esquire53 Posted April 9, 2011 Share #1 Posted April 9, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) Recently I observed a problem taking shots with the M9 … Looks like I can’t keep the camera leveled or straight. Never had the problem with the M6. When I place the M9 on a tripod, there is some support from the spirit level which is part the tripod head, but difficult to see and adjust, in particular with night or dark photography. Does anyone has experienced the same with keeping the M9 leveled or experiences with hot shoe spirit levels like the Cullmann? Cheers Uwe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted April 9, 2011 Posted April 9, 2011 Hi esquire53, Take a look here hot shoe spirit levels. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
Manicouagan1 Posted April 9, 2011 Share #2 Posted April 9, 2011 I found I was tilting a fair number of my M8 and later M9 pictures with obvious horizons or horizontal lines in post processing. I bought a simple hot shoe bubble level. I found the bubble level little used because I shoot a lot of images with a 24mm lens with a hot shoe viewfinder. Now I try to consciously line up the horizon or other horizontal line with the frame lines or viewfinder patch. That approach works just fine for me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manolo Laguillo Posted April 9, 2011 Share #3 Posted April 9, 2011 This electronic level has received good reviews by the german speaking members of this forum: Seculine Action Level Cross Digital Spirit LED Level It's very advantegeous to use at night, for instance. A second unity can be attached via cable to the main one on the camera, so that it is easy to adjust the levels even when the camera is in a very high position. It can be adjusted, to overcome possible missplacement of the hotshoe itself. It is the same distributed by Kaiser, but cheaper because that's the source in Asia. Manolo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 10, 2011 Share #4 Posted April 10, 2011 Thanks for info about that electronic level. One concern has always been how accurate the hot shoe is and if the level actually sits in it level. So this seems to solve this problem and will work for vertical and horizontal use without having to remove it. I have owned many hot shoe levels (I tend to break or lose them) - probably about 4 at the moment and they are all a bit off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Posted April 10, 2011 Share #5 Posted April 10, 2011 I like that clever level! And, I too take crooked pictures at times… but seldom so bad that leveling isn’t easy in Lightroom with a little tweaking. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 10, 2011 Share #6 Posted April 10, 2011 ... I have owned many hot shoe levels ... - probably about 4 at the moment and they are all a bit off. Thanks, Alan. I thought it was just me. I remember in the 70's, you could buy a cheapie plastic two-axis level for $3.95, or one that looked identical but with the Linhof label for maybe $50. Never compared them, but I bet the Linhof ones were accurate. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lars_bergquist Posted April 10, 2011 Share #7 Posted April 10, 2011 Advertisement (gone after registration) I have never found any spirit level accurate enough to be useful. The only remedy for tilted cameras is .. to un-tilt them. You can learn to do that by keeping an eye on verticals and horizontals in the finder, especially those close to the edges. It is helpful to find a point straight opposite you at eye level, center the finder on it, and construct an imaginary horizon that crosses it. If you have a digital camera and are reasonably sober, you can learn to do this in no time. The point, of course, is to remember this in the heat of combat. But that is what combart training is for. The old man from the Age of the Gyro Horizon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
microview Posted April 10, 2011 Share #8 Posted April 10, 2011 I find a hotshoe level extremely useful especially for tripod mount work. The Manfrotto 337 two-axis bubble level is inexpensive (£30) and nicely made. For lenses wider than 50mm you'll get converging verticals on architectural pics if the lens is in the slightest pointed upwards. A hotshoe level of course means you have to focus then lower camera to waist level, so you can see why people would argue they were useless! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 10, 2011 Share #9 Posted April 10, 2011 I find a hotshoe level extremely useful especially for tripod mount work. The Manfrotto 337 two-axis bubble level is inexpensive (£30) and nicely made. For lenses wider than 50mm you'll get converging verticals on architectural pics if the lens is in the slightest pointed upwards. A hotshoe level of course means you have to focus then lower camera to waist level, so you can see why people would argue they were useless! You can view the Manrotto and Kaiser type double hot shoe levels from the side and back even when the camera is a bit above eye level. Those $40 plastic hot shoe levels are very over priced should cost maybe $5-$10. By comparison, for $40 or so one can buy a 2 foot long brass and wood level that has several vials. A few cameras have electronic levels built into them now. I think that is the way for cameras to go. