses.

The 17mm t/s adapter is best placed with the lens, in the front of the camera for tilt/swing, and the regular 17mm 'intermediate' spacer at the back. This way you maintain the shortening of the lens barrel, required to avoid mechanical vignetting from the Alpa body when stitching at the full range, but gain the tilt/swing on the lens side, where its most needed.

If you use the 34mm TS on the front/lens side, you are back to mechanical vignetting on the Max when stitching.

Gerald - I'm disappointed in you! 1x 17mm T/S and 1x 17mm regular intermediate - I thought you'd have two 17mm TS's. Why on earth are you economizing - its too late for that now, surely?
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Is it possible to stitch an image L and R and then stitch Top and Bottom as well? - only reason i can see for that is cropping ability - i don't think i will be printing large prints - however one never knows.
Use the first tech cam visualizer here: Tech Camera, Image Circle, Focal Length Equivalent

Select the lens you're considering, then click the "1" next to the sensor you're going to be using to change it to "2" and then again and again to change it to "4". This is a two row, two column stitch (or "four quadrant stitch").

Now go to the third visualizer and select your sensors, and then where it says "1-shot" click and change to 2-rows and 2-columns with your specific amounts of movement.

Using the two visualizers you can compare the effective "wideness" of each combination of lens, back, and stitching.
 

darr

Well-known member
I do not do a lot of stitching, but will be more than happy to explain how I have done it with my MAX. I keep the stitching adapter permanently mounted on my MAX and find it adds nothing negative to do so. I have made "middle row" panos. I make sure my lens is centered and slide the back to the left and take a shot, slide the back to the center and take a shot, and finally, slide the back to the right and take a shot. There are so many different scenarios that can change this most basic way of stitching. You could decide to do a checkerboard stitch that would include top and bottom shots around the middle row; you could add focus stacking into the mix; you could add a few degrees of tilting and probably other technical attributes besides the LCC and image circle variables. Gerald does some remarkable panos in incredible places (I am a fan of his work) and hopefully he will help guide you.

Like all things in photography, you have two sides to play with; the artistic/right brain side and the technical/left brain side. A lot of forum members talk about the tools. Over the years and through the various forums I have visited, this side, the tech tool side, gets a lot of attention. I have observed photographers chasing after tools with never ending endurance as if it was the tool that would make whatever it is they envisioned a reality, only to see them eventually chase after another with the same enthusiasm as before. Whatever it is you want to make a pano/stitch of, can easily be done with say a Nikon, a tripod, and a good lens. The MAX can do more than a Nikon because it has movements, but other than that, it is just a tool, albeit a most simplistic yet functional tool that can put an end to the evolution of tool swapping for some. Get your tools and teach yourself. I believe in the long run that is how it is done, although hanging out in forums can be educational as well, just watch your wallet! :)
 

dchew

Well-known member
I'm late to the thread, but wanted to be sure it is clear that the STC can stitch vertically as well as horizontally but not at the same time. It is either/or.

Just depends how you mount the camera. Most of us buy two mounting plates, one on the bottom and one next to the grip.

Dave
 

young'ee

New member
Hi Victor,

Pick your poison. Once you start shifting you start image degradation. I never shift beyond 10mm..... but that's just me.
I get your point. I suppose at the end of the day any sort of joining shots together is sub optimal - i wish they would bring out a 6x17 sensor - i'd be all over that in a flash!

As you say, it all comes down to the lens and IC.
 

young'ee

New member
Darr,

Thanks for your reply. I am sure there is a long learning curve ahead on both using the camera to its advantage and to stitch. Wide views really appeal to me for some reason and i want to get good at it. Practice, practice i guess.

Are there any web sites/forums that specialize in pano's? I am sure there will be a number of techniques to do pano's.
 

young'ee

New member
Dave - yes its clear to me that the STC can do vertical as well as horizontal - one direction at a time only. This is why i am considering the Max of the XY.

Bit confused about your comment on buying two mounting plates though.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I have read the screens on the newer backs are not that good for focusing, and live view is a joke. Have I read these postings wrong? Why do some IQ shooters use a Surface Pro or similar device instead of their back screens if the upgrade for the screens are worth it?
Darr, spot on.

Young'ee - regarding your choices I'd pick the best body/lens combination first and that would be the MAX and either Schneider or Rodenstock glass. Schneider if you expect to stay under 60mp or away from CMOS and save money and avoid distortion. Rodenstock if you want the best universal lenses but at a price.

Personally, with the benefit of some experience now, I'd go for the best lenses and system first. The backs (I've had aptus 65, 2x P25+, P40+, IQ160 and now IQ260) are great but they're ALL great and you can shoot whatever you need even with the limitations of the P+ or Leaf backs vs the wonderful IQ series. I'd go for a perfect Rodie lens setup and MAX or FPS and a P45+ vs my IQ260 with the benefit of hindsight.

