KiWi™Camera-Specific
PanoramicTripodHead
UsersGuide
For all models ofKiWi PanoramicTripod Heads
designed for specific digital cameras
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Setting Up Your KiWi™
Cam era-Specific
Panoram ic Tripod Head
1
Warranty Registration
Please take a moment and fill out the warranty registration card in-
cluded with your package. Please print clearly in capital letters and
remember to affix postage. You can also register by faxing the com-
pleted card to 215-322-4186 or register on-line at: http://
Unpacking the Box
Your KiWi™ Camera Specific Panoramic Tripod Head (Kiwi™), is
shipped in a single box and consists of the components detailed below.
Please make sure that all parts are included. Examine the parts for
any signs of shipping damage. In the event of shipping damage, im-
mediately contact Kaidan to process claims. If any item is missing or
you notice any damage, call Kaidan at 215-364-1778 between the hours
of 10AM to 6 PM ET (USA).
KiWi Components
Note: This panhead is shown for reference purposes only. Other KiWi
models may look slightly different.
Captive Camera Knob
Vertical Bracket
& Mounting Holes for
standard and wide-
angle settings
Camera Adjustment Shoe
(Knob is on the other side)
(Not visible, on other
side)
Friction Cap and
Retaining Knob
Twin-axis Bubble Level
Angle Indicator
Indexing Hub
Also included are
detent discs which
are not shown
QuickTilt™ Leveler
Optional Accessory
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Removing the Friction Cap
The Friction Cap needs to be removed to either install or change the
stainless steel detent discs. These discs provide the means for estab-
lishing and changing the number and spacing of the angular incre-
ments of the tripod head. Most KiWi models come with two discs, one
for the standard lens and one for a wide-angle lens. Some KiWi mod-
els, such as the KiWi 990, come with additional discs for other lenses
such as the Nikkor fisheye lens. (See List of Specfied Wide Angle
Lenses inAppendixAand List of Detent Discs inAppendix C ).
To remove the Friction Cap, loosen the stainless steel Retaining Knob
which is located on the side of the Friction Cap. It does not have to be
removed from the Cap, but only backed out far enough to allow the
cap to be unscrewed from the axle. You can look into the opening in
the center of the cap to see when the Retaining Knob is clear of the
hexagonal-shaped axle. Rotate and unthread the Cap counterclock-
wise and remove it from the unit. Once the Friction Cap has been
removed, separate the Vertical Bracket from the Indexing Hub. You
might need to wiggle the pieces as you pull them apart.
Vertical
Bracket
Hexagonal Shaped Axle
Friction Cap
Retaining Knob
Hexagonal Shaped Axle
Indexing Hub
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Removing & Replacing the Detent Disc
Once the Indexing Hub is removed, the detent disc can be removed
from its recess in the bottom of the Vertical Bracket. The disc may
slip out once the Indexing Hub is removed. If it sticks inside the re-
cess, simply insert the tip of a ballpoint pen or the end of paper clip
into the detent disc ejection hole on the top of the bracket and push
the detent disc out of the disc recess.
Disc Ejection
Hole
With the disc removed, a different disc can be inserted to change the
angular spacing. (See List of Specfied Wide Angle Lenses in Ap-
pendix A).
To install a different size disc, simply align the keyed slot and push
the disc into the recess. Make sure the disc is properly seated and
flush to the bottom surface of the Vertical Bracket. With the new disc
inserted, reassemble by inserting the Indexing Hub back through the
bearing in the Vertical Bracket.
Replacing the Friction Cap
Replace the Friction Cap by threading the Cap back onto the axle.
Continue to thread the Cap so that there is no free play between the
Vertical Bracket and the Indexing Hub. The rubber washer on the
bottom of the Friction Cap should be slightly compressed. When the
drag feels adequate, turn the Friction Cap so that the threaded shaft
of the Retaining Knob is aligned with the closest flat on the axle.
Tighten the Retaining Knob to lock the Cap in place.
