wonky photos - Re: miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[Mark Secker]

just buy a string line level that wayu yo have string for those 
handy things and a spirit leve; for what you want


I've found that when shooting from the LCD view finder of my  A80 
it's hard to get a quick shot off that's square (true 
vertical/horizontal) while I know you can fix it in Photoshop* when 
you  re-frame the shot  and most of the time that's fine and dandy 
but it's still a pain and sometimes it's so bad it's takes a sizable 
chunk out of  the  shot that you might not want to crop  much.



It's at it's worst when the you shoot with the LCD screen   out and 
angled shooting with the camera at waist high or lower or over head 
like you do with medium format TLR camera. However most medium format 
TLR camera that I've used in the (distant) past had grids etched  on 
their view finders to compose the shot and a couple had spirit levels 
built in.
The problem doesn't happen when shooting through the optical view 
finder though because the view finder has  cross hair type markings 
that help with alignment.


I googled and found that it's not just me being wonky - even the 
professional digital camera reviewers  get it with the A80 and other 
cameras that have flip out screens.



Of course I'm not going to etch a grid on to the A80's LCD screen so 
a stick-on miniature spirit level seems to be the way to go.



* which runs on my G4 Powerbook mac  - Oblig On-Topic content 
requirement fulfilled ;)


--
~
Mark Secker Computer Support Officer
ph#6488 1855 (ECEL) 
University of Western Australia - CRICOS Provider No. 00126G
~
"Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible."
- Miguel de Unamuno
"It takes an idiot to do cool things that's why it's cool"
- Haruhara Haruka (FLCL)

 (sometimes works)

Re: miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[Murdoch Allen]

just buy a string line level that wayu yo have string for those handy 
things and a spirit leve; for what you want

On 09/06/2004, at 5:22 PM, Kathy Quinlan wrote:


Mark Secker wrote:


Mark,

Why not buy a couple of cheap spirit levels from your favourite 
hardware
store. Line levels are about $2-5 (and are probably sourced from 
that very
factory in China - love the Chinglish translation). Pull the spirit 
levels
apart to get the tubes then mount them in some hobby acrylic on a 
known
level surface to calibrate, then put some double sided tape on the 
base.

Should be all done for less than $12.

Alternatively, find a mate with a broken spirit level and use that 
for
  because the smallest spirit level I could find vial was still at 
least  2 1/2  cm long and 4 or 5 mm diameter and these blister levels 
are only about 4mm across and only about 2 mm high and most are built 
in to long levels are glass.
though using full size vials   would add  a certain Bladerunner'esque 
retrofit appearance to a  digital camera.  ;)
and what's wrong with their engerrish... it's better than mine and 
it's my first language :)


Their English is better than my Chinese ;o)

if you want the ultimate in level I can sell you a few linear sensors 
that will give you spot on level only cost $1K each lol (they are mil 
spec)


Regards,

Kat.

Todays Quote:

What is wrong with an internet toilet ?

--
---
K.A.Q. Electronics  Website: www.kaqelectronics.dyndns.org
IM: Yahoo: PinkyDwaggy  MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For Everything Electronics Phone: 0419 923 731
--- 

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Re: miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[Kathy Quinlan]

Mark Secker wrote:


Mark,

Why not buy a couple of cheap spirit levels from your favourite hardware
store. Line levels are about $2-5 (and are probably sourced from that 
very
factory in China - love the Chinglish translation). Pull the spirit 
levels

apart to get the tubes then mount them in some hobby acrylic on a known
level surface to calibrate, then put some double sided tape on the base.
Should be all done for less than $12.

Alternatively, find a mate with a broken spirit level and use that for



  because the smallest spirit level I could find vial was still at 
least  2 1/2  cm long and 4 or 5 mm diameter and these blister levels 
are only about 4mm across and only about 2 mm high and most are built in 
to long levels are glass.


though using full size vials   would add  a certain Bladerunner'esque 
retrofit appearance to a  digital camera.  ;)




and what's wrong with their engerrish... it's better than mine and it's 
my first language :)


Their English is better than my Chinese ;o)

if you want the ultimate in level I can sell you a few linear sensors 
that will give you spot on level only cost $1K each lol (they are mil spec)


Regards,

Kat.

Todays Quote:

What is wrong with an internet toilet ?

--
---
K.A.Q. Electronics  Website: www.kaqelectronics.dyndns.org
IM: Yahoo: PinkyDwaggy  MSN: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
For Everything Electronics Phone: 0419 923 731
--- 

Re: miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[Mark Secker]

Mark,

Why not buy a couple of cheap spirit levels from your favourite hardware
store. Line levels are about $2-5 (and are probably sourced from that very
factory in China - love the Chinglish translation). Pull the spirit levels
apart to get the tubes then mount them in some hobby acrylic on a known
level surface to calibrate, then put some double sided tape on the base.
Should be all done for less than $12.

Alternatively, find a mate with a broken spirit level and use that for


  because the smallest spirit level I could find vial was still at 
least  2 1/2  cm long and 4 or 5 mm diameter and these blister levels 
are only about 4mm across and only about 2 mm high and most are built 
in to long levels are glass.


though using full size vials   would add  a certain Bladerunner'esque 
retrofit appearance to a  digital camera.  ;)




and what's wrong with their engerrish... it's better than mine and 
it's my first language :)

--
~
Mark Secker Computer Support Officer
ph#6488 1855 (ECEL) 
University of Western Australia - CRICOS Provider No. 00126G
~
"Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible."
- Miguel de Unamuno
"It takes an idiot to do cool things that's why it's cool"
- Haruhara Haruka (FLCL)

 (sometimes works)

Re: miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[John Winters]

Mark,

Why not buy a couple of cheap spirit levels from your favourite hardware
store. Line levels are about $2-5 (and are probably sourced from that very
factory in China - love the Chinglish translation). Pull the spirit levels
apart to get the tubes then mount them in some hobby acrylic on a known
level surface to calibrate, then put some double sided tape on the base.
Should be all done for less than $12.

Alternatively, find a mate with a broken spirit level and use that for
parts.

HTH
John


on 9/6/04 3:06 PM, Mark Secker at [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

> does anybody know where one can get the sort of miniature "stick on"
> spirit levels shown here
> ?
> 
> the smallest "blister" or "dome" styles (see keyring picture) are
> about the size of a   pill (about 5 mm)  the tube ones are between  5
> mm and 10mm long and both types  have adhesive tape backing.
> 
> the first obvious port of call was hardware shops but they have been
> no help and several camera shops I've rung tell me they can supply me
> with a tripod with one built in which is not really what I want at
> all... maybe Perth Pro Photo?
> 

--  
John Winters
Phone +61 8 9367 9277
Fax   +61 8 9367 9244
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

miniature spirit level? sort of OT ("analog accessory" for digital camera)

[Mark Secker]

does anybody know where one can get the sort of miniature "stick on" 
spirit levels shown here

?

the smallest "blister" or "dome" styles (see keyring picture) are 
about the size of a   pill (about 5 mm)  the tube ones are between  5 
mm and 10mm long and both types  have adhesive tape backing.


the first obvious port of call was hardware shops but they have been 
no help and several camera shops I've rung tell me they can supply me 
with a tripod with one built in which is not really what I want at 
all... maybe Perth Pro Photo?



--
~
Mark Secker Computer Support Officer
ph#6488 1855 (ECEL) 
University of Western Australia - CRICOS Provider No. 00126G
~
"Only he who attempts the absurd is capable of achieving the impossible."
- Miguel de Unamuno
"It takes an idiot to do cool things that's why it's cool"
- Haruhara Haruka (FLCL)

 (sometimes works)