Posted: 5/27/2014 5:49:37 AM EDT
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Net: buy it for doing presentations (where it's currently marketed), buy an EPIC for panoramas.
Gross: I kickstarted the Swivl about 18 months ago and it finally showed up. On the journey from idea to implementation, the specs were cut back and (as you can see from the website) the market was changed from panos to presentations. That said, I bought it for panoramas so I went and shot some this weekend. The software it comes with for panoramas is terrible, but open source, and advancing in fits and starts. Basic use will reveal lots of UI bugs, so watch it carefully or you'll do unexpected things like set the interval to a minute when it used to be a second. One thing I'd like is a Mac OS program to control the device - putting an EyeFi in the camera to serve as an almost realtime view of what's being shot would be tenable with a desktop app; juggling an iPad, a laptop, and all the other gear just isn't happening. The biggest limitation of the physical device is you can only shoot with lightweight lenses or the clutch will kick out. I bought this to use with my D90 and 70-300mm lens - even at 70mm, too much mass is forward of the unit and it locks up. The only lenses I have that work with the balance point are my 35 and 50mm primes, hardly the lens of choice for what I want to do. Another limitation is the lens barrel has to be fairly narrow, so forget short fat lenses, too. The software only lets you pan right now, but tilt is supposedly coming, which would be nice. I'm considering buying a light point and shoot that has a reasonable zoom once tilt is integrated. For the $150 level I kicked in, it's a good enough replacement for the GigaPan EPIC, but at current retail I'd consider the 100 or the Pro. If you want to do presentations, though, it's pretty fucking awesome. You put the marker on your lanyard, the iPad/iPhone in the cradle, and it follows you around the stage while you talk. Here are two of the panos I shot this weekend. Camera is a D90 on auto with a 35mm lens; I used Microsoft Research ICE for stitching. |