View Contest Results

This Instructable was a
Finalist!

$0 camera level

Print

Send this to a friend

intro$0 camera level

A nikon SLR 3 way camera level out of things at home
that is sturdy enough to take on and off with out breaking off

if you are the minority who does not have a level at home check lowes or home deport .. there $4-6 ... still cheaper than the $30 camera level that only measures the horizon

ALL IMAGES COPYRIGHTED, ALEX MCCOWN 2009

(note: i apologize for my spelling and grammar ... forgive me on that)

$0 camera level

Remove these ads

Remove these ads by Signing Up.

step 1Parts

a 3 way lowes level (who does not have one somewhere?)
a big screw driver
a big hammer
a nikon (or otherwise) hot shoe cover(nikon model # BS-1 comes on most cameras)
super glue
hot glue (use with a hot glue gun or lighter)

Parts

To Download the PDF or View All Steps,
Become a Pro Member »

40 comments	Add Comment

Oct 12, 2009. 12:04 PM

studdmstr says:

Don't really like the idea of gluing it to my hot shoe which then renders it unusable. Would be better if you could find a non working light or some other accessory and use it's hots shoe connector. This would allow you to level your camera then remove the levels and add an speed light etc. Would also make the camera easier to pack.

Oct 12, 2009. 3:09 PMbiozz (author) says:

well you can abtain a bs-1 hot shoe cover for 38c from a local camera store

Oct 2, 2009. 9:03 AMlslonim says:

Love the final photo. What do you mean by the phrase "(i used the process of HDR ofcourse) "

Oct 2, 2009. 12:32 PMbiozz (author) says:

exactly how tkjtkj described it .. it requites 3 exposures of the same image an hdr program ... i use photomatix photoshop and lightroom but there are free solutions out there

Oct 3, 2009. 10:36 AM

tkjtkj says:

Tnx for the comment .. I've never done HDR but am now putting together what i might find useful ... Do you have some links/etc to really useful tutorial stuff?? I've a 12mp Fuji S3, puts out about 25mb raw's .. and a 14" epson 2200 printer .. im quite excited to get started! ya ive PS 7 and CS4, but am not familiar with photomatix or lightroom .. do you need a few diff prog's to get the HDR effect? or does each of those, eg, have the ways to do it?

Oct 3, 2009. 12:30 PMbiozz (author) says:

its ur lucky day XD i just made one last night http://www.instructables.com/id/HDR-photography/

Oct 2, 2009. 11:21 AM

tkjtkj says:

"HDR" stands for 'High Dynamic Range' and is a way of photoshopping images to create really extraordinary prints .. Google on it ... " HDR photo "

Oct 2, 2009. 12:33 PMbiozz (author) says:

i have been using hdr for a year now and i love it

Oct 2, 2009. 5:33 PMcharge11595 says:

How did you thing of this? You should enter this into the Digital Days contest.
http://www.instructables.com/contest/digitaldays/

Oct 2, 2009. 5:50 PMbiozz (author) says:

i needed a camera level ... i thought about making a complex rig but i chose the simple way .. im also broke i am entered in fact im 34 most views in the contest featured once most popular still and featured in the October news letter XD i never expected it to go this far XD

Oct 2, 2009. 2:27 PMferrari484 says:

Wow nice effect .

Oct 2, 2009. 2:40 PMbiozz (author) says:

thank you :3 its high dynamic range photography ... i may make an instructable on it at some point

Sep 30, 2009. 11:41 PMGwon Chang says:

Love the idea, not so much the editing (typos). Sorry!

Oct 1, 2009. 11:26 AMbiozz (author) says:

i fixed it the best i can ... if u find anything feel free to tell me ill fix it

Sep 29, 2009. 3:51 PMbeauwalker23 says:

FILMS NOT DEAD.

Sep 29, 2009. 4:09 PMbiozz (author) says:

good for you? i don't see where that came from O_o

Sep 30, 2009. 5:48 PM1up says:

He's saying that film cameras are still being used, even though most cameras these days are digital. I'm guessing that came about because your camera uses film? (I don't know if it does)

Oct 1, 2009. 11:25 AMbiozz (author) says:

no its a D90 12mp digital SLR ... oh well XD

Sep 30, 2009. 7:48 PMbeauwalker23 says:

his does not. i like film better. way better. a monkey could press a button and take a fantastic photo. any bum can use photoshop. apparently everyone is a photographer if they have money and can buy an expensive camera and software. film is real.

Oct 1, 2009. 11:28 AMbiozz (author) says:

its called evolution dude ... we have evolved in to using faster easier to use digital photography ... i spend hours working on my photos and not any one can just do it ... so take your trolling else ware

Oct 1, 2009. 9:49 AMFrank Strudel says:

Cos film, film cameras and film processing equipment cost nothing..? :-s

You don't have to post process if you want to keep it as you caught it, and if you want to control aperture, shutter speed etc. you can get fully manual digital cameras (like you can get automatic P&S film cameras).

