™
KiWi
PanoramicTripod Head
User’s Guide -V1.01 - 30 Sep 2004
The KiWi Family
Introducing the KiWi Components
KiWi Rotator Base & Accessory Pouch
Standard Camera Bracket
Rotator Base
The primary component in the KiWi family is
the Rotator Base.The base uses interchange-
able indexing discs called ClickDiscs that
provide various click-stop positions. The base
contains an integral circular bubble level and ac-
commodates either 1/4” or 3/8” tripod threads.
Included with every KiWi is a convenient Ac-
cessory Pouch.The pouch is used to store your
ClickDiscs, set screw wrench and can also be
used to store memory cards and other small
items.The pouch has a handy "Number of Shots"
chart which will help you determine which disc
to use and how many shots to take.
The Standard Camera Bracket is designed
to support most digital and film cameras in a
portrait orientation. Used primarily to shoot
single-row or cylindrical panoramas, the
Standard Camera Bracket can be adjusted
along the horizontal arm of the Rotator Base
in order to locate the camera in the side-to-
side orientation.There are three slots in the
bracket, that when used with various positioning
aids, provide for the fore-aft adjustment of the
camera's optical center, or nodal point, over the
rotational center of the tripod head.
Accessory
Pouch
Standard Camera
Bracket
Twin-Axis Camera Bracket (Optional)
Optional Quick Release Camera Brackets
The Twin-Axis Camera Bracket is de-
signed to support most digital and film cameras
that are equipped with fisheye lenses, and will
also appeal to those users who desire two
independent axes of adjustment.The two axes of
adjustment positions the lens in such a manner
so as not to capture any more of the Rotator
Base than necessary.When a camera equipped
with a circular fisheye lens is installed on the
bracket, only a small segment of the Rotator
Base will appear in the image.This feature
makes the Twin-Axis Camera Bracket
ideal for those using iPIX software, Panoweaver
cations that use fisheye images.
The Standard andTwin-Axis Camera Brackets
have optional Quick Release Camera Brackets.
Based on the popular Arca-Swiss standard, the
Quick Release Brackets provide an elegant and
lightweight solution for quick and repeatable
installation and removal.Arca-compatible camera
plates are available for most popular cameras.
The plates typically attach to the bottom of your
camera using the tripod mounting thread. Most
plates have 1/4-20 tapped holes to still provide
a way for you to attach the camera to a tripod.
This option is ideal for those photographers who
shoot with multiple cameras or need to remove
the camera from the head for conventional
photography.
Twin-Axis
Camera Bracket
Optional
Quick Release Brackets
2
KiWi ClickDiscs
How to install and remove ClickDisc indexing discs
Disassembly
1)The Rotator Base
is held together with a
recessed set screw which is
located at the zero degree
position on the barrel. Use
the set screw wrench lo-
cated in the blue accessory
pouch and loosen the set
screw (do not remove) by
turning several revolutions
counter-clockwise.
2)With the set screw
ClickDisc Accessory Pouch with 6
ClickDiscs and Set Screw Wrench
Rotator Base Assembly
loosened, remove the axle
by pulling up on the knob
which contains the bubble
level.
3)The axle has a thin
plastic washer.This washer
should always go between
the knob of the axle and
the horizontal plate. Leave
the plastic washer on the
axle.
4)You can remove the
ClickDisc from its cavity
in the top of the indexing
barrel by pulling up on the
tab of the ClickDisc.
Set Screw Wrench in Barrel
Barrel w/ClickDisc
Installed
3
KiWi ClickDiscs
How to install and remove ClickDisc indexing discs
Assembly
1) Install the appropriate
ClickDisc into the cavity on
the top of the barrel. Be sure to
orient the tab of the ClickDisc
into the notch of the barrel.
Push the ClickDisc into posi-
tion.
Horizontal Plate
2) Place the horizontal plate
over the barrel and reinsert the
axle. Make sure that the plastic
washer is on the axle.
Barrel w/ClickDisc Installed
Set Screw Wrench
3) Push down on the knob of
the axle to compress the as-
sembly and to retract the spring
plunger fully. As you apply pres-
sure on the knob, use the set
screw wrench to tighten and se-
cure the axle in position.There
should be no discernable play
between the barrel and plate.
Axle w/Plastic
Washer
Barrel
ClickDisc
4)You may find it easier under
certain circumstances to
unscrew and retract the spring
plunger just a bit. It will be
easier to compress the assembly
this way. Be sure to readjust the
plunger afterwards.