Rubber Washer
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Adjusting the Detent Force
If adjusting the Friction Cap does not provide enough tension, there
is a spring plunger in the indexing hub that can also be adjusted to
vary the force. Use a flat blade screw driver to move the plunger in
and out as desired. A convenient way to adjust the plunger is to screw
the plunger all the way in until it gently bottoms out. Then unscrew
the plunger about one complete turn.
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Shooting Panoramas
2
Mounting the Camera?
Mounting your camera to your KiWi is easy. Kaidan has provided
mounting holes to make it simple. Just choose the appropriate mount-
ing hole for the lens you wish to use. Most KiWi heads have two mount-
ing locations for the standard and wide-angle lenses. Some KiWi heads,
such as the KiWi 990, have three holes for additional lenses.(NOTE:See
the Appendix D for the lens mounting location for your particular
camera).
If you are using a lens that is different from the standard or wide-
angle lenses that are supported with mounting holes there is a slot
that can be used to mount and adjust your camera. This slot lets you
choose any position along the bracket. There is a calibration proce-
dure that is explained later on in this manual that will show you how
to position your camera and lens correctly.
Your KiWi also comes with a Camera Adjustment Shoe to help keep
your camera mounted vertically. It also makes it easy to remove and
replace your camera in the same position.
Before you attach the camera, loosen the knob on the shoe. Once the
knob is loose, the shoe is free to slide forward or backward to help
position the camera. Push the shoe up against the camera in order to
align it securely. You may need to remove the shoe and reposition it
against either the front or the back of the camera, depending which
configuration is selected.
Camera Adjustment Shoe
(Knob is on the other side)
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Mounting the Camera? (continued)
The KiWi™ is designed to be used with either the standard wide-
angle camera setting or with a specific wide-angle or fisheye lens.
(See List of Specfied Wide Angle Lenses in Appendix A ). The
threaded mounting holes below the slot on the Camera Bracket will
position the camera at its proper nodal point setting for either con-
figuration. The diagram below shows the proper mounting holes for
the camera.
Note: The mounting hole for the standard lens on all KiWi™ Camera-
Specific Brackets is the one that is closest to the rotating pivot point.
The slot above the camera mounting holes will accept the Camera
Knob and can be used to locate the camera in accordance with the
nodal points of other 3rd party lenses (See Chapter 3 for instruc-
tions).
This panhead is shown for referencs purchases only. Your
model might look slightly different.
Camera
Adjustment
Shoe Knob
Captive Camera Knob
Mounting Hole
for standard lens
setting of camera
(closest to the
pivot axis)
Mounting Hole for
Wide--Angle lens
(farthest from the
pivot axis)
How Many Shots?
Determining the number of shots you’ll need to take is a function of
the lens your using. In general, you’ll want to have 1/4 to 1/2 overlap
between adjacent images. Kaidan has included detent discs withou
your KiWi in order to cover the standard and wide-angle lenses for
your particular camera. If you’re using a different lens, or want more
or less overlap, you can purchase additional detent discs from Kaidan.
They are sold singly or in packs of four. Most of our KiWi heads use 14
shots for the wide-angle lens and 18 shots for the standard lens. (See
List of Specific Wide-Angle Lenses in Appendix A)
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Shooting the Panorama
The KiWi™ has a female 1/4-20 thread on the bottom of the Indexing
Hub for mounting to most standard tripods. Be sure that the KiWi is
securely attached to the tripod. Use a tripod that is sturdy, ideally
one that has a center support system of braces to help keep the cam-
era and KiWi from excessive flexing. It may be possible that your
tripod uses a larger 3/8 inch thread. If this is the case, you can pur-
chase a 3/8 to 1/4 adapter at a camera store or photographic equip-
ment supplier.
When ready to shoot, it is important that the KiWi is level. Observe
the twin-axis bubble level on the KiWi while leveling the tripod. Of
course, this task is much easier if the tripod is equipped with a tilt
head. If the tripod does not have a tilt head, a QuickTilt™ leveler can
be purchased from Kaidan for use with the KiWi. The QuickTilt is a
convenient aid for making the small leveling adjustments you’ll need
to make as you move from spot to spot.
