How can I repeat the same camera orientation in two locations using a tripod?
Asked 4/30/2015
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I need to take two photos in different locations and keep the camera matched as closely as possible relative to a flat vertical surface, including level, rotation, height, and angle. My current setup is a Pentax K-5 with a standard lens on a ball-head tripod. What is the best way to measure and reproduce the camera position and orientation accurately?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
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From the comments, a spirit level is a good idea. Even better is a laser level, which can more accurately help you level the tripod. Once the tripod is level, you can move the head to the prescribed angle to recreate your shot. For something like this a ball head is going to make the process more difficult; a 3-way head, such as Elenesski suggests, would be a much better choice because you can better control each direction of movement.
Even better than a 3-way head would be the Arca-Swiss Cube, which is specifically designed for this kind of problem where you need to accurately recreate position.
I will leave it as an exercise for the reader to discover the price of the Cube because they should be prepared to faint before looking.
Originally by user8473. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user8473
10y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
For repeatable alignment, first level the tripod with a spirit level; a laser level can help you do this more accurately. Once the tripod is level, set the camera angle from that reference and repeat it at the second location.
A ball head is not ideal for this because all axes move together, making precise repositioning harder. A 3-way head is a better choice since it lets you control tilt, pan, and roll separately and more accurately. If very high precision is required, a geared head or a specialist head designed for repeatable positioning is better still.
If the setup must be extremely exact, a surveyor’s transit level may help. One suggested approach is to mount both the transit and camera on a rigid bar so their relationship stays fixed while you move the tripod between locations.
Also record the non-head variables: tripod height, distance from the wall, and camera orientation relative to the surface. In short: level the tripod, avoid a ball head for this task, and use either a 3-way/geared head or surveying tools if precision is critical.
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