tripod mount that moves the camera incrementally in a rectangular motion

[Master Technika]

I am curious if there is a tripod mount that can keep the camera parallel while moving it incrementally to the sides and up and down in a rectangular motion.  I would like to stitch files to give them the ratios of 4x5 and 8x10 film.  Thanks!

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

I am curious if there is a tripod mount that can keep the camera parallel while moving it incrementally to the sides and up and down in a rectangular motion.  I would like to stitch files to give them the ratios of 4x5 and 8x10 film.  Thanks!

Hi,

Don't know if a ready-made solution exists, but wouldn't it be easier to use a (camera/back feature) sensor plane shift, or a subject mount shift? Moving the whole camera+lens around might require a very large rig if the subject is large, and the subject could only be stitched reliably if it's flat.

It might help to know what kind/size of subject needs to be shot, and if it's indoors or outdoors.

Cheers,
Bart

[Master Technika]

I'd be using it for object such as painting or other static 2 dimensional objects.  I just need something that either allows me to shift the sensor plane accurately in increments or the whole camera.  I see mounts like the Gigapan and wonder if there is something that just moves it around in a rectangular fashion while allowing for the 40% of overlap Photoshop needs for stitching.  Kapture group makes a "Quadstitch back that seems similar to what I have in mind.  However, if there are other ideas for this including a way to move the entire camera accurately in this formation I would be interested to hear. 

[alan_b]

It won't be light or compact, but it'd be pretty easy to make a rig out of T-Slot rail for this.

[graeme]

Could you move the object you're photographing around instead?

[MarkL]

Is this different to what most multi row pano gear does?

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Is this different to what most multi row pano gear does?

Yes, most multi-row pano gear uses a rotation through the no-parallax-point (NPP) method, not a parallel to the subject plane shift.

The best solution is a variation on an XY-easel shift of the flat object itself, with a stationary camera and lighting setup, or a shifting camera back (with LCC corrections applied during Raw processing, but they are relatively standard with repro work anyway). But it is also possible to shift the whole camera/lens rig around, although that would require relatively large shifts.

Cheers,
Bart

[AJSJones]

Not sure if this X-Y rail will meet your distance or precision needs but I sometimes use one for scanning 4x5's (they are on a light pad moved by this rig on a copy stand using my macro lens) Rube Goldberg/Heath Robinson cheapskate scanner:D

[Rainer SLP]

Not sure if this X-Y rail will meet your distance or precision needs but I sometimes use one for scanning 4x5's (they are on a light pad moved by this rig on a copy stand using my macro lens) Rube Goldberg/Heath Robinson cheapskate scanner:D

I think that is a good idea.

You would just need a 90° adapter for the camera in order to put the X-Y Rail in vertical position ...

[degrub]

How about a panel saw frame and carriage as a starting point ?
http://sawtrax-online.com/?gclid=CKaIjqr-i8cCFcRlfgodDuUM9w

[rgs]

A macro focusing rail turned sideways?

[Ellis Vener]

I'd be using it for object such as painting or other static 2 dimensional objects.  I just need something that either allows me to shift the sensor plane accurately in increments or the whole camera.  I see mounts like the Gigapan and wonder if there is something that just moves it around in a rectangular fashion while allowing for the 40% of overlap Photoshop needs for stitching.  Kapture group makes a "Quadstitch back that seems similar to what I have in mind.  However, if there are other ideas for this including a way to move the entire camera accurately in this formation I would be interested to hear.  

For the work you want to do the best option is to mount your DSLR on a 4x5 monorail camera with precise rise/fall and shift movements.  This keeps the lens axis centered in the overall area, eliminating parallax errors when stitching. There are some limitations to this but for what you want to do  they shouldn't apply. I think the best view camera body for this is the Sinar P series but any heavyweight monorail view camera with rear movements will work.

Addendum:
 We have had L-L forum discussions about DSLR- to-view camera adapters in the past, here is one: http://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=72082.0

[Master Technika]

Thank you for all the great replies.  The saw guide, x-y rail, and view camera are all good suggestions.  The x-y rail seems like the best option, but I'd need to mount the camera so that it were facing outwards or so that the "y" axis were moving the camera upwards and downwards as opposed to front and back.  Any suggestions?