User Manuals and Quick Reference Guides

Tutorials and Videos

Camera Settings

Field of View and Panorama Production Calculator

FAQ

Useful Links

User Manuals and Quick Reference Guides

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Nodal Ninja 3 Series

Nodal Ninja 3 MKII  Manual  

Nodal Ninja 3 MKII Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 3 MKII RD8 Quick Reference Guide  

Ninja Ninja 3 MKII RD12 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 4 Series

Nodal Ninja 4 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 4 RD8 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 4 RD16 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 5 Series

Nodal Ninja 5 Manual  

Nodal Ninja 5/L Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 5 RD8 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja 5 RD16 Quick Reference Guide  

Nodal Ninja Ultimate Series

Nodal Ninja M  

Nodal Ninja R1  

Nodal Ninja R10 GTP

Lens Ring Attachment Guide

Nodal Ninja 180

Nodal Ninja 180 Quick Reference Guide  

Accessories

M1 Series Camera Plates (Anti Twist Flange) 

M1 Series Camera Plate 2 

Specifications of M1 Camera Plates 

M1 Series Zenith Nadir Adapter

Camera Plate 2  

Nadir Adapter  

Tripod Adapter A   

Tripod Adapter B   

Tutorials

NN3

  Changing the detent ring on the Nodal Ninja 3 MKII | Loosen the rotator lock knob then loosen the detent plunger knob slightly. Next unscrew and remove the upper knob which will have a built in hex key. Separate the rotator and expose the detent ring. Unscrew the set screw just enough to remove the detent ring and replace with the desired ring of choice. In this case here we use the 45 degree ring. Each ring is reversible and has a different set of stops on each side. In this video we use the 45 degree ring. Ring marking "45° n=8" translated: 1 click stop every 45 degrees of rotation total number of stops around = 8. After changing the detent ring and putting back together the rotator, tighten the detent knob until you feel the ball bearing is touching the detent ring (small reaction force). Turn the rotator to see if there is wobbling at the detent stops. Tighten the knob a bit more if you note any wobble. Precision is max when the ball bearing is just touching the detent well. Tighten upper rotator knob enough for good tension and feel. Be careful NOT to over tighten.

  How to setup and mount a DSLR on the Nodal Ninja 3 MKII | Setup up with DSLR. First mount your Nodal Ninja 3 MKII to the tripod neck or ball mount. Attach upper assembly to lower rail with upper rail facing inward. Make sure the camera plate (CP-1) is securely mounted and squared to the base of your camera. Mount your camera to the upper rail with hand grip of camera on the up side.

  Mounting your camera in landscape mode on the Nodal Ninja 3 MKII | Mounting a Camera in Landscape Mode. When attaching your camera to the lower rail assembly make sure you use the camera mounting plate (CP-1). Make sure the camera plate is securely mounted and squared to the base of your camera. You may also use an optional quick release system as well.

  Nodal Ninja 3 - Changing the MKII Rotator | If you have an older style NN3 with the lock set screw in the upper know of the lower rotator then it's time to upgrade. The enhanced MKII rotator is more precise and even easier to use. It gives your older NN3 new life and is a very inexpensive upgrade.

  Nodal Ninja 3 MKII - 60 second setup | Setting up the Nodal Ninja 3 MKII out of the package and onto a tripod then mounting a DSLR on the Nodal Ninja - all under 60 seconds. Nodal Ninja is a full spherical panoramic tripod head used or creating 360 degree virtual reality photography. Also used for simple landscape digital photography as well as complex multirow mosaics and gigapixel panoramas. This type of photography is also know as quicktime VR or QTVR.

  Nodal Ninja 3 MKII Package - What you get | This is a Nodal Ninja MKII as we ship it in package form. Comprised of two basics assemblies, upper and lower, the package also includes detent rings and misc items. All are packaged in a precut foam insert shelled in a nicely line dual zippered case. Contents may vary slightly with promotions and specials.

