Kaidan Tripod User Manual
™
KiWi Panoramic Tripod Head
User’s Guide - V1.1 - 12 Jan 2005
KiWi Panoramic Tripod Head Overview
Welcome to the Kaidan KiWi and Panoramic Photography
Thank you for purchasing a Kaidan
KiWi™ Panoramic Tripod Head.
This manual is designed to help you
understand how to use your KiWi to
create quality panoramas. This document will be revised occasionally and
updated versions can be downloaded
from the KiWi page on the Kaidan
web site.
Kaidan popularized panoramic VR/
QTVR panoramic photography with
our KiWi™ tripod head more than
8 years ago. The new KiWi continues that tradition with an affordable,
rugged, lightweight and elegant design
that includes an innovative detent
click-stop mechanism (10, 12, 14, 16,
18, 20 stops are standard; 2 through
28 stops optional), handy Click-
Disc storage accessory pouch with
number-of-shots chart, built-in bubble
level and an adjustable camera bracket.
The KiWi is also easily upgradeable
with optional camera brackets to support fisheye lenses and quick-release
camera mounts.
lightweight travelling companion.
The KiWi is built around a sturdy
and precise Rotator Base with interchangable ClickDiscs. There are
interchangeable camera brackets that
slide and lock onto the Rotator Base.
The KiWi makes it easy to capture a
sequence of photos that are stitched
to form a complete panoramic image.
It holds the camera in the optimum
portrait orientation, positions the
camera so that it rotates around the
optical center or nodal point of the
lens and provides a repeatable and adjustable click-stop indexing mechanism.
The KiWi is designed to handle a
wide range of digital and film cameras
as well as conventional wide-angle and
fisheye lenses. You'll be able to use
any stitching or panoramic application
available, such as those from Apple,
iSeeMedia, iPIX, VR Toolbox, Realviz,
Panotools and Easypano because the
KiWi is adaptable to handle any situation, camera, lens or software.
While the KiWi will be an excellent
choice for many photographers just
getting started in panoramic photography, it will also appeal to professionals who require a compact and
1
The KiWi Family
Introducing the KiWi Components
KiWi Rotator Base & Accessory Pouch
Rotator Base
The primary component in the KiWi family is
the Rotator Base. The base uses interchangeable indexing discs called ClickDiscs that
provide various click-stop positions. The base
contains an integral circular bubble level and accommodates either 1/4” or 3/8” tripod threads.
Included with every KiWi is a convenient Accessory 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.
Compact Camera Bracket & Twin-Axis Adapter
(Optional)
The Compact Camera Bracket and the
Twin-Axis Adapter are designed 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. These features are ideal for those
using iPIX software, Panoweaver (www.easypano.
net) and other software applications that use
fisheye images.
Accessory
Pouch
Compact Camera Bracket
& Twin-Axis Adapter
Standard Camera
Bracket
Optional
Quick Release Brackets
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 Bracket can be adjusted
along the horizontal arm of the Rotator Base
in order to locate the camera in the side-toside 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.
Optional Quick Release Camera Brackets
The Standard and Twin-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.
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 located in the blue accessory
pouch and loosen the set
screw (do not remove) by
turning several revolutions
counter-clockwise.
2) With the set screw
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.
Rotator Base Assembly
Set Screw Wrench in Barrel
ClickDisc Accessory Pouch with 6
ClickDiscs and Set Screw Wrench
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 position.
Horizontal Plate
2) Place the horizontal plate
over the barrel and reinsert the
axle. Make sure that the plastic
washer is on the axle.
3) Push down on the knob of
the axle to compress the assembly and to retract the spring
plunger fully. As you apply pressure on the knob, use the set
screw wrench to tighten and secure the axle in position. There
should be no discernable play
between the barrel and plate.
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.
Barrel w/ClickDisc Installed
Set Screw Wrench in Barrel
Axle w/Plastic
Washer
Set Screw Wrench
ClickDisc
Barrel
4
KiWi Rotator Base
Tripod threaded bushing adapter
The KiWi comes with a tripod adapter bushing which accommodates both
1/4-20 inch and 3/8-16 inch threaded
tripod mounts.
1/4 inch Tripod
If your tripod has a 1/4 inch threaded
mount, leave the brass bushing in the
center hole in the bottom of the rotator as shown at lower left.
3/8 inch Tripod
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!
Adapter
Bushing
1/4-20 Thread with Bushing in cen-
ter position
3/8-16 Thread with Bushing in stor-
age position
5
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