You can even set most to B&W or sepia. If you don't want to pay the extortionate price for PS, you could get the GIMP .

Oct 1, 2009. 11:31 AMbiozz (author) says:

yes ... you can do far more with DSLRs than film cameras opening a gate way for people do do as they want with photography and no longer requires extensive thought to be put in to how you take the pic and you can focus on post processing

Oct 1, 2009. 2:46 PMbeauwalker23 says:

im arguing that there is in fact no such thing as a professional photographer anymore. there needs to be skill, for it to be a profession. other wise anyone can do it. point, click, edit. The camera is the Pro. Not the photographer.

Jan 9, 2010. 9:36 PMevilfrogie says:

A camera cannot compose a picture for you. You do. Thats what I think sets professional photographers apart from "point and shoot" people. I also agree with biozz's evolution comment, I don't want to have to wait a week to see if that once-in-a-lifetime shot turned out. I want it now so I can retake if needed.

Oct 1, 2009. 2:58 PMbiozz (author) says:

thats the evolution of photography ... now you don't need years of practice to express your self

Oct 1, 2009. 6:11 AMLDW says:

Clearly not $0 as you have used an existing spirit level (and I for one do not have one 'some ware'). Your English is lamentable - use a spellchecker, maybe? - and you'll find the shift key just to the right (or the left) of the keyboard. Otherwise, a nice instructable.

Oct 1, 2009. 11:14 AMbiozz (author) says:

your not the first to bring this up but in my experience most Americans have a level some ware in there house and i do apologize for my English ... i wrote this at work where had only IE ... ill double check it with firefox ... i know my grammar is almost none to ... thanks for the comment

Sep 25, 2009. 2:10 AMcosmos92 says:

Sweet picture :) good instructable

Sep 25, 2009. 2:55 PMbiozz (author) says:

thank you :3 ... many more of my pictures here if your interested http://biozz.deviantart.com/gallery/

Sep 24, 2009. 10:50 PMScottSEA says:

Just a quick note - you might want to be sure the camera is level before you attach your levels. If your camera isn't sitting flat, how will you know if your levels are accurate? You also want to be sure to attach the levels to a horizontal surface - if the camera isn't dead flat on top, your levels won't be true.

Sep 25, 2009. 1:04 AMbiozz (author) says:

I used the nikon hotshoe data sheet and the bs-1 data sheet and there both dead on even and parallel to the focal point and the so if you place them flat on its always dead on and i have used this with my telephoto lens with beach front night time low tide horizons so I'm sure its dead on with my NIKON camera ... i can not speak for other camera manufactures

Sep 23, 2009. 2:45 AMMonty Fail says:

Not to put too fine of a point on it, but if you don't have a level lying around, it's not a $0 hack. And, I have to ask, is English your first language?

Sep 24, 2009. 4:05 PMbiozz (author) says:

no it was russian and its easy to obtain a free level but if you dont have a $0 level around than this is not the instructable for you

Sep 23, 2009. 8:59 AM

jdege says:

I've a couple of cheap levels lying around. A lot of folks do. If you don't, you can pick up a cheap torpedo level like he is using for next to nothing. (The Stanley's cost $6 - $8, the non-names are available for as little as $2 each.)

Sep 24, 2009. 10:21 AMzincrox says:

hmm.. its one of those "How did i not think of this" things ps.i love that camera

Sep 24, 2009. 3:59 PMbiozz (author) says:

XD yah i get that allot thanks, i had a D700 but it was stolen so i picked this one up ... i like it allot better

Sep 24, 2009. 10:24 AMjatrophacostarica says:

very inexpensive bubble levels can be found in many modern cars' headlamps. Junkyards are likely to give you a broken lamp for free, and it may have 2 or more levels in it (some disassembly required) hardware stores also sell little string levels that are inexpensive

Sep 24, 2009. 3:58 PMbiozz (author) says:

i also found a few in a dumpster out side of a construction site XD

Sep 23, 2009. 12:20 PMbilham says:

It's surprising, maddening, how many newspapers publish news photos that are off-level/plumb. A simple crop to plumb would solve my frequent seasick feeling. Not to mention stupid auto-focus screw-ups (In a press conference!) Yikes! Yes, a tiny bubble level tacked onto the top of your video camera will make all those "sinking Titanic" shots go away. I applaud your Instr. for furthering the evolution of modern photographic technique! Nice photo above too.

Sep 23, 2009. 1:08 PMbiozz (author) says:

thank you! ... it was up on my blog for awhile but once i stumbled appon this contest i decided to share it ... my camera has a grid to help stableize the photo bust soemtimes it does not help me .. like in this photo http://biozz.deviantart.com/art/The-Rocks-137889175 (click to enlarge)

News & Updates

Join over 500,000 Instructable fans who receive our DIY newsletter.

Pro Membership

Get more out of Instructables by becoming a Pro member today!

Go Pro!

Give the gift of DIY
with a Pro Membership!

Give Pro

About Us

© 2010 Instructables