Re: [PTGui] Lens, Camera and Arm for Real estate shooting (Photospheric)

[Roger D Williams]

We all probably tend to recommend the equipment we have chosen ourselves but I can honestly say, after using a wide range of cameras for panoramas, that it is hard to imagine a simpler and more reasonably priced combination than my current Sony A6000 with a low-priced Samyang fisheye lens originally intended for MFT cameras but using an adapter sold by Nodal Ninja. The slightly lower priced A5300 might be even better for your purpose but I haven't tried it so can't say. 

One thing you will like is that you only need to take four around and ONE either up or down (depending on whether you take your four slightly pointing up or down). The adapter you should get from NN can be attached to angle the lens up OR down 7.5 degrees, so you can either point it up to get a perfect zenith and take a separate nadir (and so get rid of the tripod or monopod) or down, clean up the nadir yourself, and take a separate zenith shot.

I usually just shoot the four around at zero degrees and find there is a small nadir area hidden by my monopod that needs cloning out. 

I have owned the Sigma you are thinking of and it is a fine lens but I think the Samyang would be a better choice. It is equally sharp and much cheaper, lighter and smaller. It suits the Sonys perfectly, being a manual lens, and as you probably know, you need to select manual mode anyway for panoramas, so no loss!

You DO have to be willing to remove the Sony mount and retrofit the NN MFT adapter, but this is quite straightforward. There are a couple of points that need special care but if you are good with your hands you shouldn't have any problems. 

Oh yes, one more thing. If you get the recommended Arca clamp from NN at the same time it will position your lens precisely at its non-parallax point, so you can perch it on a monopod (as I do) or on a tripod (if you need longer exposures indoors) and know that your stitching problems will be minimized.

Hope this helps!

Roger W.

Sent from my iPad

On Jul 12, 2015, at 6:47 AM, Slava Yakobson <vs.ja...@gmail.com> wrote:

Can someone please recommend me a Lens, Camera and an Arm for shooting Real Estate properties. (Other small accessories can be taken care of later.. such as tripod and IR Remote button)

I've done some research of my own. I found this Fisheye lens:

SIGMA 8MM F3.5 EX DG CANON CIRCULAR FISHEYE

It is a little pricey and I was wondering whether this is too much just for real estate?

Ideally my goal is to find a lens that will only require me to take 4 pictures (from each direction) and then top and bottom, so 6 photos total. Unless you guys would recommend a better and different approach?

Thanks!

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[gravityimage]

Hi, I use the Sigma 8mm f3.5 on a Nikon D90, with a Nodal Ninja Ultimate R1, set at 7.5 degrees up. It get all the sky and the hole in the nadir is so small, it is easily cloned in with Photoshop. I only need 4 shots, and the nadir cloning is not difficult unless there is some complicated floor pattern or carpet.

Bill Mumford

[Erik Krause]

Am 11.07.2015 um 23:47 schrieb Slava Yakobson:
> SIGMA 8MM F3.5 EX DG CANON CIRCULAR FISHEYE

An alternative might be the Samyang 8mm fisheye, which is also branded
as Bower, Polar, Rokinon, Walimex and Falcon (and some other brands, see
http://michel.thoby.free.fr/SAMYANG/Early%20test%20report.html )

However, I'd recommend an 8mm fisheye only for APS-C (DX for Nikon)
sized sensors, not for fullframe (FX). You waste too much pixels with
the latter.

--
Erik Krause
http://www.erik-krause.de

[Slava Yakobson]

Awesome stuff guys, thanks!

Is Nodal Ninja site the best place to order the head?

http://shop.nodalninja.com/nn3-mkii-starter-package/

To my surprise I couldn't find any Camera store that carries them. (I live in Toronto, Canada)

[Slava Yakobson]

Also..

Would I notice a major difference between (When it comes to quality, stitching advantages, etc..)

Bower 8mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens for Canon DSLR ($350)

and 

Sigma 8mm f/3.5 EX DG Circular Fisheye Lens for Canon ($850)

[Roger D Williams]

There shouldn't be a major difference in quality, but you will get a smaller field of view with the Samyang than with the Sigma because it uses a different type of fisheye projection. This might be important if you are trying to minimize the amount of work you have to do filling nadir and/or zenith holes (the holes will be larger) and you will also need to take six around, rather than four. The trade-off is that this projection is rather easier to stitch (there is less extreme distortion at the outside edges of the image). This is why I recommended the MFT 7.5mm Samyang INSTEAD. This gives almost exactly the same coverage as the Sigma 8mm, i.e., four around.

Do heed Erik's comment about the waste of pixels if you intend to use a full-frame camera. All the recommendations I have made assume you will be using a standard APS-C sensor or the Canon near (slightly smaller) equivalent. I get equirectangular images about 12,000 x 6,000 pixels--plenty for real estate jobs,

To answer your question, you can buy with confidence from the Nodal Ninja site as the products and after service are really first class. Just be sure you order exactly what you want... Many products look rather similar and there are some "gotchas" if you try to use products together that are not meant for it. YHBW.

