Ralf Rohner

ATOLL mounting bracket

Meet the ATOLL mounting bracket:

The version with the extension plate, shown in my clip to work with the canon EF-EOS R drop-in filter adapter, is sold as ATOLL D.

For more information check: https://silencecorner.net

6 comments

  1. The L bracket I had before blocks the drop-in filter adapter. I just received my ATOLL and look forward to using it!

    When you take panoramas, do you take the one RGB photo then a Ha photo, move the camera, repeat? Or do you take all the RGB photos in a pano, add the Ha filter and take the entire pano again?

    Do you have a click stop roatator or do it by hand?

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    • I am sure you will like the ATOLL.

      For panos, I shoot RGB and Ha for each individual panel before panning to the next panel. The Workflow is as follows:
      RGB, Ha -> move to next panel, level the camere, Ha, RGB -> move to next panel, level camera, RGB, Ha -> ….

      This limits filter changes to one per panel.
      For small panos with just a few panels or when working with a real equatorial mout, you do not have to level the camera. Levelling helps on samall trackers to keep the camera in the vertical aund thus avoids the rig to become severely unbalanced when shooting big panos.

      Yes, I use a click stop rotator, which I find very helpul, as it lets me rotate the camera fast, precisely, and whithout the need to use a headlamp.

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      • I never would have considered going back and forth like that, but makes total sense.

        Seems like you have to make a lot of camera setting changes? Looking at the EXIF data you reported on your last pano, looks like you change your both the # of seconds, and your ISO.

        I would imagine on a full pano @ 28mm, with a 50% overlap, that’s what…8-10 vertical pannels?

        Seems to me that it would be easy to get lost / confused, accidently miss one, etc.

        Do you keep a checklist or something to keep everything straight or are you able to keep it all in your head.

        You make beautiful images…excited to see what you share and shoot this next year!

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      • You are right with the overlap and the number of panels for a full arch with my 28mm. I indeed change both exposure time and ISO.

        My NBZ filter cuts about 3.5 stops of light. Compared to when shooting with the clear filter, I increase the ISO by 2 stops to avoid exceedingly long exposures.

        For the exposure time I try to keep things quick on my interval timer. That’s why my standard setting at f/2 is ISO1600 45s with the clear filter and ISO6400 1min 45s with the NBZ. Like this I only need to add 1min on my intervall timer, which is a matter of a few seconds. Together with the higher ISO this is close to making the image 3.5 stops brighter.

        I do not have a checklist, even though I often work with two cameras simultaniously. The only thing you have to remember is that every time you change filters, you need to change both ISO and exposure time. As you just have to switch back and forth between two settings,you just dial in the other setting when you switch filters.

        This has never caused me any problems. The only screw-up I did was putting in the wrong filter when working with two cameras and different filters. This happens when I become tired. The solution is to keep the filters of the right camera in my Jacket’s right pocket and those of the left camera in the left.

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      • Two cameras at once…switching from RGB to Ha and moving panoramas. Makes my head spin : )

        Sounds like you have your workflow down.

        I just set up my ATOLL with my tracker to see how it works. I was suprised to find it’s only when you turn LEFT you get the click stop to know that you are at 90°. That puts the Drop-in Filter opening below you. When you turn the ATOLL to the right, so the Drop-in Filter opening is conveniently on top, there is no click stop.

        When you set up for panos, do you:

        1. Pull the from the bottom
        2. Pull from the top, or
        3. Switch orientation to horizontal, then swap back to vertical (with the filters on the bottom)

        Clear skies! Thanks for sharing you experience.

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      • Yes, in portrait orientation, the filter opening is below. I work with it this way. If the camera is enough forward on the quick release plate, you can still exchange filters. It takes a bit of getting used to, but it’s no show stopper.

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