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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Level horizons
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 04/21/2010 12:08:05 PM · #1
I had a "Duh" moment yesterday while I was out shooting landscapes, twisting and contorting my fat butt into all sorts of positions trying to get the perspective I wanted. When I do this, I often end up with seriously tilted horizons and then lose a lot of my image area and composition choices to correcting the tilt. I finally realized I could use two of the focus points in my viewfinder as a level. Might be obvious to many, but I suspect some others like myself had not noticed the focus points could be used this way.

Again,... DUH.
 04/21/2010 12:09:15 PM · #2
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I had a "Duh" moment yesterday while I was out shooting landscapes, twisting and contorting my fat butt into all sorts of positions trying to get the perspective I wanted. When I do this, I often end up with seriously tilted horizons and then lose a lot of my image area and composition choices to correcting the tilt. I finally realized I could use two of the focus points in my viewfinder as a level. Might be obvious to many, but I suspect some others like myself had not noticed the focus points could be used this way.

Again,... DUH.


Helpful tip!
 04/21/2010 12:23:44 PM · #3
Yep, I use them too. I am awful when it comes to straight horizons, it seems I always have to rotate a degree right in post processing..
 04/21/2010 12:25:03 PM · #4
me I have to keep my grid on at all times...I use it alot to line things up...
 04/21/2010 12:28:39 PM · #5
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I had a "Duh" moment yesterday while I was out shooting landscapes, twisting and contorting my fat butt into all sorts of positions trying to get the perspective I wanted. When I do this, I often end up with seriously tilted horizons and then lose a lot of my image area and composition choices to correcting the tilt. I finally realized I could use two of the focus points in my viewfinder as a level. Might be obvious to many, but I suspect some others like myself had not noticed the focus points could be used this way.

Again,... DUH.


It took me a while to figure that one out too, although I still sometimes forget.
 04/21/2010 12:49:17 PM · #6
If I had a buck for every time I had to rotate an image to compensate for shooting it off-level, I'd be a rich man, LOL. It does always seem I tend to rotate one way. Most of the time, if I concentrate on leveling it with the focus points or other references, I'm dead on, so it comes down to remembering to pay attention to it.
 04/21/2010 12:49:32 PM · #7
This may be obvious too, but the focus points (on my camera at least), also are useful because they line up on the "thirds" of the screen!
 04/21/2010 12:49:58 PM · #8
Originally posted by Ja-9:
me I have to keep my grid on at all times...I use it alot to line things up...


Canons didn't used to HAVE that feature, though the 7D does now. I bought a replacement screen for the 5D that has a grid engraved on it. I hated living without a grid, with my 20D. As a retired architectural photographer, I'm so used to having one available.

The "line-up-on-the-focus-points works pretty well, except some of the newer models have them arrayed in an oval pattern, not a rectilinear pattern, and that makes it tough.

R.
 04/21/2010 12:57:05 PM · #9
Not all landscape scenes have a flat horizon in the distance. My neighborhood is full of diagonal ridges. I could not take landscape scenes without . A variety for sale at B&H. I try to avoid, like the plague, doing a minor degree rotation in post-processing. A 90 degree or 180 degree rotation is not a problem, but a 2 degree rotation will cause the sharpness and detail to degrade because the image is resampled. Always best to get the image level at the time of image capture.

Message edited by author 2010-04-21 12:58:21.
 04/21/2010 12:57:37 PM · #10
Originally posted by Ja-9:
me I have to keep my grid on at all times...I use it alot to line things up...


That is one of the features I would have loved to have on my D50. Really happy to have it on the D90.

That aside, if I don't have my hotshoe level on or the grid to line things up, using the two focus point method works pretty darn well.
 04/21/2010 01:02:19 PM · #11
[quote=Yo_Spiff] I had a "Duh" moment yesterday while I was out shooting landscapes, twisting and contorting my fat butt into all sorts of positions trying to get the perspective I wanted. When I do this, I often end up with seriously tilted horizons and then lose a lot of my image area and composition choices to correcting the tilt. I finally realized I could use two of the focus points in my viewfinder as a level. Might be obvious to many, but I suspect some others like myself had not noticed the focus points could be used this way.

