PIXI Pano360
Should you add this pano head from Manfrotto to your kitbag? We find out
On initial overview, the Manfrotto PIXI Pano360 is a small, compact tripod head, designed with the specific intent of being used to capture the perfect seamless panoramic shot.
On its base, it has a standard-sized screw thread for attaching onto a tripod as well as a screw threaded head to secure it to a camera body. The unit also comes packaged with a smooth detachable clamp that affixes to the top for phone gripping. One of the things that makes the PIXI Pano360 that more interesting is the very same thing that limits it; its size. As the unit is designed specifically with camera phones and CSCs in mind, it only has a 2kg weight limit, which ultimately means that its internal mechanism may not take too kindly to your full-frame camera body with telephoto lens. This is understandable though, as the body construction is designed for portability and seamless movement in order to make it the perfect kit companion for the aforementioned smaller cameras.
What elevates the PIXI Pano360 from a gimmick to being a great addition to any kit bag is that it offers remote control via its own compact controller, as well as app control via your smartphone or tablet.
With the controller, you have dedicated buttons enabling you do a full 360 sweep, ideal for phone panos or panning for film, and you can also nudge for incremental step movements left or right. As for the app, you can pretty much do the same; it can override the phone’s camera to take shots and save to the phone’s camera roll, as well as acting as a separate dedicated remote control. In order to shoot directly to the app, you will need to attach the phone and get hands-on by pressing the screen to access the mode you want to use, which can get cumbersome as well as highlighting that the controller wont remotely trigger your phone. But on a positive note, when using the app as the remote, you have the ability to program the duration of the rotation, which is great when using a
CSC. Another bonus to using the phone app to shoot your panoramas is that it will display gyroscopic data, informing you of the angle of the unit and whether or not it is level, helping to ensure you don’t generate a lopsided pano.
Create seamless panoramics with your phone using this pocket-sized pano head from Manfrotto