wonky horizons

[markyb]

can anyone tell me how to avoid wonky horizons
i use a hotshoe spirit level when using tripod, but i still seem to get them, even when the bubble is centre , its strange. and i have two spirit levels
also handheld is worse. (maybe my heads not level)
the only way i do it on tripod is to shoot a few test shots first. but my ageing 30d is clocking up the shutter count now, and extra clicks to straighten the horizon may push it over the edge
how is the inbuilt spirit level in the 7d. does it work

[Stime187]

I just look through the viewfinder with a conscious intention of keeping the horizon level. Then, I make minor adjustments afterward in my RAW conversions.

[markyb]

i know it can be sorted in lightroom. but you get some cropping in the process,
id rather avoid if i can
its more frustrating on the tripod
ill post some examples soon of what i mean when using tripod and having the bubble centered

[Mocows]

I like the level in the 7D a lot for tripod work and even hand held occasions (ie if I'm holding the camera at ground level using live view). I would say whats even more useful on the 7D in this situation is the virtual grid you can pull up on the 7D which would help you line up horizons (if that's my understanding of your situation). I think the 30D has interchangeable focus screens no?

Edit: On my XSi I would always try to line up the focus points with the horizon or at least level them out if I could.

[Stime187]

i know it can be sorted in lightroom. but you get some cropping in the process,
id rather avoid if i can
its more frustrating on the tripod
ill post some examples soon of what i mean when using tripod and having the bubble centered

I'm talking about shooting from a tripod and looking through the viewfinder. You should be able to get it VERY close. I only notice it's off in RAW conversions by checking it with a level (i.e. straight-line tool), then rotating the fraction of a degree to make it horizontal. Very minimal cropping.

[markyb]

sorry thought you meant handheld
anyway here is one taken on tripod with bubble in the middle

[markyb]

sorry here it is

[Stime187]

Stop relying on your bubble and look through the viewfinder. That's the best solution to your problem.

[chauncey]

Think about what your problem is for a moment...you're relying on a spirit level that's what...about an inch long and probably made overseas.
A longer level is better and a 6 ft level is better yet...like guys in the trades use, but that's impractical for us.

Better to get it close using your eyes or a grid in your viewfinder and fine tune it in PP.

On the above image...you weren't able to see that in the viewfinder?

[Veemac]

sorry here it is
Wow...I've never heard of a level being broken, but that one sure must be! I'd ditch the level and eyeball it - you should be able to get much better results than that just by looking through the viewfinder. I'm an amateur and don't always get my horizons perfectly straight, but if I looked through the VF and saw that, I'd rip that level off the camera and chuck it as far as I could. Relying on a level like that despite what your eyeballs say is akin to the stories of the idiots who drive into lakes and say "but I didn't see a lake on my GPS!"

[KCMO Al]

There should be a tutorial somewhere in here about how to use a spirit level.

[markyb]

its not always as bad as the above example, but very rare its spot on
i dont have a grid in the viewfinder so thats out.
is there a level that is reliable , what about the one with the traffic light system
ive tried studying the horizon when looking through the viewfinder, but only way i can do it at the moment is to take test images till its spot on
how about hand holding ant tips on that

[M_ark]

I just use the focus points to set my horizon line to level.
Infact, they are spaced almost perfectly to achieve this. (kinda in thirds of the frame)

[Mocows]

^^ :P

On my XSi I would always try to line up the focus points with the horizon or at least level them out if I could.

[M_ark]

^^ :P

Acknowledged, post edited.

[chauncey]

All those cameras and you haven't learned how to shoot a level image, or at least close enough to PP it...

[Haribo]

...perhaps a visit to the opticians is in order? :P

Seriously though...my horizon is never perfect, but it's usually pretty close and quickly fixed in pp without much loss due to cropping. Ditch the spirit level and trust your eyes ;)

The AF point markers in the viewfinder tip posted earlier is pretty useful...I sometimes use them as a rough guide on my XT.

[DreDaze]

I just use the focus points to set my horizon line to level.
Infact, they are spaced almost perfectly to achieve this. (kinda in thirds of the frame)

yeah, i'll try and do this hand held...but for the most part if i'm doing landscapes with a tripod...i use live view with the grid on...

[Radtech1]

Seems level to me ???

[philwillmedia]

...but my ageing 30d is clocking up the shutter count now, and extra clicks to straighten the horizon may push it over the edge...

Why do you say that?
A 30D should be good for around 120K +/- 20K.
I got around 150k out of my first 10D shutter and 120k out of the second one.
The thing is, nobody knows exactly when a shutter will let go.
I've heard of 1D's going at 20K or less and my 1D MkII would have to be close to 200K.
If you think yours is that close to letting go why not get rid of it.
There's no fun in using a camera and worrying about whether the next frame you take will be the last.
Unless it's got over about 150K on it, I wouldn't worry.

As for wonky horizons, just get them straight when you look in the viewfinder

Edit: You're more likely to damage your camera by dropping it or bouncing it somehow than wearing out bthe shutter.

[Snydremark]

I'll 3rd the suggestion for using your AF points as a guide; that's usually what I'll use when using the viewfinder for landscapes.

[markyb]

i did have ago at using the focus points as a guide. so i guess ill look at trying that in t he future.
as anyone got any comments on the 7ds built in spirit level?
one strange thing i have noticed is when i do a test shot and find that the horizon is straight. the spirit level is off center and the camera looks a bit off as well
as for the number of clicks i must be in the 50.000 region. i thought that was the average for this model

[M_ark]

Seems level to me ???

bw!

[neilwood32]

It is possible that there is a misalignment within the camera - possibly the mirror/sensor(slim chance but possible).

Take the camera in to a repair centre and explain the problem.

[Mocows]

as anyone got any comments on the 7ds built in spirit level?

It's pretty good, commented earlier that I've used it before, works fine in liveview and through the viewfinder. I still find the focus points to be a lot easier but the electronic level is handy at times. It's built on a 2 axis system, basically horizontal to the camera and perpendicular to the camera through the lens. So you can gauge both at once (kinda like a flight sim on liveview and a sadistic 2d Labyrinth game in the view finder)