wonky horizons

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

...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.

M_ark wrote in post #9527427
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...

Seems level to me

HOSTED PHOTO
please log in to view hosted photos in full size.

markyb wrote in post #9525435
...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.

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.

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

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.

markyb wrote in post #9531047
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)