Image tilted left in viewfinder?

[SKCIH]

Hi-

A quick and hopefully easy question. When I look though the viewfinder on my Rebel XTi, why does the image look tilted to the left. Is it me, normal or a problem?

Thanks,
Steve

[StewartR]

Assuming that you're holding the camera level, it's not normal. So it's either a problem with the camera or a problem with you.

What happens if you hold it in portrait mode? What happens if you hold it upside down?

[SKCIH]

I think it's me. It's the same problem upside down. I feel stupid now.

Assuming that you're holding the camera level, it's not normal. So it's either a problem with the camera or a problem with you.

What happens if you hold it in portrait mode? What happens if you hold it upside down?

[Jim_T]

Don't feel stupid.. I couldn't shoot ten perfectly level shots in a row if you paid me. :) It's not as easy as it seems.

I do get some of my shots level, but I find with many of my landscape shots, I have to adjust the images by a few degrees to get them square. I guess I have to invest in a head with a bubble level :)

[Glenn NK]

Don't feel stupid.. I couldn't shoot ten perfectly level shots in a row if you paid me. :) It's not as easy as it seems.

I do get some of my shots level, but I find with many of my landscape shots, I have to adjust the images by a few degrees to get them square. I guess I have to invest in a head with a bubble level :)


I've been finding the same thing with my relatively new 30D; no matter how carefully I align the horizon (which in my case is the seashore 13 miles away on the Washington Olympic Peninsula), when I look at my shots, it appears that the camera is always tilting down to the left.

I've been shooting 35 mm since 1962; taken a lot of scenery shots and never before noticed a problem. Now this may come down the the size of the image of a 35 mm slide vs a 17" monitor, but I'm the kind of person that can tell when a picture hanging on the wall is out of level by 1/8" or less on 36" width.

Consequently I've been suspecting the camera.

Three days ago, I put the camera on my new tripod at the beach and took great pains to level it with the same seashore; all the pics were leaning the same way.

The final check is going to be with a good level, and if the cam is out - it goes back to Canon. I'm won't say it's not me, but my suspicion level about the camera is getting higher. (like the pun?;) )

[pcasciola]

This came up a while ago and I think it's a common problem. Most people shoot with their head angled to the right, which throws off your level a little to the right, which results in subjects tilted slightly to the left.

[Wilt]

OK guys, simple test!...

Go home, find a wall where you can see the wall joining the floor. Now look thru the viewfinder and frame a shot so that the bottom of the viewfinder is parallel to the wall-floor joint and includes it in the frame close to the edge of frame. On a tripod, take a photo. Now look at that photo in your computer. If the photo in the computer is not also showing that wall-floor joint as parallel to the bottom of the photo, there is some basic misalignment between the optical system of the viewfinder (mirror, focusing screen, pentaprism or pentamirror) vs what the sensor sees.

Unless you bounced your camera on the floor one or more times, I doubt it is the camera's fault, but more likely the nut holding the camera is defective! ;)

[superdiver]

I have this problem on every shot as well...

Thats why I am surprised that DPP doesnt have a leveling tool...

[pcasciola]

Thats why I am surprised that DPP doesnt have a leveling tool...I assume everyone knows about the measure tool in Photoshop? I'm so glad someone pointed it out that I'll repeat it again just in case readers here missed it. Select the measure tool and draw a line across your leveling point, horizontally or vertically. Then choose Image->Rotate Canvas->Arbitrary, and the rotation angle will be filled automatically.

[Glenn NK]

Perhaps not everyone has PS.:cry:

[Jon]

Most other apps that I've seen have a similar feature. Paint Shop Pro does; RSP does to name my most-used.

[superdiver]

I have photoediting software that has the rotate ability, but I hate going from one to another just to rotate the shot...

plus DPP has grid lines...why the heck would you want to see if your picture WAS crooked but couldnt then fix it....LOL

[fslshooter]

References that are known to be perfectly vertical are better to use than those that are known to be perfectly horizontal because horizontal lines will appear to be tilted in the composition if the focal plane of the camera is not at a 90 degree angle to the horizontal reference. Try to use vertical references like fence posts, doorways, light poles, etc when shooting then use these references for aligning during post processing.

[souporman]

I assume everyone knows about the measure tool in Photoshop? I'm so glad someone pointed it out that I'll repeat it again just in case readers here missed it. Select the measure tool and draw a line across your leveling point, horizontally or vertically. Then choose Image->Rotate Canvas->Arbitrary, and the rotation angle will be filled automatically.

Very nice, thanks for that one!

[viodea]

I thought I was the only one having this problem. Strange enough, I had been shooting SLR for a while and didn't have this problem until I switched to DSLR recently.
I really hope DPP can add a function to rotate when crop.

[rowdyred94]

I assume everyone knows about the measure tool in Photoshop?
I must have missed the memo. Thanks for that! I do some real estate and this is very valuable.