We've been using Fanotecs Nodal Ninja products for a good few years now. I've always found the nodal ninja heads to be well made and very intuitive right out of the box. When Tony from Red Door VR asked if we'd like to review Fanotecs latest and greatest ultimate line of panoramic heads we jumped at the chance to get our hands on a version of the new Ultimate M2.

First impressions of the head is how well made each piece is with every detail engineered to the finest point. There are no plastic components in sight, just a high quality metal or rubber finish. Compared to the NN4 that we currently have in our kit bag it's a big step forward, a bit like comparing a Vauxhall to a Ferrari. As with all Nodal Ninja products the assembly process is straight-forward and there are plenty of user guides on the manufacturer and Red Door VR websites.

Once I had the Head setup and ready to go I found that it allows the photographer to be as flexible as possible, this Head allows the use of almost any lens combo you could ever need from a fisheye to a telephoto lens. As with all the Nodal Ninja heads, when in use everything works well and feels solidly built, but even more so with this model.  There are down sides to this over engineering though. The major concern is portability, the M2 comes in at nearly 2KG without a camera. Compare this to the NN4 at 1KG, this may not sound like much, but after a full day of lugging an extra 1kg around you're going to feel it.

So my time is up with the new M2, I was very sceptical about how "ultimate" the head would be but the new M2 really is the Ferrari of the Nodal Ninja range. Everything has been over engineered and quality is high on the agenda. As for me though, I'm happy with the NN4, I need a setup that is light and portable that's not going to make my arm drop off after a long day’s shoot. I would have no hesitation recommending the M2 setup to anyone wanting something that will be able to support heavy gear or a photographer that needs the utmost flexibility from their panoramic head. If you're looking for the best on the market, then this is it. 

Ashley Burling
Senior Photographer
Revolution Viewing Ltd