Set Screw Wrench in Barrel
4
KiWi Rotator Base
Tripod threaded bushing adapter
The KiWi comes with a tripod adapt-
er bushing which accommodates both
1/4-20 inch and 3/8-16 inch threaded
tripod mounts.
1/4 inchTripod
If your tripod has a 1/4 inch threaded
mount, leave the brass bushing in the
center hole in the bottom of the rota-
tor as shown at lower left.
3/8 inchTripod
Adapter
Bushing
If your tripod has 3/8 inch threaded
mount, remove the brass bushing by
unscrewing it in a counterclockwise
direction and screwing it into the
adjacent hole in a clockwise direction
using a coin (or large screwdriver) as
shown at lower right.
Use the spare outer hole to store the
brass bushing when you're using the
3/8 inch thread.That way, you won't
lose the bushing!
3/8-16 Thread with Bushing in stor-
age position
1/4-20 Thread with Bushing in cen-
ter position
5
Spring Plunger Indexing
How to adjust the spring force and click-stop action.
The KiWi uses a spring plunger
which is threaded into the horizontal
plate.This plunger works with the
ClickDisc to provide a solid and
smooth click-stop action.
The force of the plunger and the feel
of the detent action can be adjusted
by threading the plunger in and out
of the horizontal plate.You can use a
wide-blade screwdriver or a thin coin
to adjust the plunger.The more you
thread the plunger in (clockwise), the
click stops will be more distinct and
firm. As you thread the plunger out
(counter-clockwise) the click stops
will become more gentle.
Do not overtighten the spring plunger.
The plunger body surrounding the
tip should not bottom out or hit
the ClickDisc. If you feel binding
or scratching during rotation, the
plunger is probably too far down. If
there's play in the detent action, then
the plunger is probably not down far
enough.
Spring Plunger
6
Standard Camera Bracket - Camera Mounting
Mounting your camera on the Standard Camera Bracket
To mount your camera, first select the
appropriate slot in the bracket that
will best locate the tripod mount-
ing thread on your camera.You may
need to reposition the camera knob.
To remove the knob simply slide it
along the slot to the end that has the
threaded hole. Unscrew the knob out
of the threaded hole, being careful not
to crossthread. Replace the knob into
the appropriate slot by reversing the
procedure.The camera knob is a two
piece design, with an inner and outer
knob. Before installing the camera
knob in the Standard Camera
Bracket, turn the inner knob clock-
wise into the outer knob until it won’t
turn anymore. Next, install the knob
into the appropriate slot then into the
tripod mounting hole of your camera.
Turn the inner knob into the camera
until it bottoms out, then turn the
outer knob clockwise until the camera
is tight on the bracket.
camera in the same location. Slide
Camera Knob
these adjusters into the best spot on
your camera to ensure a square and
secure mounting.
Camera Shoe
Camera Lug
The Standard Camera Bracket
also has an innovative DiamondGrip
surface on the camera mounting side.
This special friction surface will help
to hold your camera's base securely to
the bracket without slippage.
The left-right adjustment to center
your lens over the pivot point is ac-
complished by loosening the purple
knob and sliding the bracket. Be sure
to tighten the knob to lock the brack-
et in place.The fore-aft adjustment is
made by loosening the camera knob
and sliding the camera along the slot.
Camera
Shoe
The Standard Camera Bracket
comes with two camera positioning
aids.There is a flat camera shoe and
a right-angle lug that slide and lock
along any of the three slots.These
are used as aids to keep your camera
perpendicular and also serve as a
placeholder for you to re-attach your
DiamondGrip
Surface
Left-Right
Adjustment Knob
7
Twin-Axis Camera Bracket (Optional)
Mounting your camera on theTwin-Axis Camera Bracket
The Twin-Axis Camera Brack-
et is offered as an optional choice
when purchasing a KiWi. You can
also purchase it separately.TheTwin
Axis Bracket has two separate axes
of adjustment.This makes it easier to
slide the camera into the proper posi-
tion in order to locate the nodal point
over the axis of rotation.There are
two sliding and locking adjustments
with purple locking knobs.
Twin-Axis bracket makes it easy to
loosen the adjustment axes and quickly
remove the various elements.There
are convenient measurement scales in
both axes to ease reassembly.
An optional Arca-style Quick Release
plate is available as an option for the
Twin-Axis bracket. It can be purchased
with the bracket or purchased and
installed at any time.
This bracket is also the best choice
for those who use fisheye lenses. Since
the camera's optical axis is inline with
the main horizontal plate, the only
part of the tripod head which appears
in the shot with a circular fisheye lens
is a small semicircular portion of the
base.
Included with every Twin-Axis
Camera Bracket are four addi-
tional ClickDiscs (2, 3, 4 and 5 posi-
tion) that are better suited for fisheye
panoramic photography.
