I’ve recently migrated to the Nodal Ninja 3 after using the Kingpano all along and I would like to highlight some of the differences here.
As I’ve mentioned before, the Kingpano get things done and it’s very cost effective and great for starters (About $160 SGD).
Kingpano
– It’s Cheap, if not cheaper than most Pano Heads out there.
– Changing batteries of the camera will require you to remove the screws to have access to the battery compartment. See pics below.
Now you don’t see your battery compartment…
And now then you do…
– No able to use with grip.
– Taking normal shots with this is tough.
The Nodal Ninja 3
– Smaller nadir footprint, meaning lesser Photoshop work later on.
– Taking zenith and shifting to nadir is a breeze, no need to meddle with big knobs like the Kingpano.
Smaller footprint = lesser work for nadir
No manual knobs to loosen in order to adjust the upwards or downwards angle, top image here, upper 40 degrees and…
Downwards, 30 degrees by turning, nothing to loosen or tighten
– Smaller and light weight at a total of 475g
– Cannot work with grip but it’s ok as changing batteries when needed is easier now. You can leave the camera on the Nodal Ninja 3 and still have access to the battery compartment. I’m using the Canon 350D by the way but camera with the battery compartments on the same botto/ corner configuration will be able to do the same.
Of course, the ultimate will be the 360Precesion pano head but it’s well out of what I would spend on a pano head (for the time being). See below:
You’ll be able to access the battery compartment at all times.
Nodal Ninja 3 Settings
For those interested, with a Canon 350D fitted with a 10-20 Sigma, upper rail is 93 and lower rail is 41 for the nodal point/ entrance pupil.
Glad to hear we were favored in the comparison :-).
We now offer rail stops that make the setup even easier, quicker and repeatable once setup. The rail stops attach to the upper and lower rails so your camera mounts in the same position each time. If you want a pair for free touch bases with me through the website.
thanks
Bill
That’s a cool idea and I keep my NN3 pano head assembled and mounted on camera while going out for photoshoots. The rail stoppers will be great for re-setting up everytime, quickly and accurately. Thanks for commenting Bill. It’s an honor to have someone from Nodal Ninja here commenting.
Details of the rail stops are here > http://www.nodalninja.com/nodal_ninja_rail_stops.html
Now, i can get a smaller bag even and still pack everything in!
Anyone that is considering a KingPano head should seach google first and review the many negative comments that have been posted about the service from this website. I tried to order one, and was constantly delayed and never did receive it – even after 4 months! Beware of King Pano
Don’t fret. There’s always Nodal Ninja! They have one of the best service and community. People are generally helpful but do please RTFM first. The forums are quite active too and answers are mostly posted within at most a day, depending where you are in the world due to some time difference.
NN’s orders have never ever taken too long to arrive.