Hello Rawan,

Your question asks for everything and then you finish with best price!

No matter how you look at it you are going to need a top end DSLR camera to meet your requirements. Your starting point will be a Nikon D7000 or Canon 550D. With a Nikon D700, Canon 5DMKII a step up to full frame. In between you have the Nikon D300s and the Canon 7D.

First you need to make up your mind Nikon or Canon. Second APS-C/DX sensor or Fullframe/FX sensor.

Once you have a camera you need to choose a lens. You start with how many shots you want vs the resolution required. This can be a fisheye lens from 4.5mm to 16mm. That requires as little as 2 shots to 17 shots to cover the sphere.

Or you can use a rectilinear lens requiring many more shots.

What's your preference?

Regards, Smooth

P.S: Even once you own the best equipment for the job you still have to learn how to get the most from it.

The links you posted and the tours within could be made with Canon 550D and Sigma 8mm, Samyang 8mm or Tokina 10-17mm. Nikon D5000 and  Sigma 8mm, Samyang 8mm or Nikkor10.5mm. These would be your starting options.

The more expensive models will be better with higher ISO and other useful features.

Personally I like the Canon 7D and the Nikon D300s in the smaller APS-C/DX sensor range. The Canon 5DMKII or Nikon D3s in the fullframe/FX size sensor.

What equipment do you use today?

Regards, Smooth  

DSLR cameras with smaller APS-C/DX sensor (Canon 550D, Nikon D5000 etc) work like this:

• Sigma 4.5mm Fisheye (3 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 4 shots
• Sunex Superfisheye 5.6mm  (2 or 3 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 3 or 4 shots
• Sigma 8mm Fisheye (4 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 5 shots
• Samyang 8mm Fisheye (4 rotational shots + zenith shot + nadir shot if required) Total 6 shots
• Sigma 10mm Fisheye (6 rotational shots + zenith shot + nadir shot if required) Total 8 shots
• Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye (6 rotational shots + zenith shot + nadir shot if required) Total 8 shots
• Tokina 10-17mm Zoom Fisheye @10mm setting (6 rotational shots + zenith shot + nadir shot if required) Total 8 shots
• Canon 15mm Fisheye (Two rows of 8 rotational shots + zenith shot + nadir shot if required) Total 18 shots.

Each jump up in lens millimeter size also gets you more resolution. The small 4.5mm/5.6mm Fisheyes you will most likely find too low in resolution. But still a major upgrade from the Coolpix/iPix combo.

I'll leave the fullframe/FX options until you decide on what step in level you are going to make.

Regards, Smooth

You cannot use DSLR or SLR lenses on a Coolpix.

These are real lenses not converter lenses via adapters.

Fullframe cameras like the Canon 5DMKII, 1Ds MKIIII etc and Nikon D700, D3s etc:

• Sigma 8mm Fisheye (3 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 4 shots
• Canon 15mm Fisheye (6 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 8 shots
• Nikkor 16mm Fisheye (6 rotational shots + nadir shot if required) Total 8 shots

It is also possible to modify certain APS-C designed Fisheye lenses to be used on a Fullframe sensor camera. The modification requires the removal of the sun petals/hood. Popular conversions are to "shave" a Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye, Sigma 10mm Fisheye, Samyang 8mm Fisheye and the Tokina 10-17mm Zoom Fisheye. These three can then complete a sphere with (3 rotational shots + Nadir if required) 4 shots.

Personally I think best value is the APS-C small sensor 18mp camera body with a 10mm/10.5mm lens (or Samyang 8mm) shooting 6+2 type panoramas. You get great resolution and a lot of bang for your money.

Regards, Smooth

In order of best models down.

Canon

• Canon 7D = 18mp
• Canon 60D = 18mp
• Canon 50D = 15.1mp
• Canon Rebel T3i/600D = 18mp (released soon)
• Canon Rebel T2i/550D = 18mp
• Canon Rebel T1i/500D = 15mp

Nikon

• Nikon D300s = 12.3mp
• Nikon D7000 = 16.2mp
• Nikon D90 = 12.3mp
• Nikon D5000 = 12.3mp

Read about all models at www.dpreview.com or www.cameralabs.com

Regards, Smooth