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LynnJoseph
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LynnJoseph
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 6:13 am 
4 Best Rated Rotary Laser Levels for Professionals Whether you are a contractor, plumber, painter, or tradesman, you will need a rotary laser level at some point in your job. As a professional, you must be looking for a high-tech device that is super accurate. For this, an advanced rotating laser level can perform up to scratch. You are likely to get many models of such tools in the market. You have to opt for one that is most suitable for your projects. However, you need expert and honest reviews to get a product with your required functions. If you are not a seasoned buyer, we are here to help find the best rotating laser level for upcoming commercial tasks. Just dig in and check what we have for you on our list! 1. Dewalt 20V MAX DW079LG Rotary Laser Level
An IP67 rating suggests the product's resistance to moisture and debris. Moreover, its toughness is pretty clear from the one-meter drop test. Different scan modes of 15, 45, and 90 degrees increase the product's efficiency. It has positive rotary laser level reviews from existing buyers thanks to the plumb up and plumbs down points projecting. This feature makes it handy to determine plumb spots and assists you tackle versatile applications with ease. As for accuracy, you can have leveling layouts with up to 1/16 inches at 100 feet elevation. A lithium-ion battery of 20 volts powers this rotating laser level. 2. Bosch GRL 300 HVD Self Leveling Rotary Laser Level Bosch GRL 300 HVD makes you have what the real optimum visibility is. It works in all light conditions. Also, you can adjust the visibility according to your requirement. It combines pinpoint accuracy with a simple operation for obtaining a 90-degree layout. Moreover, two large handles make this rotating laser level highly portable and easy to lift. This self-leveling rotary laser level offers both horizontal and vertical leveling. Its range is 300 feet, even without a detector. However, its range extends to 1000 feet by employing a laser detector. As for accuracy, leveling lines are up to 1/8 inches precise at every 100 feet. 3. Bosch GRL4000-80CH Horizontal Self Leveling Rotary Laser Level
It offers you uninterrupted working hours with a 4.0Ah battery or four D-cell batteries. The dual-power system extends the operating time of this rotary laser level at construction sites. IP68 rating has proven this device to be the best tool for working in harsh conditions. Bluetooth connectivity and remote control are the most advanced features this rotating laser level incorporates. You can connect this rotating laser level to mobile and other devices, making the operation hassle-free. Additionally, the dual-slope mode allows you to adjust slope angles vertically or horizontally. You can use it to carry out multiple operations like plumbing, grading, and residential construction. 4. Johnson Level & Tool 99-028K Self Leveling Rotary Laser Level Fencing, excavation, checking drainage slopes, and leveling are convenient tasks for professionals now only if they have Johnson Level & Tool 99-028K rotating laser level. A detector along with the rechargeable battery makes the work smooth and accurate. The laser detector comes with a mountable clamp to give a precise reading wherever you place it. The running time of the battery is 40 hours after charging once. This rotary laser level has a disturbance motor to deliver quick vertical and horizontal self-leveling. The range of this model is 300 feet without a laser detector and up to 1000 feet with it. Conclusion Not all rotating laser levels for professionals are always accurate. You always have to go through the reviews before making a final decision. Remember, so many people invest in the wrong models because they cannot find honest reviews about their desired product. You can check out What is The Best Rotary Laser Level to find the best options for professionals and homeowners. Undoubtedly, the four models listed above will enhance your performance during commercial applications.

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awilsondc
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 11:19 am 
You'll often find, you don't need a tripod at all! It's only when your shutter speed gets low that a tripod is a good idea. A good rule of thumb is the inverse of your focal length. If you're shooting at 24mm, if you go below 1/24s you should use a tripod. If you're at 100mm focal length, you should use a tripod below 1/100s. Decide on your composition before setting up your tripod. Scout around looking at the back of your LCD screen. Move around, try getting low, try getting high. When you've decided on your composition, then set up your tripod. It's a pain setting those things up sometimes, and difficult to make adjustments once set.