Once the KiWi is level, double check to see if the camera is mounted
level in elevation (up and down). This is even more important that
the leveling of the unit done previously. Use the Camera Adjustment
Shoe and place it against the camera. By placing the shoe squarely
and snugly against the camera, it will help to vertically align and
position the camera so that the camera’s optical axis is parallel to the
plane of rotation.
Camera squarely located against
Camera Adjustment Shoe
Incorrect
Correct
Camera
optical axis
not parallel
to rotation
plane
Parallel to
rotation plane
You are now ready to begin capturing your first panorama. You
should also, at this time, review the documentation of the pan-
oramic stitching software that is being used in order to get recom-
mendations for exposure settings and other camera settings. You’ll
want to try and position the camera and tripod so as to avoid direct
sunlight. Try and locate the unit so that the sun (or other bright
lights) is behind a tree or a building. Cloudy days are also helpful in
this regard.
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Shooting the Panorama (continued)
Once the tripod is positioned and the KiWi is leveled, index the
KiWi so as to point it at some identifiable feature. Instead of count-
ing shots, it’s much easier to stop shooting when you notice that
particular feature reappearing.
If your camera has an exposure lock feature, you might want to
experiment with it. Try to lock the exposure on a scene that is
average in brightness.
Once you’re set up, simply shoot, index and repeat as quickly as
possible. Be careful not to bump the camera as you proceed around
the sequence.
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Finding the Nodal Point
with 3rd Part y Lenses
3
How do I Locate my Camera’s Nodal Point?
Follow these steps and you will be able to easily locate the nodal point
for any camera and lens combination.
Simply put, the nodal point is the point inside your camera where the
light rays converge and flip over. When shooting an immersive pan-
orama, it is necessary to rotate about this point to eliminate the im-
age mismatch caused by parallax error.
Parallax error can be easily demonstrated by this simple experiment.
Close one eye and hold your index finger upright about six inches
away from your open eye. Rock your head from side to side. Notice
how your finger moves with respect to the background. This relative
movement is due to the fact that you are not rotating your head around
your eye’s nodal point, which is somewhere in the center of your eye-
ball. Instead, you’re rotating about your spine which is several inches
to the rear and off to one side. It is this relative side-to-side motion
that we will strive to eliminate when setting up a camera for VR pan-
oramas.
The Side-to-Side Adjustment
Your KiWi head is designed for a specific camera. The side-to-side
adjustment that is normally required for universal models, such as
our KiWi+ is not needed.
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The Fore-Aft Adjustment
Put the Captive Camera Knob in the long slot of the Vertical Bracket.
This will allow you to slide the camera (along with the Camera Ad-
justment Shoe) as required.
Note: This step is most easily accomplished outside. Find a vertical
edge or line, such as a doorway or edge of a building. Position the unit
and tripod about four feet away, or as close as possible with the edge
still in focus when looking through the view displayed on the LCD
screen of the camera.
Looking at the camera’s LCD, find another vertical edge or object that
is far away, such as another building or telephone pole. Align the two
objects and rotate the Vertical Bracket so that they are in the left
hand side of the viewfinder.
Rotate the pan head so the two objects move over to the right hand
side of the viewfinder. Unless you have managed to unwittingly lo-
cate the right nodal point position, you should notice the two objects
will move with respect to each other as the Vertical Bracket is rotated
from left to right. Slide the camera to the front or rear as required to
eliminate this relative movement.
Good.
No relative movement between objects
when rotating camera from side to side.
Looking through the viewfinder, align a close object (brick wall) with a
faraway object (telephone pole). As the camera is rotated from side-to-
side, there should be no relative movement between the two objects.
Bad.
Relative movement between objects
when rotating camera from side to side.
If, as shown to the right, the two objects move with respect to one another
in the viewinder, slide the camera fore or aft in order to eliminate this
movement. Here, the telephone pole has moved behind the brick wall.
