TITLE: New hemispherical photography equipment
DATE: 2018-04-15
AUTHOR: John L. Godlee
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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](https://johngodlee.xyz/img_full/hemi_photo/kit.jpg)

  ![Pelicase](https://johngodlee.xyz/img_full/hemi_photo/case.jpg)

  ![Hemispherical 
photo](https://johngodlee.xyz/img_full/hemi_photo/hemi.jpg)