Levelling a tripod and a camera to the ground

Whenever you are shooting sunsets, landscapes, panoramas, architecture, whenever you want the horizon to be perfectly straight, you need to make sure the camera is levelled to the ground. That is particularly true when you are shooting on uneven terrain, with independently adjustable legs, or use horizontal center column.

Hmm… I didn’t mention the importance of tripod being levelled to the ground, but yet I have included it in the title. Why?

Because just because the tripod is levelled to the ground, does NOT mean the camera is levelled to the ground as well. And you are shooting with the camera, that’s why making sure the camera is levelled is more important!

O.K. How can you make levelling?

• accessory: bubble level;
• accessory: levelling base;
• accessory: panning clamp;
• "levelling" tripod that has levelling already built in (e.g. Gitzo’s levelling tripods);
• levelling center column (e.g. accessory from Manfrotto/Bogen).

Useful accessory: levelling bubble / spirit level

Bubble level helps you level the tripod, the tripod head or the camera to the ground. There are various types of bubble levels:

• bubble level of horizontal axis: this is useful for aligning horizons;
• bubble level of vertical axis: this is useful when aligning vertical objects, like buildings, trees..;
• bubble level of both horizontal and vertical axis, often called two-way or double axis bubble level;
• three axis bubble level: alongside the horizontal and vertical axis it also measures the applicate axis for even greater precision;
• bulls eye bubble level: this is a circular bubble level that allows you to level all 360° at once; most often found as part of the tripod or tripod head; be sure to try them out before buying to see whether you can level with them: some people find it easy, but some hard!

There are various positions where bubble level is typically placed:

• Mounted on a  tripod’s body: it helps to align a tripod.
• Mounted on a tripod’s head: it helps to align a tripod head.
• As an add-on accessory: attached to camera hot shoe (where you would attach a flash device; it aligns the camera) or at the bottom of the tripod’s center column (it aligns the tripod).

Most tripods have a bulls eye bubble level built in on their body, usually just above one of the legs. Here is a quick tip on how to quickly level it:

1. Extend the tripod legs and make tripod standing on the ground as visually levelled as you can.
2. Look at the bubble and rotate the tripod so the bubble points into the direction of the tripod leg that is below it.
3. Slowly lower that leg until the bubble comes in the centre.

Useful accessory: levelling base

Bubble levels can do a sufficient job, but if precision is very important to you, try a levelling base.

Levelling base is a simple add-on between the tripod and the tripod head that allow you to perfectly level your camera with the ground. It has its own bubble level to help you level it.

What is special about it (compared to the bubble level) is that it allows you to do down to degree-precise adjustments.

But now I have to warn you and point out that:

• It is true that levelling base makes everything that is above the levelling base levelled.
• You also don’t need to have tripod levelled to have levelling base levelled.
• HOWEVER, just because levelling base is levelled, does not mean the tripod head (if attached) is levelled (how do you know when the head is in neutral position?). Of course if you don’t attach a head on the levelling base but attach camera directly, you don’t have this problem.
• Additionally, don’t forget that this is an extra accessory which means an additional weight (around 0.6kg / 1.3lb) and additional cost!

Useful accessory: panning clamp

Panning clamp is an add-on device that comes between the tripod ball head and the camera.

So far I know Arca-Swiss is making them. From their description: With the clamp mounted on your (any!) ballhead, loosen the ball and adjust the clamp until its spirit level indicated the clamp is level; lock the ball into position. Now you have the camera perfectly levelled!

Recommended workflow on levelling a camera

Remember, importance of levelling is ONLY important when the shot you are making NEEDS precise levelling of the camera. Does that make sense?

Let’s look at some workflows on how to level the camera, depending on what you have at hand:

Level with a BUBBLE LEVEL:

Level with a LEVELLING BASE:

Level with a PANNING CLAMP:

Level with a LEVELLING TRIPOD or a LEVELLING CENTRE COLUMN:

Remember, just because the tripod is levelled, doesn’t mean the camera is! So always make sure you level the camera in the end as well.

A bit more about levelling..

No, I’m not finished yet! Couple of quick reminders:

• When you have managed to have your camera levelled, do be careful how you jump around the tripod: slightest movements and bumps can make tripod out of level. This is especially true when tripod is not standing on stable ground, i.e. mud (not the best place to go level tripod in the first place anyway).
• I have added this part about levelling of the camera already in the article about tripods for a very good reason: you have to think about it in advance! For example, not all models of tripods accept/have levelling bases or levelling center column, so check it out before you buy it. Of course you won’t have such problems if you are buying a bubble level.
• Last but not least: There are certain situations when having camera levelled is a must, HOWEVER the fun of photography is experimenting, so don’t take all the pictures levelled (and boring) but experiment with different angles and points of view! There is a reason why tripod heads CAN move to various directions and angles! Make full use of that!!!

If you have experience levelling the camera (tripod), let me know how you are doing it!

To be continued..

I have finally come to the end of this article. It ended to be much longer than I expected at first! Anyway, I hope you have liked it.

In my next and FINAL article about tripods I wrap it all up.

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