I've never known a camera do this?

I recently purchased a 14MP Samsung PL201, and decided to return it after realizing that the images are out of portion when taken vertically (people appear thinner than in real life) and horizontally (where people appear 'normal' or slightly larger.) I swapped for the same model, but the same problem occured.

I did originally think it might be my computer screen (20 inch screen) but this isn't the case upon zooming in on the cameras display screen. My display settings are on auto and i've also tried different scene settings.

I mainly want this digital camera to capture nights out with friends, holidays, just a general point and shoot really, but a decent one. I always make the images I take smaller and crop for Facebook etc.

Its not the memory card, as i've switched cards and have the same problem. I've opened with many different programs and have also put my memory card into an old camera and in uploading the new photos are out of porpotion so it must be the new camera.

Are you talking about the fish eye effect? Can you show us?

Show us an image. Also tell us the make and model of your monitor, and the resolution you're running it at.

I don't have a photo to hand atm. The monitor is a Dell 20 inch one... Using it at display setting 1280x768.

How do I change the ratio setting on an camera? Im told this could be the problem.

MaxxuM wrote in post #12827561
Are you talking about the fish eye effect? Can you show us?

No its not fisheye effect.

I can't believe it's some inherent problem with that camera. It almost sounds like the type of thing you see when you choose a non native aspect ratio on your tv.

sounds like you may be shooting up close using the wide angle end of the zoom lens? up-close subjects shot at a wide-angle will get distorted in that type of manner.

try this...take a shot of someone with the camera zoomed all teh way out & have their entire body fill the frame (head -> feet). Then take another shot, but zoom in about 1/4 to 1/2 way (not all the way zoomed in). Step back to get the subject to fill the frame again, identical to how you filled it in the 1st shot.

compare the two pics & you should notice the first pic looks a litte distorted, whereas the 2nd pic looks more accurate

Im shooting at 14m 4320 x 3240 at the moment and zoomed out, and I have the problem.

it's the 14mm doing it. zoom in to around 35 or longer & it'll go away. 14mm is considered to be a pretty wide angle.

The resolution (4320x3240) has no effect..it's just the size of the image file created

Remember, we're talking 14mm on a point and shoot.

crn3371 wrote in post #12827857
Remember, we're talking 14mm on a point and shoot so more like 30mm or so equivalent

true true...but my 17-70mm at 17mm on my 60D is like a 27mm equiv, and I get distortion when I shoot up close. ie:

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/png' | Redirected to error image by ZENFOLIO PROTECTED

Does the camera do this at all zoom ranges? Does it do it regardless of how close you are to the subject?

I've tried taking the same pictures but just changing the 'photo size' to 12m, 8m etc and theres the still the same problem. I just put the memory card with the photos on into an old camera which doesn't have this problem, and the photos are appearing on the display screen as they do on the new one (stretched)

crn3371 wrote in post #12827916
Does the camera do this at all zoom ranges? Does it do it regardless of how close you are to the subject?

That's what I've already asked in my earlier posts...

JOSX2 wrote in post #12827727
sounds like you may be shooting up close using the wide angle end of the zoom lens? up-close subjects shot at a wide-angle will get distorted in that type of manner.

try this...take a shot of someone with the camera zoomed all teh way out & have their entire body fill the frame (head -> feet). Then take another shot, but zoom in about 1/4 to 1/2 way (not all the way zoomed in). Step back to get the subject to fill the frame again, identical to how you filled it in the 1st shot.

compare the two pics & you should notice the first pic looks a litte distorted, whereas the 2nd pic looks more accurate

JOSX2 wrote in post #12827794
it's the 14mm doing it. zoom in to around 35 or longer & it'll go away. 14mm is considered to be a pretty wide angle.

The resolution (4320x3240) has no effect..it's just the size of the image file created

GemmaLouise wrote in post #12827921
I've tried taking the same pictures but just changing the 'photo size' to 12m, 8m etc and theres the still the same problem. I just put the memory card with the photos on into an old camera which doesn't have this problem, and the photos are appearing on the display screen as they do on the new one (stretched)

if by photo size, you're talking about the resolution (which I think you are), as I stated above, that's not going to do anything. You're just changing the size of the file that's getting created.

Zoom the lens to 12 & take a pic. Then zoom the lens to around 30 & take the same pic (step back to get the same image filling the frame).