TheTwin-Axis bracket has three
threaded holes for the Camera Knob.
Use the hole that is most appropriate
for your particular camera.
The modular construction of the
8
Quick Release Camera Mounts (Optional)
Arca Swiss Style Quick Release Plates
Both the Standard Camera Bracket
and theTwin-Axis Bracket can be
ordered or upgraded with a Quick
Release Mount.
These mounts are simply bolted on
the respective bracket and make it
easy to remove and replace your
camera in seconds.
The Standard andTwin-Axis Cam-
era Brackets have optional Quick
Release Camera Brackets. Based on
the popular Arca-Swiss standard, the
Quick Release Brackets provide an
elegant and lightweight solution for
quick and repeatable installation and
removal. Arca-compatible camera
plates are available for most popular
cameras.The plates typically attach
to the bottom of your camera using
the tripod mounting thread. Most
plates have 1/4-20 tapped holes to still
provide a way for you to attach the
camera to a tripod.This option is ideal
for those photographers who shoot
with multiple cameras or need to
remove the camera from the head for
conventional photography.
9
Nodal Point
What is it and how do I find it?
This is one of the most frequently
asked questions when it comes to
stitcher-based panorama creation.
Once you understand the basics, you’ll
be able to easily locate the nodal point
for any camera and lens combination.
that you’re not rotating your head
around your eye’s nodal point, which
is somewhere in the center of your
eyeball. 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 forVR panoramas.
Simply put, the nodal point is the point
inside your camera where the light
rays converge and flip over.When
shooting a panorama it’s necessary to
rotate about this point to eliminate
the image mismatch caused by parallax
error.
Step 1:The side-to-side adjustment
Once your camera is fastened to your
camera bracket, move to the front of
the tripod head so you’re looking into
the lens.Adjust the camera bracket so
that the center of the lens is directly
over the pivot axis of the tripod head.
Try to be as accurate as possible.You
should strive to get this adjustment
within plus/minus a 1/16th of an inch.
Step 2: Fore-Aft Adjustment
It’s also worth noting that the nodal
point is not the same as the film
plane, which is often marked on
the underneath side of many 35mm
cameras. Generally, for most 35mm
cameras and lenses, the nodal point
is located somewhere towards the
center of the lens barrel.
Parallax error can be easily demonstrated.It’s the relative move-
ment caused by a shifting point of view.In this example,you eye
is moving with respect to your hand and the background.
This step is most easily accomplished
out of doors. Find a vertical edge or
line, such as a doorway or edge of a
building. Position your camera and
tripod about 2-1/2 feet away, or as
close as possible with the edge still
in focus when you look through the
viewfinder.
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
Looking through the camera’s
10
Nodal Point (continued)
What is it and how do I find it?
viewfinder, find another vertical edge
or line that is far away, such as another
building or telephone pole.Align the
two objects and rotate the pan head
so they are in the left hand side of the
viewfinder.
where you look through a separate
viewfinder and not through the actual
lens. The process is basically the same.
Locate the Side-to-Side adjustment as
discussed in Step 1.When it comes to
the Fore-Aft adjustment, you won’t be
able to look through the viewfinder
to determine the proper setting since
the viewfinder is a separate optical
path that doesn’t really “see” the same
image as the film.
Rotate the pan head so the two
objects move over to the right hand
side of the viewfinder. Unless you’ve
managed to unwittingly locate the right
position, you should notice the two
objects will move with respect to each
other as you rotate the pan from left
to right. Slide the camera to the front
or rear as required to eliminate this
relative movement.
Looking through the viewfinder align a close object (brick wall)
with a faraway object (telephone pole).As you rotate the camera
from side-to-side there should be no relative movement between
the two objects as shown to the right.
Instead, you’ll have to start with the
bracket all the way to the front and
take pairs of test shots. Each pair will
have the vertically aligned objects
in the left and then the right side
of the viewfinder.After each pair of
photos, slide the bracket rearward and
repeat the process. Slide the bracket
the same increment each time (i.e.
10mm). Be sure to record the scale
setting for each pair of images. Process
the film, or in the case of digital
cameras, download the images to your
computer.
Step 3: RecordYour Results
After you’ve discovered the two
location dimensions, be sure to record
the settings.The KiWi has convenient
indicator scales for this purpose.
These numbers represent the nodal
point for this given camera and lens
combination. If you change cameras or
lenses, this procedure may have to be
repeated
At the end of this process you will be
able locate the pair of images with the
least relative movement. If no single
image is optimum, you may need to
interpolate between two images to
find the closest value.