  Nodal Ninja 3 with RD3L | NN3 with new R-D3L Rotator with built in EZ-Leveler-II. Great solution to those needing a leveling device / rotator / pano head. This is an exclusive design which combines Fanotec's RD3L rotator with built in EZ-Leveler-II to be mounted directly onto the NN3 pano head.

  Nodal Ninja 3 with RD8 - What you get | Nodal Ninja 3 MKII with Rotator R-D8. Includes NN3 MKII upper rotator assembly with the R-D8 lower rotator and rail, camera plate, 1 pr. rail stops and hard shelled case. Detent rings are not included or needed with advanced rotators.

  Nodal Ninja 3 with RD16 - What you get | Nodal Ninja 3 MKII with Rotator R-D8. Includes NN3 MKII upper rotator assembly with the R-D8 lower rotator and rail, camera plate, 1 pr. rail stops and hard shelled case. Detent rings are not included or needed with advanced rotators.

NN5

  Changing the detent ring on the Nodal Ninja 5 or 5L (standard rotator) | First loosen the lower rotator lock knob, then loosen the little detent plunger knob. Next loosen and remove the upper knob of the lower rotator. Please note this knob has a built in hex key tool. Separate the rotator to expose the detent ring. Using the hex tool located in the rotator knob loosen the set screw and remove the detent ring. Careful not to get any grease on your fingers - if you do simply wipe you hands clean. Next replace the detent ring of your choice. In this tutorial we use the 72 degree ring. The ring marking "72° n5" translated: 1 click stop every 72 degrees of rotation total number of stops around = 5.

  Mounting your camera in landscape mode on Nodal Ninja 5 | When attaching your camera to the lower rail assembly make sure you use the camera mounting plate (CP-1). Make sure the camera plate is securely mounted and squared to the base of your camera. You may also use an optional quick release system as well.

  Nodal Ninja 5 with RD8 - What you get | Includes NN5 upper rotator assembly with 15 degree positive stops and the new R-D8 lower rotator, camera plate, 1 pr. rail stops and now with foam lined hard shelled zippered case (like with foam cutouts as shown in image). Detent rings are not included or needed.

  Nodal Ninja 5 with RD16 | Includes NN5 upper rotator assembly with 15 degree positive stops and the new R-D8 lower rotator, camera plate, 1 pr. rail stops and now with foam lined hard shelled zippered case (like with foam cutouts as shown in image). Detent rings are not included or needed.

  Nodal Ninja 5/5L Standard Package | The standard NN5 and NN5L package comes in a nice hard shelled foam lined case. Foam cutouts hold the lower assembly and upper assembly as well and extra detent rings and misc. parts.

  The Upper Rotator of the NN5 | Nodal Ninja uses a unique locking mechanism that allows for a positive lock at any 15 degrees of rotation, The NN5L does not incorporate this feature. When the level is to the left (as you are looking at it) it is in the lock ready position. Loosen upper rotator knob approx 1 full turn and rotate to any 15 degree position and lock. Always hold the camera when loosening the upper rotator. The locking feature can be disengaged easily by loosening the upper rotator knob and sliding level to the right. After you place the new detent into position tighten the set screw with hex key. Reassemble the rotator and screw the upper rotator knob securely but not excessively tight. Tighten the detent plunger knob all the way down to ensure good click stops. Do NOT over tighten. NN5L supports 15lbs (7.5kgs). NN5 supports 22lbs (12kgs) with lock stop engaged. note: normal operating weight limit is approx have the max load.

  Setting up and Mounting a DSLR on NN5 | First mount your Nodal Ninja 5 to the tripod neck or ball mount. In this tutorial we will mount the NN5 to our EZ-Leveler-II. NN5 will attach to any 3/8 or 1/4 thread mount. Attach upper assembly to lower rail with upper rail facing inward. Make sure the camera plate (CP-1) is securely mounted and squared to the base of your camera. Mount your camera to the upper rail with hand grip of camera on the up side.

NN180

 Nodal Ninja 180 - How it works | Nodal Ninja 180 with advanced RD4 rotator comes in a nice hard shelled case with camera mounting plate, extra rail stop and misc parts.

