Richard Ritter 8x10

[Bruce Barlow]

I have a small 2-way bubble level that will mount on a hot shoe. I carry it in my small accessory bag tied to my apron. That's 'cuz Alice doesn't have any levels yet. She's still a prototype. But I love her anyway.

[RichardRitter]

A long time ago a master photographer I was studying with broke me of the habit of using levels and detentes. First thing I did to my Zone VI cameras both the 4 x 5 and the 8 x 10 was to file out the detentes.

I was out photographing with a grope of photographers and watched as one person set up their camera first they leveled the tripod then the head of the pan head then the base of the camera to the what was a level tripod head then the back of the camera each time readjusting the tripod head after everything was set up he picked the camera and moved from the back of the car to where he wanted to photograph , going somewhat through the same exercise of checking everything again. The image he wanted to photograph when he fist saw it was great the light was great. In the half hour it took him to go through setting up the camera the light when from great to ready bad.

Most of the time I am working with the camera back at a 5 to 10 degree back tilt sometimes more and some degree of tilt with the front.

[venchka]

Thank you Richard. I hope I see the light. I hope I become fast enough with my camera to capture it.

[RichardRitter]

Wayne pack your gear into the back of your car close the trunk. Open the trunk and set up the camera. Take it down and pack it back into the trunk. Repeat 20 times each time trying to do it faster. You should be able to do it at the end with out thinking about it. If you still have to think about it or still fumble with it do it another 20 times. In the book "Finely Focused" there is a very good exercise and more details on different ways of practicing setting up the camera and working with the lens. http://circleofthesunproductions.com/

[venchka]

Thanks Richard! I will do all of the above.

[Daniel_Buck]

In the half hour it took him to go through setting up the camera the light when from great to ready bad.

30 minutes? seriously? It doesn't take that long to level out everything

[RichardRitter]

30 minutes? seriously? It doesn't take that long to level out everything

Yes it was painful to watch.

[Rakesh Malik]

30 minutes? seriously? It doesn't take that long to level out everything

No kidding! It usually makes me 3-4 seconds to level my camera to my satisfaction, and I don't bother until I have my composition figured out -- and I only care if there's a horizon in the shot or some vertical elements that I feel need to stay vertical.

Of course, I don't bother leveling my tripod... just plunk it down where it needs to be, and start pulling the stuff I need out of my backpack

[Daniel_Buck]

Yes it was painful to watch.

I guess some people are more careful about getting perfectly level than others. After about 15-20 seconds, I'm done

[Rakesh Malik]

I guess some people are more careful about getting perfectly level than others. After about 15-20 seconds, I'm done

I wonder if maybe he thought that camera levels somehow knew whether or not the tripod was level