Bought a 5DmkIII - the level doesn't seem to be correct...

I didnt know mine had a level! Had it for 2 years and never used it..........oh well. I always used the grid.

I don't use that level and the grid
i use my eyes only

moltengold wrote in post #16732223
I don't use that level and the grid
i use my eyes only

well based on your gear list, you dont have an ultrawide, and you really need it for ultrawides.

this will not work if you are not perpendicular to the subject. Your eyes wont be able to see the level in multiple axis' as well.

I also did not know it had a level. Whats it used for??

the flying moose wrote in post #16732676
I also did not know it had a level. Whats it used for??

Help you make sure that your horizons are level. Great for landscape photography, architecture photography, basically anytime you want to make sure that the camera is level.

I thought post processing would handle issues like this. For the time it takes to set up the shot on a tripod, you could have easily straightened it in Lightroom in seconds.

John from PA wrote in post #16731826
I see a Canon 10-22 in your profile. Is that what you used for these samples?

I use that with the 7D, but I just bought the Tokina 16-28 f2.8 which is what was used here.

Redfire427 wrote in post #16732733
I thought post processing would handle issues like this. For the time it takes to set up the shot on a tripod, you could have easily straightened it in Lightroom in seconds.

Yes, it does, and I'm SO happy LR5 has the upright feature. BUT, I do like to get as level as possible, and tilted down a few degrees and let Upright fix it. I prefer it to be level as possible so there's less cropping.

And I'm running firmware 1.1.3 (for Magic Lantern uses) but I'll upgrade to 1.2.3 anyway. And also, like someone said above, for a $3500 camera, I'd like it to be near perfect. My 7D is absolutely perfect!

gjl711 wrote in post #16732141
I checked my 7D manual and the tolerance is +/- 1 degree so I'm assuming that the 5DIII is at least as good if not better.

Here's a less-than-stellar shot of Craigmillar Castle which illustrates than a 1º tolerance is, in fact, pretty rubbish.
1. Original

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …91007789@N05/12​925703814/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …91007789@N05/12​925306165/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …91007789@N05/12​925417453/

gjl711 wrote in post #16732141
I checked my 7D manual and the tolerance is +/- 1 degree so I'm assuming that the 5DIII is at least as good if not better.

I read that as it measures in 1 deg increments, not that it is the error. I cannot find any error indicator in the manual that would allude to how accurate that level in camera might be. I could have missed it though, the word level is everywhere in the manual.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #16733358
I read that as it measures in 1 deg increments, not that it is the error. I cannot find any error indicator in the manual that would allude to how accurate that level in camera might be. I could have missed it though, the word level is everywhere in the manual.

In the 7D manual it was on page 48.

The 1DX manual claims that there's "a margin of error of +/- 1°".

Ahh, I wasn't quick enough. The text is the same in the 1DX manual.

xhack wrote in post #16733223
Here's a less-than-stellar shot of Craigmillar Castle which illustrates than a 1º tolerance is, in fact, pretty rubbish.

That's not the level at fault, that's purely due to the camera having to look uphill to get the shot, so you've got converging verticals. Simple to fix in post processing.

Lowner wrote in post #16733415
That's not the level at fault, that's purely due to the camera having to look uphill to get the shot, so you've got converging verticals. Simple to fix in post processing.

It looks to me like there is stuff left of center still converging to the left though (in the original).

waterrockets wrote in post #16733511
It looks to me like there is stuff left of center still converging to the left though (in the original).

I see it doing so to the RHS, but to me, everything left of the centre is leaning to the right.*

* Even after the poster has "corrected" the shot, the verticals are still converging.