The Acratech Nodal Rail is a nodal slide, designed to adjust your camera's position front to back, thereby enabling positioning of the nodal point on your lens over the center of rotation. This allows you to create accurate stitched panoramic images. Our nodal rail also features adjustable stops that can be preset to the nodal point of your two favorite focal lengths.
Posted by JOHN CALLERY on 20th Aug 2019
I purchased this nodal slide to work with the Acratech Panoramic Head (1165) and they work well together. I watched the Acratech video on achieving the "non-parallex point" and then tested all my lenses at all the focal lengths I planned on using and all my panoramas are coming out perfectly in Lightroom. There are no wasted pixels using this setup. Note: I am shooting with a Sony A7RII and Sony Zoom lenses.
Posted by Ron Hallam - Gita Photos on 17th May 2018
I just have received the Rail. Then spent the time necessary to calibrate the rail with my lenses. I have not yet used it in the field so my "review" has to be limited to build,feel,look and SO far - functionality.
I will say I have the GV2 Ball Head, and the L bracket which I have used heavily for several years and they are superb - build,function,precision and looks.
Posted by Laurel Strohmeyer on 20th Jun 2016
Like every other Acratech product I have ordered, this is precision machined and really exceptional quality. Keep up the great work Scott! Love your company and will continue to highly recommend your products.
Posted by Robert Waltman on 17th Mar 2016
Very impressed at the use of the Nodal Slide and how easy it is to place on the Acratech Ball Head. The two quick indicator stops can set your focal length nodal point adjustment saves time when in the field. Set up is quick, easy and accurate.
I would recommend this product if you are doing panorama photography with close in objects.
Posted by Bob Trlin on 20th Dec 2015
I use this not as a nodal rail but as a focusing "assist" rail for macros and macro focus stacking. My camera has an in-camera focus bracketing and focus stacking feature so the precision mechanism of the traditional quality focusing rail is no longer required except for the most exacting scientific work. In-camera focus bracketing is done in seconds rather than minutes and in theory, has the perspective advantage of keeping the camera to subject distance constant.