Camera Spirit Level

[Sports Shooter]

Hi folks,

I want to buy a camera spirit level ( hot shoe Canon). I want to use it for landscapes and panoramas.

Do you recommend the double or triple axis? How about the flat bubble spirit level?

Thanks

 

[calson]

Usually a good tripod head with have its own bubble level and often as not so will the top plate of the tripod so even if your camera does not provide an electronic level these are all that is needed.

I want to preserve the ability to use the hotshoe for flash and so don't use any device that is going to occupy that place on the camera.

The only time I have needed a level in no uncertain terms has been when photographing inside or outside of buildings where there are hard vertical and horizontal lines in the frame. Problems with level can be corrected often in post processing but it is a waste of time to do so when it is easy to fix the problem before releasing the shutter.

 

[Bing Chow]

I had one and never used it. These days, I use the in-body electronics to level out. Ultimately, you're gonna go by eye anyway. Those spirit levels are not precision instruments. You'll find the levels on the tripod, head, hotshoe, and in camera don't match one another. There's no reference to measure against.

Just go by eye, and correct in post.

 

[Sports Shooter]

I had one and never used it. These days, I use the in-body electronics to level out. Ultimately, you're gonna go by eye anyway. Those spirit levels are not precision instruments. You'll find the levels on the tripod, head, hotshoe, and in camera don't match one another. There's no reference to measure against.

Just go by eye, and correct in post.

My 1D don't have electronic level and neither has my Manfrotto tripod and head. I don't use flash in landscape photography.

The question is; double or triple axis considering I want to take panoramic photos with the camera in the vertical position.

 

[Bing Chow]

I had one and never used it. These days, I use the in-body electronics to level out. Ultimately, you're gonna go by eye anyway. Those spirit levels are not precision instruments. You'll find the levels on the tripod, head, hotshoe, and in camera don't match one another. There's no reference to measure against.

Just go by eye, and correct in post.

My 1D don't have electronic level and neither has my Manfrotto tripod and head. I don't use flash in landscape photography.

The question is; double or triple axis considering I want to take panoramic photos with the camera in the vertical position.

Considering how many people swear by hand-held panoramas (see other recent thread), I don't think you have to worry too much. Secondly, since you are using Manfrotto, chances are, you don't have a L-bracket for your 1D. So, if you put the head into portrait orientation, and you swivel the head, your camera is travelling along an arc anyway. The software will correct for it.

I shot a pano of the Capitol building (Washington, DC) exactly like that, with those inaccuracies, and it turned out beautifully. This was way before I learned about nodal points, slide rails, L-brackets, pano heads.

 

[fireplace33]

Usually a good tripod head with have its own bubble level and often as not so will the top plate of the tripod so even if your camera does not provide an electronic level these are all that is needed.

My tripod has a bubble level which helps me make sure the tripod is standing upright but, since I have a ball head on that tripod, the tripod bubble level doesn't help at all to level the camera.

I use an additional bubble level in the hot shoe. It is often quite useful to avoid the "pespective" distortions you'll get if the back of the camera isn't straight.

In the hot shoe I just use a simple small flat spirit level. it stays attached all the time (when I'm not using flash on camera) it's more convenient than a double or tripple axis spirit level but of course only works for landscape orientation.

Photography is just a continuous game of compromises

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www.fireplace-photography.com