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mike
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 12:12 pm 
They are heavy and mostly not needed. Especially if you have a camera and/or lens with stabilization. If you want to do something like nighttime then get the smallest lightest one you can find. e.g. Pedco or a clamp-pod.

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Gil
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 6:02 pm 
Tripods are great for longer exposures and even for shorter exposures where you want ultimate sharpness. They also give you a lot of options for positioning and allow small adjustments that can make a big difference. Some photos that could not be taken without a tripod.
Dragon Tree with Milky Way
Dragon Tree with Milky Way

Friends help the miles go easier. Klahini

awilsondc
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jaysway
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PostMon Mar 21, 2022 10:37 am 
The big question you need to ask yourself is: are you taking pictures just to preserve memories, or are you interested in taking landscape photos (as in you are often shooting during the golden hour, care about printing and sharpness, etc.)? My photography falls somewhere in-between, and while I'm only a half-decent photographer I have a lot of fun bringing my camera and taking photos while hiking. I almost never use my tripod during day hikes as lens/camera stabilization along with the technique that awilsondc results in sharp photos. The big exception is if you are interested in long exposures, which is a common technique for waterfalls. For backpacking, I always bring my tripod for taking sunset/nighttime/sunrise shots. Even though you can get away without a tripod for most of the day, shots taken around the golden hour (this time) typically produce the best photos. The most advanced stabilization systems, such as on the OM-D E-M1 or Canon R5, might let you get away without using a tripod during sunset/sunrise. I have heard stories on forums about people hand-holding some crazy long shots with Olympus cameras. If your goal is maximum sharpness, a tripod is going to outperform these. I shoot on a Sony, and while it's a great camera, the stabilization is only fair. I would loveeee to get 1-2 more stops of stabilization, but replacing my setup with an R5 and Canon lenses would be extremely expensive. If you do decide to get a tripod, I highly recommend this website: https://thecentercolumn.com/rankings/. These are the most scientific tripod reviews. Don't trust manufacturer's claims. If you are doing astrophotography or taking very long exposures (> 5 seconds) ensure you have a sufficiently stiff tripod. If not, most will work. I got this one: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1649907-REG/leofoto_ls_254c_lh_30_ls_254_cnc_compact_tripod.html, it's a good combination of weight, stiffness, compactness, and price. I only occasionally do nighttime photography, but I got this tripod because it is stiff enough to do nighttime photography well. If you are really serious about nighttime photography, you could go even stiffer. One other quick thing to note: if you are interested in taking panoramas, make sure that your tripod head supports them. I was all set to get the Peak Design tripod, but it cannot do panoramas.

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Gil
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PostMon Mar 21, 2022 4:44 pm 
Another vote for the Leofoto LS-254C, which I used for the first two photos above. Great light tripod.

