Proper oil level check Options

[valerit1]

In every manual for every model they say: check at operating temp, wait A FEW MUNUTES after
the engine shutdown, check oil. Question - how long to wait for the oil to drain into the pan?
If I wait 5min like most manuals recommend, I get 1/2 quart low reading. But if I wait 30 min,
I get full. NOW - are they specifically designed to wait JUST a few minutes which makes my car 1/2 quart low? One can say - at oil change just put the specified amount. But it also depends if got ALL the old oil
out, meaning how long you waited to drain. It is a bit to much of a precision issue, but still - our cars do not have much oil in, and overfiling is not good either.