20D & Not getting exactly what I see! Help?

[Goondockjeff]

Hey folks, I have had my 20d now for many months and I am quickly nearing the 10k marker for photos taken. I had not done a whole lot or really technical shots that required a lot perfect aligning until tonight. What I found, regardless of lens I had on the camera "Tried the stocker, the L 70-200 and the Tamron xr di 28-70" and each lens captured more than the view finder said I was going to get! I am shooting stacks of beer cans right "yeah strange I spose" and they are stack in rows as well as one on top of the other to build a wall. I setup the shot and get all the edges nice and even so as to not get half a can on one side and a complete can on the opposing edge. I take the shot but end up with half a can on one side and unwanted background on the other, even though the shot is lined up spot on in the view finder, Is this something that can be adjusted or is out of adjustment?

I mean, suppose I am going to shoot a close up tight shot of severe peoples faces, I would lose part of the person on the left and get more background than I wanted on the right even though the shot was composed properly in the view finder.

Anyone else have this happen? What should I do?

[dandan]

crop?

[robertwgross]

For most of these typical cameras, what you see in the viewfinder is about 95% of what is actually going to be on the sensor.

---Bob Gross---

[Andy_T]

Yes, it's right in the specs of the camera.

Keep it in mind and adjust framing accordingly.
Don't frame too tightly for important shots, you can always crop in post processing ... but you can't add anything :wink:

Best regards,
Andy

[Jon, The Elder]

Thats one nice thing about the 8+Mp it gives you more than enough cropping so you do not NEED to get so tight.

Don't sweat the small stuff.....

[glangston]

The 95% view and the 3:2 aspect ratio are favorable for 4x6 prints, a pretty common size. Leaves you a little area for framing.

[RAitch]

... but you can't add anything :wink:

If you didn't wink I was going to say something... oh wait, I just did.

[Johnny Thunder]

I'm not so sure hes talking about getting more of the image then whats in the viewfinder, but rather the viewfinder is misaligned, and is 'pulling' the shots to the right.

If the mirror was tweaked, it could cause a different view then what the sensor sees.

If your getting more then you seeing, its the 95% viewfinder, if your alingment is off, then its bad.

-Johnny

[glangston]

I'm not so sure hes talking about getting more of the image then whats in the viewfinder, but rather the viewfinder is misaligned, and is 'pulling' the shots to the right.

If the mirror was tweaked, it could cause a different view then what the sensor sees.

If your getting more then you seeing, its the 95% viewfinder, if your alingment is off, then its bad.

-Johnny

I think he said both...but you're right in that the specifics he mentioned indicated an adjustment problem.

"each lens captured more than the view finder said I was going to get! I am shooting stacks of beer cans right "yeah strange I spose" and they are stack in rows as well as one on top of the other to build a wall. I setup the shot and get all the edges nice and even so as to not get half a can on one side and a complete can on the opposing edge. I take the shot but end up with half a can on one side and unwanted background on the other, even though the shot is lined up spot on in the view finder, Is this something that can be adjusted or is out of adjustment?