Levels

[venchka]

But...

But...............

You started this thread asking where you could get levels for your camera.

Personally, I carry two. A nice 9" Stanley Torpedo with a built in light and the pocket size plastic 2-way that I mentioned earlier. I got both at Lowe's one evening after work. $10-$12 total.

[dazedgonebye]

But...

But...............

You started this thread asking where you could get levels for your camera.

Personally, I carry two. A nice 9" Stanley Torpedo with a built in light and the pocket size plastic 2-way that I mentioned earlier. I got both at Lowe's one evening after work. $10-$12 total.

It's because I know I'm supposed to have a level. Now, I'm just wondering if I really do need it.

[Colin Graham]

I'm curious too. Even shooting architecture, it's quicker and more accurate for me to visually align plumb & level planes by sighting down the camera standards at the subject matter before I even look at the GG. I know an inclinometer can be useful for reproduction work, to make sure the artwork and back and front standards are all perfectly parallel, but I never understood the point of the tiny bullseye or keychain levels. You're at the mercy of the vail, resin casting, and the mounting on the camera, and the relationship with the GG so on. So many stages for inaccuracies to multiply.

[Bruce Watson]

Ah, I've been wondering about levels for my Toho (FC-45X) as well. Bruce, what kind of levels did you end up with? Would you happen to have a part number or description that would speed along discussion w/ the Calumet folks?

Ah man, that was at least five years ago. No clue which levels they actually are. Think they are from a Toyo, for my Toho. To mount them I had to have a machinist (the late great Mr. Grimes himself) machine a block of plastic to hold them. I'll look around and see if I can find the drawings. Don't hold your breath though! I've thrown so much stuff away in the last year moving from one office to the next. I don't even know where to start to look.

[Drew Wiley]

Why bother? You don't get something for nothing. Most of those cheap hardware store
bullseye and keychain levels aren't even close to being level. If it says "Stanley" its
guaranteed to be useless junk. If you need to level for architecture or sea horizon, etc, why not just use a grid on the groundglass? Otherwise, get a serious small level from someone like Starret or Mitutoyo made for machinists. I personally prefer a weighted angle-finder - faster to use with greater accuracy.

[bspeed]

soooooooo.....

know how to test a level ?

set it down, look at it.
flip it 180 degrees.
if the bubble is in the same place, its good.