$0.02
 

dchew

Well-known member
Dave - yes its clear to me that the STC can do vertical as well as horizontal - one direction at a time only. This is why i am considering the Max of the XY.

Bit confused about your comment on buying two mounting plates though.
The only way to get the STC set up for rise/fall is to mount it on the tripod grip-down. Very few would put up with moving the tripod mounting adapter plate (usually RRS, A/S or Novoflex) each time we go from shift/stitch to rise/fall. So we buy two identical plates and leave them mounted; one on the bottom and one on the right side where the grip is (viewing from the back of the camera).

I used to think the need to rise/fall while shifting was rare. But the more panos I do this the more often I run into situations where I'd like to do both. So I'm with most of the others here: Max or XY for you!

Keep in mind that marvelous 16x7 ratio would require a 30mm shift each way on a 54x40 sensor w/o cropping. That's a 114mm image circle. :shocked:

Dave
 

young'ee

New member
Personally, with the benefit of some experience now, I'd go for the best lenses and system first. The backs (I've had aptus 65, 2x P25+, P40+, IQ160 and now IQ260) are great but they're ALL great and you can shoot whatever you need even with the limitations of the P+ or Leaf backs vs the wonderful IQ series. I'd go for a perfect Rodie lens setup and MAX or FPS and a P45+ vs my IQ260 with the benefit of hindsight.

$0.02
Graham, your insights are important as you are out there shooting with this gear, so I'm sure there are lots of little tricks you've learnt along the way. I've been reading this forum back to front and upside down trying to pick up the gems of advice that ARE there for the searching. I've read many of your posts, looked at many of your images and am blown away - your work is inspiring!

So very interesting that your take on this is to concentrate on the body and lens system and go with whatever back is great value.

I agree.

But to hear it from you really confirms it for me and takes away any doubts i had.

I am going to go for the Max or XY, FPS (because i really want to try old lens systems - not looking for "perfect" - looking for character) and will get some technical lenses for those - "needs to be technical perfection" , times.

I think whatever ideas i have today will look much different a year from now though, so as always, its best to stay flexible .I think i know what i want to shoot and how i want to do it, but who knows up the track what my interests will turn into. I think the FPS covers that angle quite well. The Max or XY will give me the shifting i want to get into.

Thank you for your comments, highly appreciated!
 

young'ee

New member
So I'm with most of the others here: Max or XY for you

Dave
Yep - agree - a Max or XY for me ..... - now to decide which one. I'm not really worried about size or weight - i could be wrong on this but its seems to me given the whole routine of getting a tech cam out of its case and setup with DB on it is such a time consuming and slow way to work that a bit of bulk/weight is of little consequence? - thoughts?
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Just to point out one big reason I went Cambo was I could do rise/fall and shift at the same time since those bodies have movements in both directions. I actually did more rise and fall than anything else so in Alpa the MAX would be a good choice. Seriously the XY is pretty darn big and from what I seen its like putting up a poster board in the wind, its kinda big. But I like small cameras so that's where my preference is. As far as lenses no matter what back the Rodie's are the best solution. But the SKs are great if you stay pretty much away from the 80 mpx backs.
 

dchew

Well-known member
Yep - agree - a Max or XY for me ..... - now to decide which one. I'm not really worried about size or weight - i could be wrong on this but its seems to me given the whole routine of getting a tech cam out of its case and setup with DB on it is such a time consuming and slow way to work that a bit of bulk/weight is of little consequence? - thoughts?
Hmm. You will get many opinions on this one. Basically depends on how far you plan to hike. Like Guy just said, I too am a fan of small cameras. Some store the STC with back and lens mounted. I could but I don't because the mounted lens never seems to be the one I want to use next. So I store the STC with the back mounted. The XY is a big plate, so figuring out how to store it with a back mounted is a packaging challenge. If you store it alone, it is basically a little larger than an 8.5x11" sheet of paper. The laptop sleeve in many backpacks would be fine (or the ThinkTank Urban Disguise 60).

Of course the bigger the backpack, the more space you have to add all those lenses, and of course you have to fill every inch of space you have! I think the best way to keep your wallet and your back healthy is to keep your backpack small. :scry:

Dave
 

jlm

Workshop Member
same as Guy; Cambo WRS because of rise/fall and side-side shift at the same time and a compact body
 

young'ee

New member
small and compact seems to be highly favored here - I should take the advice i think.....

yeah wind is an issue as well - i KNOW i will be on some high escarpments looking out over vast valleys far far below = wind and lots of it. Something to consider.
 
Top