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jsbraby
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I buy 2 axis spirit levels off ebay 5 or 10 at a a time. They are accurate enough for me, and I don't feel bad losing them or giving them to friends.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p4069.m570.l1313&_nkw=2+axis+level+hotshoe&_sacat=0
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p4069.m570.l1313&_nkw=2+axis+level+hotshoe&_sacat=0
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I've got the viewfinder-level on my 7D set to M-Fn (i think that's what it's called, the tiny button near the shutter), however when shooting landscapes i'm normally on live-view (the live-view lcd-level is easier to use, although they're both as accurate).
I've also got tripod clamps with bubble-levels (this one), rails (like this one), my nodal ninja also has a bubble, and to finish off, there's also a bubble-level on my hotshoe (like this one).
(The main annoyance with the hotshoe-level is that I forget that it's there, when I try to use the popup flash it doesn't work because the camera thinks a speedlite is mounted, then after 5 minutes of cursing my broken popup flash I remember to take the bubble-level out and try not to lose it. Also not sure how accurate it is).
And after all that, sometimes they still don't always turn out level, and I have to rotate/crop them in GIMP or when stitching in Hugin...
I've also got tripod clamps with bubble-levels (this one), rails (like this one), my nodal ninja also has a bubble, and to finish off, there's also a bubble-level on my hotshoe (like this one).
(The main annoyance with the hotshoe-level is that I forget that it's there, when I try to use the popup flash it doesn't work because the camera thinks a speedlite is mounted, then after 5 minutes of cursing my broken popup flash I remember to take the bubble-level out and try not to lose it. Also not sure how accurate it is).
And after all that, sometimes they still don't always turn out level, and I have to rotate/crop them in GIMP or when stitching in Hugin...
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When looking through the view finder I level the top with a feature I'm photographing. i.e. level the top of the view finder to the horizon, or shore of a lake, or tops of mountains, whatever. I can usually find something in the scene that I can use to level to. This works as long as I'm standing upright, if I'm hunched or contorting myself then I need electronic help.
When shooting off a tripod I use the electronic level in the LCD to verify. I've found though that my method above gets me to level most of the time and the level in the VF needs little to no adjustment.
When shooting off a tripod I use the electronic level in the LCD to verify. I've found though that my method above gets me to level most of the time and the level in the VF needs little to no adjustment.
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I have used the 60d in-viewfinder level for landscape and it works well, but shooting up a tall building with the camera almost straight up the level doesnt really work very well. leave a smidge of room and post process, and interpolate to the same resolution if you wanna get fancy , fake people out with your increddible level-osity, haha
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YellowJersey
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dude said:
Turn your camera on and hit "MENU"
Then go to the orange options (second from the right, custom controls)
In the second menu (C.Fn2: Disp./Operation) you'll see "Custom Controls" at the bottom, open it up
Enable "VF electronic level" for M-fn button. You can also enable it for DOF preview button,
When you want to level your shot, just hit M-fn (or DOF button, whichever you've enabled as the VF electronic level) and you'll see different autofocus points have a box around them showing your axes. It's quite a useful function.
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Shoot conscientiously as level as possible, then level further as necessary in post-proceessing using the level tool.
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i wouldn't worry to much about leveling, it's taking your time away from the importance of composition and capturing the moment rather than trying to level the camera while opportunity just passes by. Use your visual and judgement to tell if it's level or not. you can always fix it in post.
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how off level are you? I can't imagine more than a few degrees, if it's more than a few maybe you need to see a doctor to get your ears checked because you have a much more serious problem. I doubt it's nothing that can be fixed in post just leave yourself some room to level it in post by not framing extremely tight.
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I'm also horizonally challenged, especially if I'm not really taking my time.
The built-in electronic levels are great if you can activate them in the viewfinder of whatever camera you're using. Fantastic for improving the horizontal accuracy of your handheld shots.
When on a tripod, again, the electronic levels display on the LCD is wonderful. Test it, prior to relying on it, by shooting a known good construction level relative to your camera's level. I found most of my level-equipped Canon's are within 1/4 degree or less, one D800 is a little off, about 1/3 degree, but I now know by how much and can easily remember to compensate for it now. i don't think there's a way I can recalibrate it.
TRIPODS are helpful as they allow you to slow down your composition and look at the features. Calibrate a hot shoe level and your camera against a construction level and remember how to use it in the field.
I found most hot shoe levels are low precision but if you're really bad at getting level, they're helpful.
Obviously, distant water horizons are pretty darn level.
irregular waterlines can't be relied on.
You can use the water horizon to align an edge of your viewfinder to be parallel to it.
if you have reflections in water, of trees or poles or something, then the points of a reflected object should form a vertical line to use as a reference. E.G. The tip of a small tree and the reflection of the same point. Only works well if near the center of the frame. Using wide angle and some vertical tilt wrecks this method and you'd have to do some extra steps to get level. Wind will wreak havoc with this too.
