Spirit level for the poles.

[DorinDXN]

Hi, it seems that there is no yet available, still I had impression that I saw it somewhere.
Those who take many pole panos, toward journalistic VRs, know that along with the help in keeping the pole leveled it is also the, say , "nose" of the pole (preffer that part), mean shows you where the camera is pointed to, you can use also the lock knob of the RD4, but with the new mini rotators is no such reference, sticking labels aslo helps but again a spirit level helps very much, sometimes at concerts you had no much light down, and you can feel the spirit level, so not need to either look down nor up just look to action, you feel the orientation.

That was kind of "up" for that useful acessory which seems to lack of, for now.

thanks,
Dorin
http://www.livepanoramas.com

[DennisS]

http://www.adorama.com/BG2963.html

$4.90 from Adorama.com. I have been using one for years now.

[hindenhaag]

Wow for this price I think Vincen should order a bunch for Europe?!. Thx DennisS.

Dorin, I just tried to find the pics of Nick about his content of the pipeline and his own bubble leveller he showed on the forum a short time ago. But we know, he is very busy at this moment to set up the basics.

Cheers,
Heinz

[360texas]

The clamp concept is good for poles and monopods. However, I prefer at least a 1 inch or 2.52cm diameter spirit level mounted between waist and your shoulder high on the pole. The less distance between look down at pole spirit level the better at the time you push the hand held shutter release device.

Some poles are only a little flexible at the top segment... a 1" diameter will flex less. You are never going to stop the camera top movement.. but you can get close using the pole mounted spirit level. Our pole top segment is 1 inch diameter and the camera pole actually sways 10 - 12 inches (30cm). Pole spirit level really does help.

This Agnos/360Texas pdf is dated 2007 but effectively demonstrates the need for a spirit level with a pole height of 6.26m (20.5 feet).

http://360texas.com/services/softwar...mrotatorHD.pdf

[DorinDXN]

In case of levelling the poles we have two situations:
1)When the pole has a rigid (tripod)(leveling) base, in which case helps if the camera is weight ballanced and the pole is "perfectly" leveled.
2)When te pole is keept up by a single photographer. In this case the pole become a tripod with one leg of it's own and the other two borrowed from the photographer. In this case is best if the pole will be inward just a bit to have its COG ponting in the base made from it's footprint and the photographers foots, i.e. is not absolutelly leveled. That is in fact better for the photographer as it need to "push" just a bit the pole to keep it 'balanced", if the pole will be perfectly leveled the photografer's job wiil be kind of stressful "push-pull" depending on where the COG of the pole falls, a) inside or b)outside of the triangled base, also there is a time needed for the photographer to become aware and to react accordingly. The spirit level helps a lot preventing the pole to fall out more than fall in, and I agree with Dave that the bigger the better.

cheers,
Dorin
http://www.livepanoramas.com

[DennisS]

A bigger bubble level might not make a difference since you are concentrating only on the very center section anyway. Anything more than 1 ring on the level is kind of a waste. Since I have done only 1 pole pano over my head in my life, I may be missing the point. All of my pole panos are on a monopod with the camera at my eye level. Are there any pole pano photographers out there who have used the smaller Manfrotto bubble level? Does size really matter here when doing over head pole panos?

[DorinDXN]

A bigger bubble level might not make a difference since you are concentrating only on the very center section anyway. Anything more than 1 ring on the level is kind of a waste. Since I have done only 1 pole pano over my head in my life, I may be missing the point. All of my pole panos are on a monopod with the camera at my eye level. Are there any pole pano photographers out there who have used the smaller Manfrotto bubble level? Does size really matter here when doing over head pole panos?

Hi DennisS, it appears that the bigger spirit levels are much precise and those little moves easier to be observed or at least this is my experience, I'm using a Kaiser spirit level, not sure how is that compared with the Manfrotto one, I'm not telling that all the small sprit levels are unprecise but I do have one on a little giottos tripod which make me laugh when I saw it from the first time, the bubble remain centered like glued until you tilt couple of degrees, although that makes photographer's job easier :) I'm sure that that one is not precise enough, maybe some fault in design.

cheers,
Dorin
http://www.livepanoramas.com

[DemonDuck]

I use the Manfrotto pole level. I've been shooting with my monopod fully extended to 72" which put's the camera's NPP at about 76"
I put the pole level at about waist high so I can see the bubble easily and be in a relaxed, natural position. There is some moderate bobbling and weaveling and it takes a few seconds to settle down after moving to the next station in the rotation. I don't worry about the bubble being a little off center. I use a cable release so my hand is not on the camera at all. And I don't even look at the camera -- only the bubble level and the foot of the monopod to judge where the next rotation station is.

[360texas]

Same approach with the 20' pole. Always some movement. I click the remote shutter release just as the bubble is passing through the pole level center ring. I just know that the pole top is following the bubble direction.