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New hemispherical photography equipment

DATE: 2018-04-15

AUTHOR: John L. Godlee

Last week I took delivery of a bundle of camera equipment that we are going to use to take pictures of woodland canopies, in order to quantify canopy density and understorey light environment. I'm hoping that this short post can guide somewhat on what makes a good hemispherical photography setup for research.

A list of ideal hemispherical photography equipment

DSLR camera * Full frame to not crop the fisheye image * With a big sensor that can capture contrast * Ideally with an articulated screen so the image can be viewed easily when pointing straight up * e.g. Nikon D750
A 180 degree fisheye lens, with detachable hood and suitable for full frame bodies * e.g. Sigma 8mm f/3.5 fisheye
A sturdy tripod * Can extend to a height of at least 1.5 m * Has the ability to angle the camera directly upwards
Some sort of 3 axis spirit level that fits onto the camera, not the tripod * e.g. one that fits into the camera body hotshoe
USB SD card reader
2 large SD cards
A hard case to transport the equipment * e.g. a pelicase
A lens cover so that the lens can be kept safe when not in use

Photography equipment

Pelicase

Hemispherical photo