GHS58 Loc: Missouri, USA

Shot with the SX50. The sides of the building slope inward toward the top. Is this camera specific, zoom, or camera settings? Did not have this problem with my Oly.

Thanks in advance for your help.

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tradio Loc: Oxford, Ohio

That is a lens problem and they make lenses that can correct it called perspective control lenses. You get this with wide or wider angled lenses.

tsilva Loc: Arizona

Yes it is lens distortion. It can be corrected in most cases when you process the image

Rongnongno Loc: FL

First off your capture is not level and the church is slanted to the right.

The lens perspective distortion is normal but in this case accentuated by the lack of level. Go back, re-shoot and see the difference.

Tip: shoot with the vertical line set to the foreground tower corner (see red arrows).

Once you have a good capture you can use perspective correction in post processing.

Note: When taking a capture of a building the vertical lines are more important that the horizontal ones.

Vertical line to select as reference.


Vertical adjustement

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Perspective adjustement.. Note the cropping that takes place as well as the lamp post barell distortion...

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Two more tips:

1) This should be in photo analysis.
2) For instruction on how to PP your image, post in the post-processing section.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

GHS58,

You are suffering from at least three optical problems. All three can be resolved by choice of camera lens and shooting location.

The basic problem is called Perspective Distortion, it is caused by less expensive lens material and the wide angle of capture (short focal length) lens. Given the same focal length lens (28mm) two different manufacturers can produce widely differing perspective distortion results. Manufacturers can include different lens coatings and additional lens elements to correct for a majority of perspective errors, it is optical and can be corrected.

There are wide angle lenses available (15mm), called 'Tilt Shift' lenses. the photographer shifts the angle of the objective lens element and tilts the lens to correct for the vertical/horizontal errors caused by the extra-wide angle of capture of the lens.

You can correct for these errors before, and after the capture.
1. Make sure there are no vertical elements in the foreground of the scene. (The street light and post emphasize the vertical tilt).
2. In your building, make sure the central vertical corner is vertical.
3. It might help to have a 'Bubble Level' attached to the hot shoe of the camera to verify level.
4. When composing the scene in camera look for the dominant feature that will show perspective, a vertical line on a building, or a horizontal line in the horizon of an Ocean scene.

Some cameras provide a 9 grid pattern on the 'Live View' LCD screen, others can have a focus screen installed that include a 9 grid screen to aid in composition and perspective.

To correct what you already have in images; you will need image editing software that includes perspective correction.

Michael G

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

When shooting with a wide angle lens, in order to avoid the convergence of vertical lines at the top of the frame, you must try and keep the lens as close to parallel with the ground as possible. When you tip it up, you get convergence.

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

SonyA580,

Correct.

This also means when photographing a 40 story building from across the street you need to climb up to the 20th story of a building to capture a distortion reduced picture. It is better to make the climb and capture a decent picture; then edit the perspective distortion out of the image.

Michael G

JimH123 Loc: Morgan Hill, CA

I use a product fron DxO optics for this correction. It is quite good. Other SW applications have this ability, but can't match DxO.

It is not always practical to position yourself for the best shot and have to go with what you can get. Obviously, having a perfect shot is ideal, but with less than a perfect shot, correcting is not bad.

photosbytw Loc: Blue Ridge Mountains

Aren't all churches slanted to the right?
:roll:

Rongnongno Loc: FL

:shock: Ah! :hunf:

Armadillo Loc: Ventura, CA

Some of 'em are upside down.

Hard Rock

I straighten the sloping wall in photoshop for you

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GHS58 Loc: Missouri, USA

Not a church. It is the county courthouse. Thanks everyone for your help. Lots of good ideas. Looks like I should have been on the roof of the county sheriff's office instead of on the street in front of it. :D :D

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Oh, hell, just fix it in lightroom or photoshop. It just takes a moment. You don't even have to be lens or camera specific. Easy fix as you just saw. You can even fiddle with it a bit more if you wish.