Feeling Flat With Manfrotto

Flat, but not down in the dumps - in fact quite elated. Manfrotto have made a winner. Sometimes we need to have a stable platform that is exactly horizontal. We might be launching V-2's or looking at the stars or making panoramic photographs - possibly all three on a busy week. Manfrotto have come up with an accessory that makes this easy. The 438 Camera Ball Leveler does the job. It is meant to go between a Manfrotto tripod with a 3/8" stud and another device with a 3/8" socket. The size of the leveller and these two connections tell you that it is intended for professional gear - this is not something you take as a backpacker tourist unless you are a Royal Marine on workdays. It's heavy. It's also precise and locks with a positive lever action. Both top and bottom can be lock-screwed to their respective mates. Uses? a. Put a video head on it, level it, and you can be sure that when you pan with the race car or surfer, you will not be getting a tilted or rising/falling horizon. Your viewers will see your work as more professional if neither of you have to tilt your heads... b. Put a very heavy field or view camera on it if you only need a very small amount of tilting. It'll take as much weight as the tripod can stand. c. Put a panorama turntable on it and start to make side-by-side exposures. They'll stitch with ease if your computer program doesn't have to contend with a dodgey horizon. There is one thing that you can be sure of with most Manfrotto gear - it is made to be used heavily. This may mean that it is big and lumpy in some cases, but you can be sure that you will not wear it out with any normal work. In today's plastic society, this is a refreshing change.