How important is it...........

[Tannin]

Oh, and it's almost level .... or maybe I'm just getting tricked by a little pincushion distortion and over-sensitive about the horizon in that particular shot, as I'm so fond of it and spent quite a while being bugged by it.

It was taken several cameras ago, with one of my old Nikon Coiolpix 4500s, hence the tendency to distort one way wide and the other way long.

[Stephen]

I was probably being somewhat disingenuous with my original post but I am glad it has generated some interest and overall agreement about the need for level horizons when they are meant to be level.

The fact is that last night I was looking at the Recent photos on the gallery and was amazed to see pictures with tilted horizons. It was still there this morning, but I then looked back at well known users here and sure enough there were more. It makes me wonder just how people can do this, when surely it is patently obvious that photographically, nay by the laws of nature, wrong

The thing is, it seems to me, the vast majority of images posted in the gallery are of birds, (shouldn't they be on the bird forum ) insects, flowers, wildlife and so on. Level horizons are usually not an issue with such shots and perhaps people forget when it becomes one. As has been said here already it is easy to correct in the software, not to mention making the photos look better.

I find sometimes it is difficult to know if a pic is definately level especially when using wide angle lenses, especially when there is little in the way of reference points within the image. In response to Adeys request for blue sky against the yellow field, HERES a shot taken a couple of years ago. I think its level

[prostie1200]

Thats Some Sky! and Yellow field, a Super photograph Stephen and from where I am sitting the Horizon is Level

[yelvertoft]

Originally Posted by Tannin

I can rotate by any given number of degrees, and 3 degrees is too much but 2 degrees isn't enough. Drives me nuts!

Excuse me: here is my point: at least with some pictures, the orientation has to be exactly right, and it is very surprising how small a difference the eye picks up on.

Tony,
Glad you found the tool allows you to rotate in fractions of a degree, i suffered the same angst until I found this out. It is surprising how small an angle makes a difference. I often tweak things by 0.5 degree and am shocked by how far this is.

As for using the assorted tools and grids, there are times when aligning the "horizon" to a perfect reference doesn't look right to my eyes. A lot depends on the overall perspective of the scene. That's my excuse for some of my sloppier shots anyway, and I'm sticking to it.

D.

[Ian]

Duncan you should insert more lamp-post's for reference!!!
Ian

[John]

Originally Posted by Stephen Fox

The measure tool is probably the fastest way to level a shot but always use at 100% zoom and check by viewing with the grid displayed afterward to be sure.

Thanks for that extra tip.

John

[Gidders]

Originally Posted by yelvertoft

As for using the assorted tools and grids, there are times when aligning the "horizon" to a perfect reference doesn't look right to my eyes.

It a bit like a tip someone gave me years ago for hanging radiators in older houses - you can either hang them so the top is horizontal, or so that the top is paralell to the window sill. The first will be right but the second will look right

[Don Hoey]

In the days of film and interchangeable focussing screens, I always used a grid screen, luckily the D100 has this as an electronic switchable feature, and mine is permenantly on.

BTW Superb picture Stephen, wonderful contrast between the rape seed and the sky.

Don

[Stephen]

Thanks Don, much appreciated.

As someone said earlier, I'm suprised no one appears to have to come up with an electronic spirit level in the viewfinder. How difficult would it be these days?

[Don Hoey]

Originally Posted by Stephen

As someone said earlier, I'm suprised no one appears to have to come up with an electronic spirit level in the viewfinder. How difficult would it be these days?

This got me thinking. I seem to recall Hamma or Kaiser making a hotshoe mounted spirit level. A quick check on Wh/E site shows that someone still does. They have a 2 axis level so I would guess they are quite widely available.

How to correct in Photoshop will be of interest to those who use fluid heads, as these are limited to 2 axis movement, and getting level horizons is more problematical.

But this begs a question. I am sure that in my earlier readings in Jpeg v RAW that rotating jpegs in 90 degree increments is lossless but not so for any in between rotation. Cannot find the link to that info now.

Don