Levelling Bases

FiestaRed

FiestaRed

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Does anyone on TP use, or can recommend a levelling base with their tripod?
 
Levelling base?
 
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Compatibility is the key point here.

This is a good one:
http://www.feisol.net/heads/leveling-base/feisol-leveling-base-lb-7572.html
but I did not like it because it has too few threads per inch… not good.
All other aspects, features, and quality are ok.


On my 2x Gitzos with Jobu Black Widow Pro 2, I use of these:
https://www.manfrotto.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=Manfrotto+500BALL

with the interface:
http://www.gitzo.com/systematic-100mm-half-bowl-video-head-adapter-series-5-gs5321v100

These are the best I found at this point, brilliant!
 
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I'll be watching this thread with interest because I've been meaning to post a similar question for a while!
 
Mark twiglet said:
Levelling base?
Click to expand...
It fits in the top of the tripod replacing the plate there, once you set the tripod nearly level, this allows you to get it completely level without messing around with legs. Very useful for panos etc.

FiestaRed said:
Does anyone on TP use, or can recommend a levelling base with their tripod?
Click to expand...
I use the feisol one, works ok, minor niggle is it sometimes needs a bit extra oomph to get it to hold (maybe that's just me knackered after the walk though ;)).
 
Ah I see! I use a geared head so not really looked into these
 
Levelling heads are more commonly used with cine tripods, or for setting up to take panoramas.
I have the Nodal Ninja one which is certainly accurate, but apart from playing with it, have never used it.
It is far quicker, and more than accurate enough, to use the tripod legs to level, for paoramas.
I do not care to use more moving parts between the legs and the camera than absolutely necessary.
The most important factor in pans is to keep the plane of rotation stable and true as possible,
A panoramic head takes care of the the point of rotation of the entry pupil (so called Nodal point)
 
PaulButler said:
Very useful for panos etc.
Click to expand...

Yes, and I would add a must when using a gimbal head
as the lens collar is no option when shooting wildlife as
it slows down the necessary "ready for anything anytime
state".

A geared head on tripod would not require such gizmo as
it is meant for precise and stable lock on a fixed point in the
three (X, Y, Z) axises.

With a ball head, it is also not necessary as the head is
free to move in all direction and so allows following BiF
though not ideal in "general wildlife" shooting as it is too
unstable IMO.

The gimbal head is the fastest and the most stable of all.
The only limit is that it can't have a quick and true horizon
because there is no way to set the roll movement. The tilt
can work well with the lens collar but not the pan, thus jus-
tifying the levelling base options as linked in post #3 above.

For my panorama head with any other head than the gimbal,
this type is the better choice, cheaper (but slower):
https://www.manfrotto.com/levelling-base
 
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For what type of work?
I've owned several... I think I still have one. Integrated leveling bases (ball base) have a greater range, usually ~ 15* +/-. The "secondary" leveling bases that go between the tripod and head have less range ~ 5*+/-, and they are not generally as good.

But I have gotten away from using them. For wildlife I use the UniqBall heads, and for other work I have heads where the top plate/clamp rotates as well as the base. TBH, for most of the wildlife/action work *I* do exact level is not critical or even desirable... If you are framing so tight that exact level is critical, then you're leaving yourself no room for refining the composition in post. And most wildlife/action subjects do not give you enough time to refine that optimally in the field. "Close enough" w/ the tripod legs is usually more than adequate.
 
Thanks for all the help everyone, really appreciated.

sk66 said:
For what type of work?
Click to expand...

Mainly panoramas. Every time you move the tripod a few feet either way for a different viewpoint, the legs need adjusting again unless you're on very level ground which is hard to find outdoors.
 
FiestaRed said:
Thanks for all the help everyone, really appreciated.



Mainly panoramas. Every time you move the tripod a few feet either way for a different viewpoint, the legs need adjusting again unless you're on very level ground which is hard to find outdoors.
Click to expand...

It is quicker to level the legs. than level a leveller.
However Most of my outdoor pans are done hand held these days, although I have a full set of equipment. I would only use a pan head for 360x180's

As long as you use decent stitching software like PTGui or PTStitcher and not basic programs like the stitcher in photoshop, you have no problems. with uprights and keystoning.
 
FiestaRed said:
Mainly panoramas. Every time you move the tripod a few feet either way for a different viewpoint, the legs need adjusting again unless you're on very level ground which is hard to find outdoors.
Click to expand...
IMO, a ball head w/ a "panning clamp" is the quickest/easiest... There are several heads that allow this (Arca Swiss Z-1 DP/P-0, SunwayFoto GH-Pro, etc). You can also buy a panning clamp to mount on top of your ball head for cheap, or you can mount your ball head upside down on the tripod (attach a plate to tripod and a 2nd clamp to the bottom of the head). And if you use a long arca swiss plate ("nodal rail") you can even zero out the optical center.
 
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I've got a Gitzo leveling base that I used to use under my Nodal Ninja but more recently picked up an NN EZ-Leveler which fits the bill a little better IMO.
 
I found I was using my tripod mainly for panos.

I acquired a Manfrotto 438 leveller and replaced my ballhead with it. I've mounted a panoramic rotator on top of that (with a spacer because it would otherwise foul the poxy little bubble level on the 438). Then a short nodal rail and arca clamp on top of that. Camera has a L-bracket and slots into the clamp.

The 438 isn't the greatest bit of kit that Manfrotto ever made - but it is just flexible enough that I haven't felt the urge to refit the ballhead very often - whereas with one of the screw levelers I probably would.
 
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Foxbat Flyer said:
I have been thinking
Click to expand...

Nice ball head but in no way replacing a levelling base.
This ball head is just doing what all others are doing but
in an elegant way… granted!
 
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