Friends help the miles go easier. Klahini
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gb
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PostWed Mar 23, 2022 3:50 am 
jaysway wrote:
The big question you need to ask yourself is: are you taking pictures just to preserve memories, or are you interested in taking landscape photos (as in you are often shooting during the golden hour, care about printing and sharpness, etc.)? My photography falls somewhere in-between, and while I'm only a half-decent photographer I have a lot of fun bringing my camera and taking photos while hiking. I almost never use my tripod during day hikes as lens/camera stabilization along with the technique that awilsondc results in sharp photos. The big exception is if you are interested in long exposures, which is a common technique for waterfalls. For backpacking, I always bring my tripod for taking sunset/nighttime/sunrise shots. Even though you can get away without a tripod for most of the day, shots taken around the golden hour (this time) typically produce the best photos. The most advanced stabilization systems, such as on the OM-D E-M1 or Canon R5, might let you get away without using a tripod during sunset/sunrise. I have heard stories on forums about people hand-holding some crazy long shots with Olympus cameras. If your goal is maximum sharpness, a tripod is going to outperform these. I shoot on a Sony, and while it's a great camera, the stabilization is only fair. I would loveeee to get 1-2 more stops of stabilization, but replacing my setup with an R5 and Canon lenses would be extremely expensive.
I use Olympus and have the EM-1 II and EM-1X., With the former I can handhold up to about 1 second, but certainly to 1/2 to 3/4 second, enabling shooting well into the blue hour without a tripod. With the EM-1X I have shot to 4 seconds handheld. The newest OM-1 would likely enable handholding to 4-8 seconds and has in camera "Starry skies, and an in camera "ND filter" that allows one to shoot night skies and waterfalls with no tripod. The EM-1X also has this ND filter feature, and the EM1 III has both. Even with the OM-1 however, I would need a tripod (or a stump or rock) to shoot Milky Way shots at 20-30 seconds, and I need a tripod for in camera "Focus Stacked" macro images because of unavoidable body motion which changes the focus point or range. The EM-1X is really too large for longer hikes for my taste; the EM-1 II, III, OM-1, and EM-5 series are all quite reasonable for even very long trips. The EM-1X, and EM-1 III are good as birding cameras, however. I can easily handhold to 840mm. The new OM-1 is, by all accounts, a superb wildlife camera. A tripod that can also go very low to the ground is useful for shooting low wildflower shots with background scenery, and certain other awkward shots. My newest tripod is the Benro Slim Travel CF and is extremely flexible in being able to shoot from a few inches off the ground to about 4'. It is quite light, stable, and compact. I shoot a lot of mosses with that tripod. I would carry it on backpacks only if I envisioned shooting Milky Way shots.

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Cyclopath
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PostSun Mar 27, 2022 4:36 pm 
awilsondc wrote:
You'll often find, you don't need a tripod at all! It's only when your shutter speed gets low that a tripod is a good idea.
awilsondc wrote:
Decide on your composition before setting up your tripod.
For a different take. I like using a tripod, one of the things is that it slows me down and makes me more deliberate. After I set it up and take a photo of two I'll think again about of what I'm getting is the best way to capture the scene and often find an even better place to shoot from. The tripod itself might not contribute to the image quality if it's bright and sunny, but it can make me contemplate what a good photo means at a scene. But I won't usually carry one on a hike unless I'm wanting to come back with unusually good (for me) photos.

Gil, Olympic Hiker
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Olympic Hiker
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PostSun Mar 27, 2022 7:48 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
For a different take. I like using a tripod, one of the things is that it slows me down and makes me more deliberate. After I set it up and take a photo of two I'll think again about of what I'm getting is the best way to capture the scene and often find an even better place to shoot from. The tripod itself might not contribute to the image quality if it's bright and sunny, but it can make me contemplate what a good photo means at a scene.
+1 It is the same thing for me. Using a tripod slows me down too and makes the picture taking process a little more deliberate. I've noticed that a camera with a 24 megapixel sensor picked up movement (not much, but just enough to barely notice when editing the pics) if I hand held the camera while taking a picture, so I started using a tripod more often. Also, I've noticed that a camera with a 16 megapixel sensor was less likely to pick up movement if taking a picture hand held. Last year I purchased a FLM CP26-Travel II tripod. For a carbon fiber travel tripod, I found it to be much sturdier than my aluminum Manfrotto and over a pound lighter than the Manfrotto at 2.8lbs.