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ho_co Posted April 10, 2011 Share #10 Posted April 10, 2011 ... It is helpful to find a point straight opposite you at eye level, center the finder on it, and construct an imaginary horizon that crosses it.... Gee, Lars, I used to do that automatically. Got out of the habit when I gave up cameras. Need to re-learn now. Glad to know the old technique still works! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washington Posted April 10, 2011 Share #11 Posted April 10, 2011 I told you dem people what make Leicas are crooked! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
esquire53 Posted April 11, 2011 Author Share #12 Posted April 11, 2011 You can learn to do that by keeping an eye on verticals and horizontals in the finder, especially those close to the edges. It is helpful to find a point straight opposite you at eye level, center the finder on it, and construct an imaginary horizon that crosses it. If you have a digital camera and are reasonably sober, you can learn to do this in no time. my issue is more related to the night or darkness shooting and when I read books about night time shooting, all gear they recommend lacks the six pack, but I usually have a cool box and a six pack .. The point, of course, is to remember this in the heat of combat. But that is what combart training is for. you mean drink and shoot straight .. I guess those plastic ones are overpriced, but a Leica isn't a cheapo either ... The electronic one has certainly the advantage if you adjust your tripod head in the dark, so adjusting and control could become a bit of a nightmare. Thanks for all comments Cheers Uwe Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 12, 2011 Share #13 Posted April 12, 2011 Not so accurate are they? Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/148650-hot-shoe-spirit-levels/?do=findComment&comment=1644351'>More sharing options...
zlatkob Posted April 12, 2011 Share #14 Posted April 12, 2011 Not so accurate are they? That's bad. Which brand are those? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manolo Laguillo Posted April 13, 2011 Share #15 Posted April 13, 2011 there are at least three different "levels apps" for the iphone... can also be adjusted Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 13, 2011 Share #16 Posted April 13, 2011 That's bad. Which brand are those? I can't recall. Some are cheap ones because I got tired of breaking and losing expensive levels. I've had the same issue with the $36-40 Kaiser ones and the cheap ones. I might lean toward the expensive ones if I could line up a few of them in the store and see if they agree. They still can move around in a hot shoe. There is a lot of wiggle room in rotation when the camera is in the vertical position so even a "perfect" bubble level may not be so accurate in use. But this electronic level looks much more worth it than the overpriced bubble levels. Here is my collection: (The black box is a beeping level I made.) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 13, 2011 Share #17 Posted April 13, 2011 there are at least three different "levels apps" for the iphone... can also be adjusted And is there a convenient way to attach an iPhone to a camera so these apps could be useful? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustafasoleiman Posted April 13, 2011 Share #18 Posted April 13, 2011 And is there a convenient way to attach an iPhone to a camera so these apps could be useful? Chewing gum springs to mind... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manolo Laguillo Posted April 14, 2011 Share #19 Posted April 14, 2011 And is there a convenient way to attach an iPhone to a camera so these apps could be useful? Using a level makes sense only when working with a tripod, in my opinion. The perfect top surface of the Leica M gives enough space to put the iPhone on it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanG Posted April 14, 2011 Share #20 Posted April 14, 2011 Using a level makes sense only when working with a tripod, in my opinion.The perfect top surface of the Leica M gives enough space to put the iPhone on it. That is usable if you can get your eye above the camera and you don't mind the risk of it sliding off. Not too useful for verticals. It sure would not be my choice over a hot shoe level. Lots of cameras have had levels that could be seen through the viewfinder. (And now some have digital ones.) I shot hand held all of the time with a panoramic camera that had this. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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