In this second page dedicated to photo equipment to create a virtual tour, we'll study leveling bases and finally, start talking about special heads: spherical panoramic heads. There are very few cases of virtual tours for which you won't need this equipment...
Key points if you're a beginner...
Here are the key points to remember about leveling bases. The rest of this page is aimed at those who want to learn more.
Remember to level your panoramic head, especially if you're not going to make a complete virtual tour. Leveling bases are very convenient then!
You might not place the camera at its ideal rotation point to save a little bit of time - or for any other reason - but it is essential for the camera to remain horizontal during the rotation.
Why should you level the head?
If you're making an incomplete virtual tour, the rotary axis must be completely plane, unless the Stitchd image will give the impression to tilt on the right or left. To avoid that, you'll have to reframe it and thus to reduce the height of the final Stitchd image noticeably.
The effective zone will then be dramatically reduced in height if you don't take leveling into account. It will be smaller in pixels. A simple bubble level can do the trick but one as exists on the base ref. 338 Manfrotto or on numerous tripods is ideal. Some double-bubble levels can even be set in the hotshoe of the camera. Very useful!
Double-axis or round bubble levels
Round bubble level
Double-axis photo bubble level
Here are two classic bubble levels in photography. The first one is directly built-in the photo equipment hence is the base or directly in the head. The second one can always be in your pocket and is thus very pleasant to use. You put it in the hotshoe or directly at the base of the head and it does the trick! Tip!Check the built-in bubble level of your panoramic head because there are sometimes surprises!
Different leveling bases and other solutions...
If, round, double or triple-axis bubble level in hand, you want to level your head or panoramic head, using a very handy accessory to quickly level all of this perfectly can prove very useful, a leveling base.
Tip! Finding a solution to level your notched head quickly is almost essential. Whether you're using a tiltable column or a leveling base, you will never regret considering the time you'll save. Essential!
Recapitulative table of leveling bases
Base
Weight (grs)
Price ($)
Manfrotto 338
600
$120
Benro LBA1
295
$130
EZ-Leveler-II
200
$120
Manfrotto 555B/556B Column
700
$125
Benro Leveling Column
400
$95
Gitzo LVL Tripod
2,000
$750
Feisol LV Tripod
2,225
$700
Manfrotto 338 leveling base
>One asset of this stage is to be extremely convenient in the field because it shows three essential advantages:
stability, because it's wide and heavy,
accuracy to +- 5°
quickness of set-up.
However, it's bulky - 12 cm wide - and still quite heavy - 600 grs.
This quick leveling stage is the logical partner of rather light panoramic heads that are the Nodal Ninja. With low bulkiness and for only 200 grs it is possible to level your panoramic head very quickly and easily. For a light head like the Nodal Ninja 3, it's perfect.
These central columns, adaptable on almost the whole range of Manfrotto tripods (two references for the two categories of Manfrotto tripods) has the characteristic to possess a leveling half-ball on its top that can be tilted as well as a bubble level. By loosening the screw at the base of the column, which, by the way, isn't necessarily very convenient, you can tilt the head or the panoramic head screwed above up to 15% in all directions. Not bulky, it is convenient to make virtual tours.
Feisol manufactures very nice carbon tripods, very light and yet stable and this one possesses, moreover, what I find most convenient to quickly level a panoramic head: a central column that tilts to more or less 10°, as the famous Leveling Gitzo... But unlike Gitzo, Feisol offers a tripod that would be equivalent to a serial 3.
Gitzo has among its range of carbon tripods - hence unfortunately expensive! - two tripods which central column can be tilted entirely unlike the Manfrotto one which only has a tiltable ball. It's more convenient because the clamping screw is much more accessible. I love those tripods which qualities I pray everyday for virtual tours! You can change rooms and level quickly...
"Find the nodal point or no parallax point accurately in less than an hour"... whether you are photographing a simple panorama or a 360° photo - PDF of 100 pages -More information...
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