Tripod Levelling Plate

Description

After leading workshops for nearly a decade, one thing that has always frustrated me, especially in more modern designs is a lack of place to put a stick on bubble level on a set of tripod legs.

Leveling your tripod legs are paramount in being able to create accurate panoramic images, meaning that as you pan your tripod head, it pans level. A way around this would be to purchase a leveling base that goes between your legs and head but they often add quite a bit of weight and for years I have made do without.

The other way to level a tripod is to reduce the size of your legs until the base of the head is level. You need a spirit level to do this easily and some tripods have one built in. However, more and more tripods come with ‘slopey shoulders’, meaning that if it doesn’t have one built in, then sticking one on would be pointless, as it would slope! This is where my design comes in.

I have designed a series of plates that can go either between your legs and head or on the bottom of your centre column. This will allow you to easily and quickly level your tripod legs with a good degree of accuracy.

The ones between the head come in a range of sizes and in two designs, either a triangle print which changes like a hologram as you move it, or a carbon fibre effect which may match your tripod. I have made common sizes of 35mm, 60mm and 70mm, but please measure your head base before ordering. I also offer a custom size if you require it. The plate is 3mm thick, printed in solid PETG which is stronger than the standard 3d printed material of PLA and isn’t prone to warping in heat. I have chosen this thickness to be the best compromise between durability and not adding too much thickness between the head and legs, ensuring there is still enough thread for your head to screw on to. I have been using and testing this design for over 6 months with zero issues or breakages. If you want a thicker or thinner base, you can order a custom size too.

The other option is to use my centre column design. Some tripods allow you to unscrew the centre column hook, which you can then put the bubble level in between and put the hook back on. These are designed to work on circular centre columns and the dimension is to fit a 27mm circular column but may fit larger and smaller columns too.