Hot-Shoe Bubble Level
For some camera work, like panoramic heads, it is important to
level your tripod. Trying to level a tripod by adjusting the legs
seems like a never-ending process. Some tripods have a half-ball
that replaces a column and can be instantly adjusted from
underneath the tripod. This is mostly present in video tripods. Then
there are all kinds of leveling heads that fit between the top of the
tripod and your camera base. These can be heavy and awkward. I
find the easiest way to level a camera is by using a standard ball
head that either has a level built into it or place a little bubble level
(shown above) in the camera hot-shoe where a flash usually goes.
Once you have any kind of level on a ball head it is child’s play to
quickly level the thing.