How to level a tripod

I have a fairly heavy duty tripod with a Markins ball head. Th ball head has a bubble level but that does not help me with with 360 degree panos. Currently I have to remove the ball head, place a small level on the tripod, level it and then screw on the ball head again. Then I can level the Markins clamp via the bubble level.

OK with one pano but if I do 4 in a row in several locations it becomes a bit of a pain. I am looking for inexpensive solutions first. I'm using Really Right Stuff brackets/ L brackets clamps. Trying to keep it all in that clamp system for now. Gotta be a way to level the tripod without removing the ball head.

I have been looking around but have not spotted anything yet.

Use the RRS PCL-1, either on your ballhead or attached via a PCL-DVTL. You then just have to level once your tripod is in position, and then you're done leveling. Then just use it to pan 360°.

If you get the RRS PCL-1 pano clamp and dovetail adapter, you can put it atop your current RRS clamp and not have to level the tripod at all. I'm considering this but have no experience with it. See their site for details.

I was at the RRS site but did not spot that. I have to step out but I will check it out when I get home. Thanks for the info.

Hmm, I'm not familiar with the Markins ball heads... does the base not rotate for panos?

I have an fairly inexpensive (relative) Giottos ball head which has 2 bubbles; one on the base of the top plate (level for landscape orientation), and another on the tightening knob (level for portrait orientation). If I were to setup my tripod with ball head attached, I could level the top plate before placing my camera on the head... then simply loosen and rotate the base of the ball head, as needed, for a pano.

You can view both bubbles in the B&H product shot here... as well as view the front knob which loosens the base, enabling you to rotate the ball head for panos.

You can level the camera (in a fixed position) with a double bubble level mounted in the camera's hotshoe OR one incorporated in the ballhead's clamp. However, unless the ballhead's base is also levelled any panorama rotation around a vertical axis thru the ballhead's base will "stair-step" each successive image. There MUST be a way to ensure that the base plate of the tripod and/or of the ballhead is level. If your tripod does not include such, you could add one. I've considered supergluing a bubble level on OR using one of the RRS tripod leveling plates on their Misc. page

In addition to the PCL-1, many tripod manufacturers make a leveling base for their tripods. I have one for my Feisol, though frequently I use the standard base on my tripod to save weight, and then place my double bubble on top of it to level it.

Russ61 wrote in post #14293574
You can level the camera (in a fixed position) with a double bubble level mounted in the camera's hotshoe OR one incorporated in the ballhead's clamp. However, unless the ballhead's base is also levelled any panorama rotation around a vertical axis thru the ballhead's base will "stair-step" each successive image. There MUST be a way to ensure that the base plate of the tripod and/or of the ballhead is level. If your tripod does not include such, you could add one. I've considered supergluing a bubble level on OR using one of the RRS tripod leveling plates on their Misc. page

Good information. I never realized that was the case... until now. I've only shot a couple of pano's and when I did I got a slight stair-step as you mentioned; but it was good enough for me and wasn't a big deal for me to crop out those parts. I assumed that it was just b/c I hadn't leveled the base of the ballhead well enough (or at all)

1.Set up your tripod, making sure it is firmly stable.

2.Level your tripod with the horizon. This is most easily accomplished if your tripod and ball head both have built-in bubble spirit levels. Simply center the bubble within the circle on both the tripod and ball head and make sure the bubble remains centered as you turn your camera slightly with each successive shot.

3.Use a separate spirit bubble level. If your tripod and ball head do not come with built-in bubble spirit levels, you can buy a freestanding one. Insert it into the camera's flash hot shoe and follow the steps above to maintain a level position.

4.Upload your photos to your computer, make any necessary edits and, finally, use software to stitch the series together into a panoramic view. Software is available at a variety of prices. PanoramaPlus 3 (compatible with Windows) costs around $30. Versions of Adobe Photoshop (CS3 and higher) also include a function for creating panoramas.

5.Experiment! As with any new skill, practice makes perfect. The more you use your equipment, the more accomplished your final results will be.