Viewfinder gridlines are really useful. Activate them if you have them electronically in viewfinder or live-view. Sometimes a slightly off-level image will be a better composition than a level one so use your best judgement. It drives me nuts tho, when I see tilted water horizons or leaning buildings in peoples' photos.
Replaceable viewfinder screens with grids are useful too, adding one to my 5D2 really helped as you now have reference lines closer than viewfinder edges to work with and they can really aid as composition guidelines for those who like the "rule of thirds."
If you don't have any of those to work with then the AF points can be lined up for horizontal and vertical references.
However...
Some cameras (coff coff, D5100, coff) have some sort of problem where the viewfinder's AF points vs the final image coming off the camera are not parallel. Both of my D5100s are off by nearly 1 degree in the same direction! I didn't notice it for a while until I started shooting some water scenes. I wasn't using liveview and the on-screen gridlines as I was trying to conserve what was left of my battery for more shots. So I leveled the water horizon carefully to the outermost AF points. All those shots were consistently clockwise from level by about 0.8 degrees. ARGHH! I've yet to send them in to see if they can straighten them out, likely the reflex mirror is a bit tilted as everything else seems to be optically well aligned. I now have to try use them as follows: compose, level, then rotate body clockwise the amount of alignment error to the best of my ability to compensate - drives me nuts when I'm in a hurry.
In some cameras the sensor may be tilted relative to the body so you have to do some testing to see how yours behaves.
Best feature I found is Pentax K5 - it will rotate the sensor assembly +/- a degree or more to maintain the sensor level to its artificial horizon so you can concentrate on composition and the camera will make sure the shot comes out level. Only possibly with a sensor-shift body like the Pentax. I often wish I had the K5 for that feature alone.
And one last thing... PRACTICE.
The built-in electronic levels are great if you can activate them in the viewfinder of whatever camera you're using. Fantastic for improving the horizontal accuracy of your handheld shots.
When on a tripod, again, the electronic levels display on the LCD is wonderful. Test it, prior to relying on it, by shooting a known good construction level relative to your camera's level. I found most of my level-equipped Canon's are within 1/4 degree or less, one D800 is a little off, about 1/3 degree, but I now know by how much and can easily remember to compensate for it now. i don't think there's a way I can recalibrate it.
TRIPODS are helpful as they allow you to slow down your composition and look at the features. Calibrate a hot shoe level and your camera against a construction level and remember how to use it in the field.
I found most hot shoe levels are low precision but if you're really bad at getting level, they're helpful.
Obviously, distant water horizons are pretty darn level.
irregular waterlines can't be relied on.
You can use the water horizon to align an edge of your viewfinder to be parallel to it.
if you have reflections in water, of trees or poles or something, then the points of a reflected object should form a vertical line to use as a reference. E.G. The tip of a small tree and the reflection of the same point. Only works well if near the center of the frame. Using wide angle and some vertical tilt wrecks this method and you'd have to do some extra steps to get level. Wind will wreak havoc with this too.
Viewfinder gridlines are really useful. Activate them if you have them electronically in viewfinder or live-view. Sometimes a slightly off-level image will be a better composition than a level one so use your best judgement. It drives me nuts tho, when I see tilted water horizons or leaning buildings in peoples' photos.
Replaceable viewfinder screens with grids are useful too, adding one to my 5D2 really helped as you now have reference lines closer than viewfinder edges to work with and they can really aid as composition guidelines for those who like the "rule of thirds."
If you don't have any of those to work with then the AF points can be lined up for horizontal and vertical references.
However...
Some cameras (coff coff, D5100, coff) have some sort of problem where the viewfinder's AF points vs the final image coming off the camera are not parallel. Both of my D5100s are off by nearly 1 degree in the same direction! I didn't notice it for a while until I started shooting some water scenes. I wasn't using liveview and the on-screen gridlines as I was trying to conserve what was left of my battery for more shots. So I leveled the water horizon carefully to the outermost AF points. All those shots were consistently clockwise from level by about 0.8 degrees. ARGHH! I've yet to send them in to see if they can straighten them out, likely the reflex mirror is a bit tilted as everything else seems to be optically well aligned. I now have to try use them as follows: compose, level, then rotate body clockwise the amount of alignment error to the best of my ability to compensate - drives me nuts when I'm in a hurry.
In some cameras the sensor may be tilted relative to the body so you have to do some testing to see how yours behaves.
Best feature I found is Pentax K5 - it will rotate the sensor assembly +/- a degree or more to maintain the sensor level to its artificial horizon so you can concentrate on composition and the camera will make sure the shot comes out level. Only possibly with a sensor-shift body like the Pentax. I often wish I had the K5 for that feature alone.
And one last thing... PRACTICE.
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