That is so strange, I started trying the same technique yesterday. I have no right angle view and the camera was super low. Yeah, it did help. Also you can try a shot, then shift the camera, slightly to one horizon. Then continue for a few shots, shifting and shooting. I find this can be great with wide angle lenses. You usually get one that is perfect!
 04/21/2010 01:02:24 PM · #12
Funny, I was reading all this thread and wondered why people didn't just use the grid in the viewfinder. Guess I did not realise the older Canons didn't have that feature. Learn something new everyday.
 04/21/2010 01:08:00 PM · #13
Originally posted by hahn23:
Not all landscape scenes have a flat horizon in the distance. My neighborhood is full of diagonal ridges. I could not take landscape scenes without . A variety for sale at B&H. I try to avoid, like the plague, doing a minor degree rotation in post-processing. A 90 degree or 180 degree rotation is not a problem, but a 2 degree rotation will cause the sharpness and detail to degrade because the image is resampled. Always best to get the image level at the time of image capture.


I have levels on all 3 planes of my tripod head, which is ideal for what you're describing. The grid, however, is still good, because even IF a scene, when squared up, shows natural diagonals, it's frequently the case that this makes it look tilted when viewed, and it's often best to square away that natural diagonal.

But that's really the difference between where you shoot (mountains) and where I shoot (low seashores and marshes); my "diagonal deviations are very minor, yours is totally major :-)

R.
 04/21/2010 01:10:39 PM · #14
I actually tend to line up on verticals... There tend to be more of them...
 04/21/2010 01:12:41 PM · #15
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I have levels on all 3 planes of my tripod head, which is ideal for what you're describing. The grid, however, is still good, because even IF a scene, when squared up, shows natural diagonals, it's frequently the case that this makes it look tilted when viewed, and it's often best to square away that natural diagonal.

I don't have a grid in the viewfinder, though I suppose there are replacement focus screens for that. I was also shooting handheld.
 04/21/2010 01:57:45 PM · #16
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
Originally posted by Bear_Music:
I have levels on all 3 planes of my tripod head, which is ideal for what you're describing. The grid, however, is still good, because even IF a scene, when squared up, shows natural diagonals, it's frequently the case that this makes it look tilted when viewed, and it's often best to square away that natural diagonal.

I don't have a grid in the viewfinder, though I suppose there are replacement focus screens for that. I was also shooting handheld.


I installed that focusing screen in my 50D. It's the EF-D, and it definitely is handy. Installing it only took about 3 minutes. However, your focus points suggestion is still really good for those times when you cannot see the grid lines on the focusing screen.
 04/21/2010 04:36:57 PM · #17
So let me understand....You of all people roll around on the ground.....LOL. I hope someone snapped a shot of that.

Message edited by author 2010-04-21 16:37:18.
 04/21/2010 04:45:39 PM · #18
The Sigma DP2 has a grid overlay in the LCD viewfinder. And you can set which grid you want -- thrids, quarters or fifths.
 04/21/2010 04:46:39 PM · #19
Originally posted by cowboy221977:
So let me understand....You of all people roll around on the ground.....LOL. I hope someone snapped a shot of that.

Several, in fact.
04/21/2010 04:49:19 PM · #20
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I don't have a grid in the viewfinder, though I suppose there are replacement focus screens for that. I was also shooting handheld.


Doesn't the 50D have live view with a grid though?
 04/21/2010 05:05:29 PM · #21
Originally posted by kleski:
Doesn't the 50D have live view with a grid though?

Yes, but I prefer the viewfinder most of the time.
 04/21/2010 05:15:20 PM · #22
Since I only have 6 MP, I have to use every last pixel, meaning straight horizon AND proper composition (i.e. horizon not in center). Since my viewfinder has three brackety things right down the middle, your technique doesn't quite work for me, as I'll tend to point them quite a bit higher than the horizon.

...but I usually still get it straight.
 04/21/2010 05:25:10 PM · #23
Originally posted by Yo_Spiff:
I had a "Duh" moment yesterday while I was out shooting landscapes, twisting and contorting my fat butt into all sorts of positions trying to get the perspective I wanted. When I do this, I often end up with seriously tilted horizons and then lose a lot of my image area and composition choices to correcting the tilt. I finally realized I could use two of the focus points in my viewfinder as a level. Might be obvious to many, but I suspect some others like myself had not noticed the focus points could be used this way.

Again,... DUH.


I had this exact "DUH" moment last Thursday ;)
 04/21/2010 06:12:02 PM · #24
Originally posted by Ken:
It took me a while to figure that one out too, although I still sometimes forget.


Don't forget that your 7D has the cool gyro thing [Hit info a couple of times]... which is MUCH better :-) I keep the grid on anyway but it's very nice and let's you pretend to play flight simm when your board (just sayn... I would have NEVER done that ok].

Message edited by author 2010-04-21 18:13:36.
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