 Nodal Ninja 180 - What you get

Advanced Rotators

  Fanotec's Advanced Rotator RD8 | Part in a series of Fanotec's new top of the line advanced Rotators. A rotator that combines high precision, ease of use, compactness, light weight and durability - just what panoramic photographers have been waiting for. Suitable for lens ranging from ultra wide angle to 55mm (full frame).
Complete set of 8 detent interval options;
Stops around = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20
Degrees = 90, 60, 45, 36, 30, 24, 20, 18

  Fanotec's Advanced Rotator RD16 | Part in a series of Fanotec's new top of the line advanced Rotators. A rotator that combines high precision, ease of use, compactness, light weight and durability - just what panoramic photographers have been waiting for. Suitable for lens ranging from ultra wide angle to 450mm (full frame landscape mode). Complete set of 16 detent interval options;
Stops around = 3 ,4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 24, 30, 36, 48, 60, 72, 96
Degrees = 120, 90, 60, 45, 36, 30, 24, 20, 18, 15, 12, 10, 7.5, 6, 5, 3.75

Accessories

  The New EZ-Leveler II | The EZ-Leveler-II comes an optional hard shelled foam lined carry case. It uses blue anodized knurled knobs for easy leveling and will support up to 22 lbs (12kgs) of weight.

  EZ-Leveler-II with built in D3 Rotator | This is most fancy product we ever developed. Users can now adjust very fine leveling with loading of heavy gear on top. Unlike leveling using ball head or tripod legs, leveling remains stationary after each adjustment. No more need to compensate for the effect of loading. Maximum angle of adjustment is 5 degrees. (note - we also have the RD3L 6-10-30 model).

  Using the T-Adapter | This is our first generation t-adapter. It is primarily used for cameras that use an offset tripod mount. Ideally the tripod mount should be inline the with center of the lens. Most point and shoot cameras as well as some Canon DSLR battery grips have a tripod mount that is slightly offset. The t-adapter helps to compensate for this offset. The t-20 is good for offsets up to 20mm (as with most cameras) and the t-30 if good for offsets up to 30mm. note: watch for our newer 2nd generation t-adapter.

Camera Settings

The Nodal Ninja Camera Setting page has a comprehensive database of camera settings for various camera/ lens combinations. This is a great resource to help get your No Parallax Point in the 'ball park'.

Field of View and Panorama Production Calculator

Dont know how many images you need to take with your camera and lens combination? Not sure what your overlap between images should be? Then Nodal Ninja has the answer with their Panorama Production Calculator.

FAQ

Which Nodal Ninja is best for you?  This can be a difficult question to answer, but the Nodal Ninja Decision Tree can help steer you in the right direction. If possible, calculate or weigh your heaviest camera and lens configuration (including possible future lens upgrades) and consult the data specs for each model, noting the load bearing characteristics. If you're still not quite sure after that, please feel welcome to contact us and we will help you select the perfect model.

For further reading on product selection, Nodal Ninja has an extensive page dedicated to helping you find the right model.

When will i receive my order?  We use Australia Post as our primary delivery service. All orders (except split orders) are sent using Platinum Express with a signature required on delivery, plus tracking. Speed of delivery depends on several factors such as where you are in Australia. 99% of orders are received within 1-3 days.

I need my gear urgently. Can you send via a courier service?  Yes. If you can arrange and pay for a courier to collect the package, you can have the item delivered same day in most cases. Be aware that these services are expensive. In the past, we have had 100% success with TNT Express, and as our office is minutes from the local airport, the chances of a rapid delivery are in your favour. Of critical importance, is for you to contact us by phone to ensure we have stock, and for us to prioritise and package your order.

Useful Links

How do i find the No Parallax Point?  Finding the No Parallax Point can be tricky for first time users. John Haughton's tutorial is a great place to start.

Where can i get help from other Nodal Ninja users?  The Nodal Ninja community is very helpful and active at the Nodal Ninja Forum. Signup and join a great bunch of people who love shooting pano's.