Adding Bubble Levels

[Bob Kerner]

I want to add bubble levels to a 4x5 pinhole camera. In doing some research, it appears that some of the cheaper versions out there can be unreliable for one reason or another.
I found this company which has a range of models. Before ordering I was wondering if anyone here has added levels and can suggest a brand/model.

FWIW I considered a small hardware store model but that looks inelegant. And I've found the level app on my phone to be flaky; sometimes it says the camera is level when it clearly is not.

[Greg]

I took my level, that I knew was accurate, to our local ACE hardware store and compared the ones they were selling to it. Most were inaccurate to some degree. Bought the four that matched my level.

[Drew Wiley]

Hardware store bubble levels are awful. You don't get something for nothing. Anything consistently decent is going to either come from an industrial supplier or a machinist supply house. But Greg did something wise. Bring along a trusted level with at least one truly smooth machined edge. I keep on hand expensive Starrett machinist levels for that kind of reference application. Of course, film inside a sheet film holder is seldom going to seat entirely level anyway, so any kind of bubble reference on a box or view camera is only going to be approximate.

[Kevin Crisp]

I bought two stick on levels and added them to my Canham MQC. You can get them from Cabellas or Bass Pro Shop, sold as archery accessories. They seem to agree with some of my nicer levels, but as usual, I disagree with Drew on whether anything decent can be found in a mere "hardware store."

The only "awful" level I've had came in the box with a big screen TV mount. It was Chinese, and intended to help the hapless get the mount straight on the wall. I should never have used it and the mount had to be reinstalled.

[jnantz]

I've used a post level for decades, works every time

[xkaes]

Part of the solution depends on your camera -- size, etc. Levels run from tiny to large, and some just might not fit. Then your options can be one level or two or three -- depends on your available space on the camera.

[David Lindquist]

I'll bet Drew has these mounted to the front and rear standards of his Sinar
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/de...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Trying to think how many it would take to replace all the original Sinar bubble levels...

I see there are 8 in MSC's Reno/Fernley NV warehouse. If I ordered now I'd have it no later than Tuesday...

David

[Mal Paso]

I'll bet Drew has these mounted to the front and rear standards of his Sinar
https://www.mscdirect.com/product/de...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

Trying to think how many it would take to replace all the original Sinar bubble levels...

I see there are 8 in MSC's Reno/Fernley NV warehouse. If I ordered now I'd have it no later than Tuesday...

David

Half a Mil in 10 inches? Might be OK if you could tie that to the actual film edge and plane. If mounted to the camera the slop of the film holder could ruin the whole picture. You would have to add a vacuum back with pin register to properly align with the horizon.

[Kevin Crisp]

A calibrated water tube that goes under the bed from left to right, and another from front to back could be really accurate.

[Conrad . Marvin]

Of course if your camera doesn’t have perfect angles, (wood Or metal) then you can not get a bubble to read properly without shimming anyway.