Another 'robotic panohead' : AZ-GTi

[Mike Cowlishaw]

On reading the very helpful page at https://ptgui.com/examples/creating_gigapixel_panoramas_with_a_robotic_panohead.html I saw the invitation " (if we missed yours please let us know!)", so here's mine.

For many years I've used a GigaPan Epic 100 which I was lucky enough to pick up in a College Clearance for around £100.   It's beginning to droop and it has always been inconvenient to handle, so this summer I've been working on replacing it.

I've ended up with the SkyWatcher AZ-GTi [aside: I have no connection with the manufacturer or distributors of this]. 

The AZ-GTi is a motorized telescope mount which takes Vixen trapezoidal bars  (imagine beefed-up Arca-Swiss) to which the camera can be attached directly.  The mount can be controlled by a couple of apps: one specialised for astronomical  photography and the other for 'regular' panoramas.

I ended up adding an L-bracket so the camera sits above the axis of rotation (more convenient to use and minimises parallax) and in tests get results that are as good or better than the GigaPan.

Picture of the setup in use is attached; the orange piece is the Vixen bar.

Happy to answer questions on the details.

Mike

[PTGui Support]

Thanks Mike. I've added a link to this forum post below the article.

Kind regards,

Joost Nieuwenhuijse
www.ptgui.com

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[Hans Loepfe]

Using the AZ-GTi sounds very tempting. 

It's clear to me that one-Axis-Panoramas turn out perfectly fine.

But somehow I cannot see how the camera can rotate around the nodal point on 2-Axis.

Would please elaborate on this.

I am also using the Gigapan Epic Pro V once in while and only for inside panoramas with plenty of static image information (= no blue skies or fast moving clouds) thus providing plenty of control points to PTGUI.

Greetings, Hans

[Mike Cowlishaw]

Hans, indeed it cannot, so if your panoramas include close-in details you might have parallax problems.  But if your panoramas are landscapes and the like then PTGui stitching is more than capable of correcting for not using the nodal point.   I just position the approximate nodal point (for my lenses that's a couple of centimetres from the mounting plate) and have no problems, even indoors if the walls are more than a metre away.

The AZ-Gti is wonderfully robust and simple, compared to the Gigapans.  I am also now using the Benro Polaris -- much more expensive but also has some nice features (and will work with newer cameras that only have USB tether/remote control, not 3-wire).  You can currently buy it new at about 2/3 price if also buying a Theta tripod via KickStarter.

In case helpful, here (AZ-GTi notes) are my notes on using the AZ-GTi.  I shall put similar together for the Polaris soon, I hope.