Tripod spirit levels · AditNow Community

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Vanoord
54.4% (Neutral)
Newbie Topic Starter

17 years ago

Bit of an odd question!

I've seen a spirit level available for a camera so that the tripod can be set up to ensure that it's level - http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000ULPH4S/ref=ord_cart_shr?%5Fencoding=UTF8&m=A3GI79VBNSVFZI

Has anyone had any experience of these or know if there is a cheaper alternative?

(One of the pics I took in Rhosydd needed to be rotated by just under 10 degrees to get it level 😞 )

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Barney
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

My tripod has 2 spirit levels on it, what a waste of time. I just look and guage it myself.

Roy Morton
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

they can be usefull when copying documents or photos to make sure the camera is square on to the subject. It stops the final result looking like a keystone 😮

"You Chinese think of everything!"
"But I''m not Chinese!"
"Then you must have forgotten something!"

toadstone
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

Both Barney and Roy have a good point. In Roy's case they are invaluable. However the link provided IMHO is outrageous (the price). If you want one or two let me know and I'll ask my local guy if that is the type you need i.e. fits into the hot shoe.

I've got two of them and my tripod head has two built in. The alternative is just to buy an ordinary level, less convenient I'd agree.

Edit:
I've now had chance to get into Bob Rigby Photographic and the Manfrotto 337 does run at that price (shows you how out of touch I am) Having said that they do an alternative (not in stock unfortunately) for about £15 and one which is not so good at around that price too. It's in a black block with a single round bubble if you know what I mean. I'll have to hang on to mine, I think I only paid about £7 each for them and it wasn't that long ago.

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

Axminster Power Tool Centre (www.axminster.co.uk) stock a wide range of spirit levels that might be useful for this purpose.
The utility level (stock code 500183, £3.50) or the bullseye level (300247, £3.0.) seem the most appropriate in this context.
My Manfrotto 029/055 tripod took a fall recently and broke the two way spirit level, luckily there was no camera on top! When I get over to Cambrian Photography I'm not expecting much change from £30! That'll teach me to be more careful!

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

A single Manfrotto spirit level is to order and costs "about £15".
Cambrian Photographic have a Hama multi level that's identical to the Manfrotto one on the link, £9.99 on the 'net from them, but £14.99 if you go to the shop. It works both in portrait and landscape and seems a very useful bit of kit.
A most pleasant suprise was to pay £25 for 1GB SanDisk CF card, the last lot were £45!!

grahami
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

How about the two-way spirit levels sold for levelling caravans and the like?

Grahami

The map is the territory - especially in chain scale.

Gwyn
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

I don't know, never met one!
However, I've been playing with the Hama level and I'm rather impressed. It works on 5 of its 6 sides, although it can only be mounted in 2 planes to the hot-shoe. It calibrates perfectly on a reference plate. I'm happy! (It's the little things!) 🙂

mountainpenguin
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

its very cheap
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.2341
here not sure how good it is though

AR
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#10

For cheapskates, there's one in Aldi this week going for twelve quid, it has 2 spirit levels builg in and at that price you can trash it without crying.... :lol:

Follow the horses, Johnny my laddie, follow the horses canny lad-oh!

Barney
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#11

For those who use photoshop type things, there is an option where you can alter the angle of your crooked photos, so why faf around with spirit levels! 😉

Dean Allison
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

17 years ago

#12

"Barney" wrote:
For those who use photoshop type things, there is an option where you can alter the angle of your crooked photos, so why faf around with spirit levels! 😉

I do that sometimes but it means you have to crop in order to get rid of the white bits outside the frame, which means you lose some of the picture.