If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens, you can never regain their respect and esteem. - Lincoln

Gil, Cyclopath
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neek
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PostMon Mar 28, 2022 10:55 am 
With a DSLR, I use a wireless remote (Camera Connect app on phone), and enable shutter delay mode, so the mirror lifts a few seconds before the shutter opens. Some say to turn off IS (image stabilization / vibration reduction) when using a tripod, others say leave it on. Thoughts? I feel like I maybe get better results with it on. Maybe it depends on the camera, shutter speed, tripod stability, etc.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Mar 29, 2022 4:00 pm 
neek wrote:
Some say to turn off IS (image stabilization / vibration reduction) when using a tripod, others say leave it on. Thoughts? I feel like I maybe get better results with it on. Maybe it depends on the camera, shutter speed, tripod stability, etc.
Do what whoever made the stabilization system says to do, unless you have a reason to do something different. Canon has been making IS lenses for decades, the technology has advanced, newer stabilizers they make detect when they're on a tripod and turn themselves off. Telephoto on a tripod might be an exception, so might especially windy days.

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Cyclopath
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PostTue Mar 29, 2022 5:04 pm 
No tripod for that one, monkeys don't know how to use tripods. Still did a great job! https://bigthink.com/the-well/awe-animals-humanity/

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GaliWalker
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PostWed Mar 30, 2022 6:02 am 
If you want to take photos "like a pro", then I would recommend a tripod for almost all cases. Wide-angle lens: With a wide-angle lens there's the least requirement for using a tripod, mainly because of the "inverse focal length shutter speed rule" that awilsondc mentioned. However...even with a wide-angle lens you will most likely be wanting to use a small aperture and be shooting at the ends of the day for the best light, which may require a slower shutter speed, as well as using as low an ISO as you can (although this is becoming less and less of an issue with modern digital cameras). And, if you're a pixel-peeper, while you might not see outright blurring you may get a bit of 'softness' in the pixels at the edges of your depth-of-field. If you don't use a tripod then you better make sure to keep your hands as steady as you can, or support the camera against a tree or somethings else, or use a slightly faster shutter speed than absolutely necessary.
Telephoto lens: I would recommend always using a tripod with such a lens. Even with a fast shutter speed things can blur pretty quickly, especially if the subject is an appreciable distance away from you. This is because even a tiny jiggle of the camera - e.g. due to pressing down on the shutter button - will make the subject sway very quickly. I use a tripod even when taking photos of wildlife on the move, although I might be panning.
Finally, even when using a tripod I fire off the shot with either a cable shutter release or a remote trigger. I toss all my photos if they are even a bit blurry or soft (when looking at them in large size). I messed about with the mirror lockup trick that neek mentioned above, but I personally did not find it of that much help. I suspect this is because either my tripod or the head (at the time) was not stiff enough to stop the camera vibrating in the 2sec difference between mirror lockup and shutter actuation. As long as you use the other techniques I pointed out above, I think you don't have to use this one. Finally: A flimsy tripod may not be 'all that'. If you're going to invest in a tripod get a good one, which you'll eventually have to get anyway when you realize that your original cheap one isn't doing the job. wink.gif

'Gali'Walker => 'Mountain-pass' walker bobbi: "...don't you ever forget your camera!" Photography: flickr.com/photos/shahiddurrani

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Telefly
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PostFri Apr 01, 2022 11:25 pm 
Regarding the Leofoto ls254c- do you think it would be adequate support for a Sony a6300 with a Sony 70-350 telephoto? I’m trying to decide between that and the ls284c. It would be nice to save a little weight if possible. Thanks

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Gil
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PostSat Apr 02, 2022 8:58 pm 
Telefly wrote:
Regarding the Leofoto ls254c- do you think it would be adequate support for a Sony a6300 with a Sony 70-350 telephoto? I’m trying to decide between that and the ls284c.
That tripod would be fine for an 6300 body, but that lens might be more than it can handle. Does the lens have a tripod ring on it? If so, balance would probably be OK. If not, your kit might be too front heavy, especially at the long end of the zoom range, where a tripod would be most needed. I use the LS254C with a Nikon D780 and a few different wide-angle lenses, the heaviest being a Rokinon 14mm f2.8. It's a fairly heavy kit, but because it's relatibvely short and wide angle, it works great. I've not shot very much with it with a long telephoto.

Friends help the miles go easier. Klahini
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