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In search of the perfect level

kdphotography

kdphotography

Well-known member
I find it easiest to simply use the dual axis leveling system on my IQ180 to level the camera system. It's certainly "close enough" for anything that I've done in photography and I've never found myself dejected into thinking, damn, wish I had a better, nay, the perfect level... The Cube makes leveling in conjunction with the IQ levels very easy.

That being said, the Graham Welland standard may be the best compromise in search of maybe not the perfect level, but realistically ideal.

It looks like CI in Carmel will stay mostly in Carmel in February 2014, but start in San Luis Obispo with a tour of the RRS facility. I'll check into the group using the RRS leveling tables to calibrate the dual axis levels for those with IQ series MFDBs to the Graham Welland standard. Not sure if the P65+ single axis level can be user calibrated. :D
 
J

jlm

Workshop Member
what tends to happen:

level the camera for the center image for a 4 or 5 shot pano. use any level you want: camera, clear plastic, cube, IQ screen, etc. even the horizon.

now pan using the cube top rotation plate and see if you are still level. not a lot to ask, but this is the reason to have your levels match on the cube, rotation axis and with the back
 
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GrahamWelland

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
J

jlm

Workshop Member
finally getting a bit of time to finish some old stuff. hate the levels on my cube, but that is not all. my primary reference needs to be that the panoramic plane be truly level. i very carefully leveled the cube both ways by placing a precision level in the clamp and immediately found the reading was not repeating when rotated 180 degrees, both x and y axes. meaning when the surface was level the rotation axis was not plumb.

rigged up the following. the cube is fastened to the mill table and the indicator is clamped to the cube top pano center, rotating on the pano axis with the needle reading off the mill table. the cube gears are used to get the same indicator reading +/-0.001" at each quadrant. (the table is also level both ways)



next step is to machine the cube top surface, taking off a very tiny amount (.003-.005") just enough to ensure the newly created surface is fully cut, as it will now be a plane perpendicular to the real pano axis.
 
J

jlm

Workshop Member
last step is to machine out the level pockets to accept new glass vials with 5 times the accuracy; they will be bonded in tomorrow. the arca plastic vials are pretty cheesy
 
J

jlm

Workshop Member
moving forward a bit; now i have accurate levels on the cube AND it stays level both ways within tolerance when rotated 90 degree increments. this ensures i can find and rotate in a level plane for panos relying on teh cube levels

next step is to make sure the camera is consistent with the cube.
with cube leveled:
at first go, L/R cambo bubble level looks good, but the F/B bubble is off (bubble touching line, not centered)

but what really counts is the sensor, so looking at the electronic levels on the IQ back and assuming they are the reference, i would have to re-set the cube out of level a considerable amount to level the back, and thus lose my level pano plane

this tells me the RRS adapter plate and the Cambo base are out of whack with respect to the sensor.

am investigating how to correct this problem right now.
 
J

jlm

Workshop Member
using the level mill table as reference, and with the RRS plate on the cambo, all resting on the table found i needed a 0.020" shim under the front edge of the RRS plate to level the sensor F/B

RRS plate is 2.16" long, so a .020" shim is about the same as 1/2 degree. plate thickness varies end to end about .003", which contributes.

did the same with the RRS plate removed, needed a 0.006" shim (base is 1.06")

i am going to machine the RRS plate to get rid of the .003", then fit shims between the cambo base and RRS plate
 
Bob

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Finally, the justification I have been looking for to buy a mill.
-bob
 
J

jlm

Workshop Member
all fixed.

i can set the cube levels, and the IQ160 sensor levels agree; i can rotate the camera in 90 degree increments and all the levels stay.
however, the Cambo bubbles read off by as much as a half bubble to a bubble.

ended up machining the thickness of the RRS plate: tapered it .026" front to back, .004 side to side.
 
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jotloob

jotloob

Subscriber Member
John

As much as I appreciate your LEVEL rework , I envy you .
I will not be able to do such rework , as my machines are not precise enough .
Most fortunately , I found , that the leveling problem is not new .
Please see the leveling device my SWC is mounted to .
I found that device on *bay and could aquire it just as a collectors item , for a song .
That device was built before WW2 , in the 1920/1930 by MEYER , GÖRLITZ .
I hope you like it . :)

 
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