Some camera have a built in electronic leveling feature like the Canon 7D. This is helpful trying to get your camera's horizon straight, especially when it's too dark to view the little bubble on your tripod. Also helpful to know when your Steadicam is flying straight. Here's a clever little 3 axis electronic leveling device that replaces your cameras viewfinder, or you can remove it to place on to the hot shoe. The little green lights let you know if you're off axis. It is quite pricey for something you can probably find an analog hot shoe level for $1.00, but if having a level on board your camera without adding bulk (or ugliness), here's an option. Appears to be available for Sony, Nikon, Canon, and more. Found below (click here).
Electronic Level DSLR ViewFinder Eyepiece
Mike Bennette
This looks nice, exactly how water resistant is it? Has anyone actually tested it out yet? Reply back with your findings please.
Tim
Update, so ready for the bad stuff? The eye cup rubber gasket came off when I had the camera slung over my shoulder and it brushed up against my shirt. Not real easy to get back on. It needs to be glued or something. Got new batteries after the unit indicated the originals were low and behold the fresh batteries show they need replacing. The good, the level appears to be right one horizontal and vertical. Good view through the viewfinder. Mounts on the hotshoe if you need it there for some reason. For me it is good since the 5D2 does not have a level build in and I need it to have a level tilt shift lens.
Javier
It would be great if the electronic level information from the DSLR could be used for stabilization of the video in post. I think that must be technically possible to have the information recorded and applied to a video to rotate it so it keep the level. Of course it won't replace a steady but could help in some situations. Even for helping the tracking software in post to do their job.
Tim
So I picked one of these up off Amazon. Works pretty cool. Have it on my 5D2. The only issue is it came in with low batteries. Otherwise, so far so good. The viewer has some magnification to it unlike the Canon viewfinder attachment. Keeps my face off the display too.
Mojo43
Do they sell an electronic view finder that can plug into an hdmi port and fit on a hot shoe? I would love to buy something like that for my D5100...
Bruce Philpott
I've taped a line level to the crossbar on my shoulder rig. Low tech... no batteries.
pepe
I was looking at the listing on Ebay I could
here the soundtrack of Jaws in the background ...