If, as shown above, the two objects move with respect to one
and 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.
Step 5: How About Rangefinder
Cameras?
A rangefinder camera is a camera
11
Shooting Panoramas
How do I begin?
How much Overlap?
obtain the best results.
is pretty common since many cameras have
mounting screws that are not in the center of
the base. Many cameras have screws off to one
end of the camera or at the edge of the camera
and this can cause the camera to not be pulled
down evenly onto the tripod head mounting
plate.
Taking the Photos
The amount you turn the camera for each
shot varies. It is dependent on a number of
factors such as the field of view (the angle)
of your camera and lens, as well as which
program you intend to use. For example, with
iSeeMedia PhotoVista,VRToolboxVRWorx or
Apple's QuickTimeVR Authoring Studio, the
recommended image overlap is anywhere from
one-quarter to one-half. That’s a good rule
of thumb for most stitching applications.You
should check with the recommendations of
the software that you intend to use in order to
determine overlap requirements.
When you’re ready to shoot, make sure that the
camera is securely attached to the KiWi.You
should use a tripod that is sturdy, ideally one
that has a center support system of braces to
help keep the camera from flexing.
Another problem is that CCDs may not be
accurately positioned within the camera body
and respect to the mounting surface. It only
takes a fraction of a degree and, with other
manufacturing tolerances, this can add up to be
noticeable.
Proper leveling is important and often
misunderstood.When it comes to leveling
there are two things that are fairly important.
With multirow panoramas (i.e. Realviz
Stitcher) the issue of leveling is less crucial and
primarily involves aestethics and placement of
the horizon.We’ll concentrate primarily on
cylindrical or single-row panoramas.
This misalignment can also happen if the upright
bracket is bent or is not exactly perpendicular
to the rotation plane of the head.At Kaidan we
check this dimension very closely to ensure it's
as close to 90° as reasonbly possible.
How many Shots?
Once you’ve determined the overlap, you’ll be
able to figure out how many shots.The easiest
way to do this is to simply look through the
viewfinder and turn the camera to achieve the
desired amount of overlap.You then check the
angle readout to see how far you turned the
camera. Round the angular value to the nearest
convenient value. For most stitching programs, it
is generally not that important to use a precise
overlap value. However, it should be noted that
some programs are more sensitive to an overlap
value that constantly repeats from shot to shot.
You may need to experiment somewhat to
First, the camera's optical axis should be parallel
with the rotation plane of the tripod head. In
other words the camera should not be pointed
up or down with respect to the plane of
rotation.
The effect of a rotated camera (when viewed
looking into the lens) is a stairstepping of
images as you progress around the panorama.
Stairstepping has nothing to do with the state
of the entire head being level with respect to
the horizon.This can be corrected by rotating
all the images a slight amount in your authoring
program.
Secondly, it's also somewhat important for the
camera and film/CCD to be properly aligned
with respect to rotation when viewed from the
front (looking into the lens).
You can also shim the camera/head to
compensate for such misalignment errors
as well.A few layers of tape is usually all that
This can happen because the camera is not
seated flush against the upright bracket.This
12
Shooting Panoramas (continued)
How do I begin?
it takes. Let me also reiterate what's not as
important as some people think.
and if you have any questions or problems using
our equipment, please let us know.
The overall level of the head/camera is not
as critical in order to produce good stitched
results.As long as the camera is not tilted or
rotated and as long as the camera is positioned
so that the optical axis is parallel to the rotation
plane, you can tilt or position the entire head
so that it's not level to the horizon and it won't
affect the image.
Now, it might produce a panorama that is tilted
with respect to the horizon but that might be
an artistic choice or something you want to do
on purpose.
As long as the optical axis is parallel to the
rotation plane and the camera/CCD is not
rotated, slight variations in level as the head
rotates is generally not a problem.
As you shoot around the circle, try to avoid
capturing any moving objects that might come
into your field of view.There is no harm in
waiting, for example, while a person walks past
before shooting the photo.
You may also want to check with the software
developer of the stitching software that
you’re using to get their recommendations for
exposure settings and other camera settings.
We hope you enjoy shooting your panoramas
13
Warranty and Product Return Information
Copyright © 2004 Kaidan, Inc.All Rights Reserved. First Edition, Sep 2004. KiWi,
QuickPan is a trademark of Kaidan, Inc. Other products mentioned herein may
be trademarks of their respective companies. Patents Pending.
exclusion or limitation of consequential damages, or limitations on how long an
implied warranty lasts, so the above exclusions or limitations may not apply to
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with your Kaidan product develops during the warranty period, immediately
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