Kaidan QuickPan III User Manual
QuickPan III
Panoramic Tripod Head
User’s Guide - V0.9 - 27 June 2002
QuickPan III Panoramic Tripod Head Overview
Welcome to the Kaidan QuickPan III and Panoramic Photography
Thank you purchasing a Kaidan
QuickPan III Panoramic Tripod Head.
This manual is designed to help you
understand how to use your QuickPan
III to create quality panoramas. This
document will be revised from time to
time and updated versions can be
downloaded from the QuickPan III
page on the Kaidan web site.
QuickPan III Overview
The QuickP an III family is built around
a sturdy and precise Rotator Base with
interchangable indexing rings. There
are several camera br ackets that slide
and lock onto the Rotator Base.
Why do I need a tripod head?
A panoramic tripod head makes it
possible to easily capture a sequence
of photos that are stitched to form a
complete panoramic image. It holds
the camera in the portrait orientation, positions the camera so that it
rotates around the optical c enter or
nodal point of the lens and provides
a repeatable and adjustable clickstop indexing mechanism.
The QuickPan III Family
Introducing the QuickPan III Components
Rotator Base
This heavy-duty design is lighter and more
compact than previous models and the competition. The new base employs interchangeable
Indexing Rings that support any number of
click-stop posit ions from 2 through 22. The
rings can be easily swapped at any time and
contribute to the light weight. The indexing
mechanism requires no lubrication or adjustments and has no loose parts. The base contains
an integral circular bubble level and
accomodates either 1/4” or 3/8” tripod threads.
The new QuickPan III Rotator Base will also accept older K aida n came ra brackets (i.e. KiWi+,
QuickPan).
Twin-Axis
Camera Bracket
The Twin-Axis Camera Bracket is designed to
support most digital and film cameras that are
equipped with fisheye lenses, or for those users
who desire or appreciate two independent sliding and locking axes of adjustment. The two independent 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,
Panowe ave r (w ww.e asy pano.net) and other
software applications that use fisheye images.
Standard
Camera Bracket
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 Brac ket 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 t he fore-aft adjustment of the camera' s
optical center, or nodal point, over the rotational c enter of the tripod head.
Spherical
Camera Bracket
The Spherical Camera Bracket is designed to
support most digital and film cameras and to
permit the angular up/down elevation for the
capture of multirow spherical and QuickTime
VR Cubic panoramas. This bracket is ideal for
those software applications that stitch multiple rows of images, including up/down "cap"
shots such as REALVIZ Stitcher. The Spherical
Camera Bracket can also be positioned at a level
zero degrees, thus fulfilling the same functions
as the Standard Camera Bracket. An optional
Arca-Swiss Quick Release camera plate is also
available.
The QuickPan III Family
Welcome to the Kaidan QuickPan III and Panoramic Photography
Pro Quick Release
Camera Bracket
The Pro Quick Release Camera Bracket is designed to
support most digital and film cameras that are
equipped with fisheye lenses, or for those users who
desire or appreciate two independent sliding and locking axes of adjustment with the convenience of a quic k
release mounting system. Y ou can choose from either
a Bogen or a Arca-Swiss mounting plate (Arca-Swiss
shown at right).
The tw o independent 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 this bracket
ideal for those using iPIX sof tware, Panoweaver
(www.easypano.net) and other software applications
that use fisheye images. Of course, this brac ket can also
be used with any wide-angle lens and stitching software as well.
Rotator Base
How to install and remove the indexing rings and adjusting the indexing force
Installing
Indexing Rings
1) Slide the Indexing Ring onto
the Rotator Base from the bottom, keeping the portion of the
Indexing Ring with the degree label facing up until it makes contact with the brass plunger. The
brass plunger will eventually snap
into the hole that in the side of
the Indexing Ring.
2) Rotate the Indexing Ring to
line up the notch on the top of the
Indexing Ring with the black
slanted alignment pin at the top
of the Rotator Base. The pin will
eventually go into the notch.
3) Depress the brass p lunger and
push up on the Indexing Ring until the bra ss pl unger pop s into the
plunger hole and the pin slides
into the notch.
Removing
Indexing Rings
On the lower portion of the black
Indexing Ring, there is gold colored pin visible through the hole
in the side. Insert the tip of a ball
point pen or a paper clip end into
the hole and push the gold pin inward till the Indexing Ring drops
down, then slide the Indexing
Ring off the Rotator Base.
Adjusting the Force
of the Spring Plunger
The screw, shown at left, can be
used to position the spring
plunger up and down. You can use
a screwdriver (or a c oin) to adjust
the indexing or click-stop force.
The s p ri n g p l un g e r is set from the
factory, but you may find that you
prefer a harder click-stop action.
Be sure to not overtighten the
plunger so that the metal body of
the plunger would co me in contact with the indexing ring. Also
be sure that the plung er is not set
deep enough as this will cause
excessive play in the indexing action.
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