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Appendix A
List of Specified Wide Angle Lenses for Kiwi Camera Specific Panheads
Wide Angle Lens
Panhead
KW-2000
Olympus Wide Conversion Lens
WCON-08 (screw-on)
KW-2700
Raynox 0.65x Wid e Angle Lens
(Model# Pix-2200 Telephoto & Wide Angle 2-Lens kit)
KW-2900
Fujifilm 0.8x Wide Angle Lens (screw-on)
KW-600/620
Olympus Wide Conversion Lens
WCON-08 (screw-on)
KW-700
Nikon 24mm Wide Angle Lens
WC- E63 (screw-on)
NOTE:Nikon UR-E1 step-up ring
required on CoolPix 700
KW-800
KW-900/950
KW-990
KW-290
KW-VL
Nikon 24mm Wide Angle Lens
WC- E63 (screw-on)
Nikon 24mm Wide Angle Lens
WC- E63 (screw-on)
Nikon 24mm Wide Angle Lens
WC- E63 (screw-on)
Tiffen Super-Wide Angle Converter 0.5X (Kodak Item#
1142413, adapter-Kodak # 8675021)
Voigtlander Ultrawide-Heliar 12mm F5.6 Aspherical
Appendix B
Detent Disc Selection Chart
Lens (mm)
50% Overlap
25%-33% Overlap
12
8
6
14-15
18-20
22-24
26-28
30-35
12
16
18
18
20
10
12
14
16
18
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Appendix C
Detent Discs included with each KiWi Camera Specific Bracket
Model#
Detent position(s), (lens)
16 (std.)
KW-A50
KW-290
9 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
KW-2000/2020
KW-2700
KW-2900
KW-600/620
KW-700/800
KW-900/950
KW-990
2 (fisheye-mode#1), 5 (fisheye-mode#2),
14 (wide), 18 (std.)
KW-VL
5 (12mm), 6 (12mm), 7 (15mm), 8 (15mm)
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Appendix D: KiWi Model Specifics
Standard Wide Angle Lens
Setting Mounting Hole
Wide Angle Lens Mounting Hole
Fisheye Lens Mounting Hole
Accessory
Mounting
Holes
External Flash Socket Access Holes
Nodal Point Index
KiWi™-990
Label
12mm Lens = 38mm
15mm Lens = 34mm
Line up center of
screw with 34mm
Accessory
Mounting
Holes
15 mm lens
Line up center of
screw with 38mm
KiWi™-VL
12 mm lens
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Standard
Wide-Angle
700
800
Slot for third-party
lenses and camera
adjustment shoe
KiWi™ 700/800
Flash Mounting
Slot
Camera Mounting
Hole for Wide Angle Lens
Camera Mounting
Hole for Standard
Lens
Camera Mounting Slot
for third party lenses
KiWi™-290
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Mounting configuration for the KW-290 with the standard lens
and flash mounted.
Mounting configuration of the Cannon A50 on the KW-A50
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KiWi 280
Mounting Hole for
standard lens setting
Slot for third party lenses
KiWi 280 mounting configuration
(leveler not included)
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SLOT FOR THIRD
PARTY LENSES
STANDARD LENS MOUNT
WIDE ANGLE LENS MOUNT
KW-2000/2020
Wide Angle Lens
Mounting Hole
Accessory Mounting
Holes (Flash, GPS)
Standard Lens
mounting hole
Slot for third
party lenses
KW-600/620
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Camera Adjustment Lug Addendum
Because of the various sizes and camera body profiles, we have included a camera
adjustment lug as an additional means of keeping your camera mounted in an vertical
position. Shown below are examples of various ways to use the Camera Adjustment
Lug to mount your camera.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do digital camera manufacters mean by 35mm format equivalent lens?
The CCD arrays in a digital camera are much smaller than the imaging area on
35mm film.The CCD size differs from camera to camera. So in order to eliminate any
confusion, the focal length is often stated by the camera manufacturer as a 35mm
format equivalent, because people are more familar with the 35mm lenses and what
kind of image a certain lens will often produce. In order to arrive at the 35mm format
equivalent they need to multiply the size of the sensor by a value called the “focal
length multiplier”. The focal length multiplier is expressed as a scale factor such as 1.5
or 1.6, thus on a digital SLR with a focal length multiplier of 1.5x, a 28mm lens would
produce the equivalent picture angle, (strictly “field of view”), of a 42mm lens. The
35mm format equivalent of the lens on your camera is usually included in the specifica-
tion section of your camera users guide or manual.
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