[m8o]

I just shot a bunch of panos on the roof of my building. I used the built-in tripod bubble level to level that out. Then used to camera's electronic level to adjust the tripod head to center the two meters. I rotated the tripod head 90 degrees, and the electronic camera level said I was still level.

.... downloaded to the computer. All my photos are off by 3 degrees!

Anyone else?

[Adam]

If you have K-5 #3823032, then its level is known to be miscalibrated

Pentax K-5 Serials - Pentax Serial Number Database - PentaxForums.com

The level can be fixed via software by Pentax, but AFAIK they don't have the technology outside of Japan yet. At least they don't have it here in AZ.

[m8o]

...LOL! Then #3889425 is too! Never looked in that thread. I'd register it but now I don't know if I'm going to keep this particular one or try to return it for a replacement from B&H.

[Adam]

You can add multiple serials to the database and you should add that one so that future owners are aware. The one with the defective level was also from BH.

Adam
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[m8o]

Good point. Reinforces what I was thinking. Doing it now.
And thanx.

[Adam]

Cool! The avoid option will make the serial appear in red.

[m8o]

Cool! The avoid option will make the serial appear in red.

I was debating applying that. It [my K-5] is otherwise so good, I don't want to throw the baby out w/the bath water if I end-up keeping it and/or it's able to be adjusted @ some point.

[Adam]

I'd do it, just in case. It's damaged out of the box, after all!

[willywalker]

Are you guys sure that your monitors are level???

[m8o]

I'm using a mobile workstation in my lap, so it's always going outta level. ...ya, that's what it must have been.

[Adam]

You can always test it by placing your camera on a table, shooting a photo, then rotating it 180 degrees and shooting again. If one is more crooked than the other, then you know there's a problem Or you can simply look at the level display on the lcd.

[Cannikin]

I forgot who first suggested it, but for a clearer explanation of the "180 degree" method:

Get a flat surface. It doesn't matter if it's level or not with respect to gravity, just as long as it's totally flat (in fact, it might be more useful if it's slightly tilted). Put the camera on the surface and look at the level. Observe how many bars it is tilted, and which direction. Say for example it's 3 bars tilted to the right. Now turn it in place 180 degrees, and look at the level again. If it's working properly, it should read 3 bars to the left now. If it's anything other than that, then it is not calibrated correctly.

[m8o]

Thanx for that Mo, Cannikin; I'll do that too to see it's results.

I was 'assuming' willywalker was joking and responded in kind; I sure hope he wasn't being serious. In-case not, since I was shooting the NYC skyline from 17 floors up, and 99.9% of the vertical lines are perpendicular to the Earth's surface, and I can easily zoom into each photo @ 100% then drag a bright line to the edge of the Lightroom viewing pane and base the rotation amount on that, there isn't a shred of doubt the in-camera level is off by almost exactly 3 degrees.

I haven't decided if the fruits of my labor last night are successful yet, or if they'll make for a nice pano. I'll get back to ya'all.

[simico]

Turning the camera 180 degree doesn't seem to help me to determine level accuracy

[Adam]

Turning the camera 180 degree doesn't seem to help me to determine level accuracy

Rotate it, don't flip it!


Sorry, had to...