A little about the people and the company that brings you these great products.
History:
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Nodal Ninja SPH-1 |
The SPH-1 suited almost all point and shoot cameras and as well as many DSLR cameras like the Nikon D70 or Canon Rebel. Many SPH-1 pano heads are still being used today.
This model paved the way to redesign with many improvements before finalizing with the NN3 family.
Model History:
late 2004 - NN SPH-1 (spherical first generation)
mid 2005 - NN SPH-1i (spherical first generation improved)
late 2005 - NN SPH-2 (spherical second generation)
early 2006 - NN SPH-2L (spherical second generation longer vertical arm)
early 2006 - NN SPH-2s, (spherical second generation shorter vertical arm)
early 2007 - NN SPH-2sd (spherical second generation shorter vertical arm with detents)
mid 2007 - NN3 (third generation)
early 2008 - NN3-MKII.(third generation with improved lower rotator)
early 2008 - NN5 - a new series added to the lineup of pano heads reaching to the pro-level cameras
mid 2008 - NN180
- a small lightweight solution added to meet the needs of those doing single row pano with super wide angle lens
late 2008 - Fanotec advances with state-of-the-art CAD and CNC machinery resulting in higher precision products line called the "Ultimate Line".
early 2009 -D4, D8, D12, D16 - new higher precision CNC advanced rotators come to market allowing more pano head configurations.
mid 2009 - R1, R10 CNC machined ring clamp style pano heads added to the lineup.
late 2009 - Turntables for those doing object movies
all of 2010 - accessories and add-ons to many products.
late 2010 - Nodal Ninja 5 series discountinued.
early 2011 - Modular Pole series 1 and 2
early 2011 - Ultimate M1 series modular panoheads
Nodal Ninja is also the name of a company which operates under the legal protection of Bill Bailey LLC - a Limited Liability Company based in Chandler Arizona USA. The brand name "Nodal Ninja" is used by permission from Nick Fan of Fanotec International. Many aspects of the business to include marketing and global distribution of the Fanotec product line are all handled through Nodal Ninja. Nodal Ninja is the exclusive global distributor of the Fanotec product line. While Fanotec International and Nodal Ninja are separate legally licensed entities they still operate very closely with other.
Fanotec International and Nick Fan invented and developed the Nodal Ninja spherical bracket nearly 6 years ago. Nick has many years of schooling, is bilingual and has a passion to design, engineer and build. He formed and called his new manufacturing company initially named Digital Initiatives but later changed to Fanotec International. Their slogan is "We Listen. We try harder". The name Fanotec was coined by a forum user because Nick showed himself to be a big Fan of Technology.
A perfectionist at heart with a strong commitment to quality and customer support Nick continues to improve upon current product designs. He also works to develop ongoing products to meet the demands of the panoramic photographer. Nick frequents many forums and you will see him regularly in our own Nodal Ninja forum.
Bill Bailey is C.E.O. of Bill Bailey LLC. Bill owned and operated a successful photography company in Alaska for 4 years called Northern Exposure Photography (NEP). NEP had shot over 250,000 sittings over the course of 4 years, from school photography to families living in remote Eskimo Villages throughout the state. His interests ultimately lead him into panoramic photography. While seeking out panoramic tripod heads himself he learned about Nick of Digital Initiatives. Nick’s company was still in early development and Bill brought to the table his experience in business and marketing. Bill shared the same entrepreneurial passion and commitment as Nick which ultimately formed a business relationship that helped to bring the product line to where it is today. Bill’s company is proud to be the primary and exclusive global distributor for the Fanotec product line as well as the Leica Geosystem adapter rods for the Leica Geosystem Laser Scanners using a pano head.
Bill is very committed to upholding the highest standards of customer service and support.
Mauro Contrafatto - Customer Service Manager
Mauro handles most inquires from the website, and helps to answer customer concerns and product questions. Mauro is a forum moderator and also authorized distributor/reseller in Italy. Mauro is also committed to customer service and goes the extra mile to reach out and help others. His dedication and responsiveness to customer concerns goes beyond the call of duty. We are proud to have him on our team.
Mauro can be reach at: cs@nodalninja.com
Rob Van Gils - Shipping Manager
Rob has been part of our team for close to 3 years. As shipping manager he primarily packages and ships orders around the globe and is responsible for getting the products delivered to you. He is very familiar with all our products and also handles many support issues. Rob, now semi-retired, has been into photography most of his life. Being a world traveler every year he ventures off to faraway lands in pursuit of the perfect panorama. He has many stories to share to a willing ear. Rob's direct email address is shipping@nodalninja.com.
Derek - IT Manager
Derek works under the hood to ensure our Website, forum, and e-store stay up and running. He brings a diverse and creative skill set that enables him to dabble in different areas of our company as well. From video production and flash add banner creations to newsletter creation and email management. He also moonlights after hours with side jobs that challenge his skill set. Derek's direct email address is it@nodalninja.com
Judith Richey - Office Manager
Judith is the newest member to join our team. Personable, friendly, energetic and self motivating Judith brings a great dynamic to the workplace. She not only excels in accounting and bookkeeping but she is also a professional portrait photographer. She's new to panoramic photography but I believe she will quickly gain new found interest. Judith's direct email address is accounts@nodalninja.com
We are all team players and quick to help each other when needs arise. If one person is our due to vacation or illness someone else jumps to fill their position. Or we might help each if added assistance is needed from time to time. The department manager is always responsible for everything that happens in his or her department. So if I cover for Rob and do some shipping and make a mistake, after all we are all only human, it is Rob's responsibility to fix things (sorry Rob).
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| Nodal Ninja Ultimate R1 Fanotec's latest pano head |
Our Resellers need mention as well. We strive hard to hand pick resellers that are committed to customer service. Our resellers are team players and we work well together bringing you a more cohesive network of support. We're very proud of our existing family of resellers and hope your experiences in purchasing our products reflects in their commitment. If you the customer ever have a problem with a local reseller please contact me directly at bill[at]nodalninja[dot]com. For a current list of authorized resellers please click here.
Together we all strive to uphold what we feel to be the best support in the industry and take a great deal of pride in the product and service we provide.
Thank you,
The Nodal Ninja Team