Roger W.

Sent from my iPad

[Slava Yakobson]

Sweet! I found BOWER 7.5MM F3.5 FISHEYE LENS for $430 after tax which is more than half the price of the Sigma. I just really hope that quality is similar.

My plan is to get Canon T5i body and NN3 MKII Starter Package (F3500) http://shop.nodalninja.com/nn3-mkii-starter-package/

[Slava Yakobson]

http://www.amazon.com/Rokinon-FE75MFT-B-Fisheye-Olympus-Panasonic/dp/B005TOU804/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436806501&sr=8-3&keywords=MFT+7.5mm+Samyang

http://www.henrys.com/67256-BOWER-7-5MM-F3-5-FISHEYE-LENS-M4-3.aspx

I assume these are identical?

[Roger Williams]

Yes, I think you’re safe there. Samyang only make one 7.5mm fisheye for MFT (M4/3).

 

Roger

[Andrew Stephens]

Neither of those lenses will fit onto a Canon body.

[Keith Martin]

On 12 Jul 2015, at 23:59, Slava Yakobson wrote:

> To my surprise I couldn't find any Camera store that carries them. (I
> live in Toronto, Canada)

This is specialist stuff, which means most camera stores would have it
sitting in their shelves for longer than they'd like. Also, many stores
haven't much of a clue about spherical panorama shooting. :)

There are a few specialist resellers around the world that work with
Nodal Ninja, and those can be very useful in terms of shipping costs,
local advice & support, and so on. But it's fine to buy direct. Many of
us here have done the same.

k

[Keith Martin]

On 11 Jul 2015, at 22:47, Slava Yakobson wrote:

> my goal is to find a lens that will only require me to take 4 pictures
> (from each direction) and then top and bottom, so 6 photos total.
> Unless you guys would recommend a better and different approach?

You've had some great advice. I'll just add a comment: you may actually
find it more practical to ignore the nadir and cover it with a 'nadir
cap' graphic – a graphic that's dropped into the image to cover the
tripod or nadir hole. I normally avoid nadir caps at all costs, but this
level of perfectionism isn't necessarily appropriate for real estate
work. Plus the nadir cap graphic can be used to reinforce the agent's
brand. And it'd mean fewer shots and a slightly easier stitch. :)

k

[Slava Yakobson]

Ouch! Good to know. I need Nikon then?

[Keith Martin]

> Ouch! Good to know. I need Nikon then?

Just make sure you pick a lens with the right mount for your camera body. :)

[Slava Yakobson]

It seems like those Bower/Samyang/Rokinon are Micro Four Thirds mounts which are not compatible with Canon or Nikon... meaning my only option is the Sigma 8mm if I want to go with Canon body.

Can anybody recommend a good camera body for the Bower 7.5mm?

Thanks

[Andrew Stephens]

Not so there is a different Samyang (and clones brands) fisheye for Canon, Nikon and some other brands. The Nikon variant can be had with an AE chip.

[Slava Yakobson]

Unfortunately I couldn't find anything on amazon....

[Karel Gillissen]

First hit when you search Amazon for Samyang 8 mm:

http://www.amazon.com/Samyang-SY8M-C-f3-5-Lens-Canon/dp/B006MI1XRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1436889109&sr=8-1&keywords=samyang+8+mm

[Matthew Rogers]

It seems like everyone has gone bonkers lately :(

Matt

[Slava Yakobson]

Can someone please confirm that this is identical lense to what Karel has posted?

http://www.henrys.com/72407-BOWER-8MM-F3-5-FISHEYE-LENS-CANON-EOS.aspx

And quality wise it should be similar to Sigma 8mm?

Thanks!!

[Andrew Stephens]

Yes, same thing.

See: http://michel.thoby.free.fr/SAMYANG/Early%20test%20report.html

You do understand that this is a fully manual lens, no electrical connection between lens and camera body?

..............

They even have a used Samyang version:

http://www.henrys.com/83282-USED-SAMYANG-8-3-5-FISHEYE-CANON-8-Plus-.aspx

--

[Slava Yakobson]

Is it a difference case for Sigma 8mm?

[PTGui Support]

On 14/07/15 18:55, Andrew Stephens wrote:
> You do understand that this is a fully manual lens, no electrical
> connection between lens and camera body?

..which by the way is not a big problem when taking panoramas. Only
drawback is there's no EXIF data, so you will need to tell PTGui which
lens was used.

The Samyang lenses are very nice. If you don't have a camera yet
consider the Sony A7R or A7RII with the samyang 8mm. For most fisheyes
the lens hood must be removed when used on a full frame camera btw:

http://www.panotwins.de/technical/shaving-the-lens-hood-of-the-samyang-bower-rokinon-walimex-8mm-fisheye-lens-for-usage-on-the-sony-e-mount-with-full-frame-sensors/

Joost

[Slava Yakobson]

Woah, that's a little bit out of my budget. I was considering the Canon T5i