[bobphoenix]

I have been scouring the forum threads for some sort of resolution about the level indicator on my Pentax K7 being a degree or two off... But, most of what I found, is in the K5 section...

These thread involve the level indicator issue on the Pentax K5 for the most part... But, here I am with a K7, with only 9200+ shutter releases, and I've got the same thing going on...
When the level indicator is is green, my images are nearly two degrees down on the right side of the view finder... Thinking this was exclusive to K5s, thought I would check my K7 and my Pentax K1...
Having checked on my K1... I have the same problem only it is on the opposite side... one half degree down on the left side...!

So, I gotta ask... What the heck is up with Pentax not being "on the level"... (So to speak...)? And, why can't there be some sort of resolution to this...?
If the level indicator is ties into the shake reduction shouldn't there be a firmware patch?
Or, worse yet, could this situation be tied into the actual mounting of the sensor...?

Thanks for your thoughts...

Bob

[BigMackCam]

I had the same issue with my K-7 way back when, Bob. It's a factory calibration thing and not accessible to users. In the end, I simply put up with it and mentally factored in the difference.

It's not uncommon with other brands too. I have a Panasonic DMC-TZ70 compact where both the left-to-right and front-to-back tilt were out. Thankfully, I managed to buy service documentation that provided the (rather convoluted) approach for accessing service menus and performing the re-calibration with a home-printed target... but, really, Panasonic doesn't want you to do it either. Search around on Google for "horizon level inaccurate <brand name>" and you'll find examples of the problem for most of the brands.

My recommendation is, if you know the level indicator is off by a couple of degrees, just factor that in when using the level. Sending it in for service won't be cheap, and risks more harm than good for such a minor concern (even if it is a little bit annoying at first )...

[kypfer]

I chop and change between bodies, so although I'm familiar with the symptoms, I couldn't be sure, without double-checking, which of my bodies (with electronic levels) are accurate and which are faulty.
As my early bodies don't have levels I'm well familiar with using Irfanview or DCU to "straighten things up" and just live with it

[BigMackCam]

Further to my previous reply, I'll add that even when this feature is well calibrated, it's often not exactly so, and there's a range - quite a considerable range actually - where the indicator will show as level when the camera isn't quite. As such, I've always preferred to use visual references - building lines, natural horizons, trees etc. - where possible. Plus, like many (most?) folks, I straighten things up when necessary in post (as @kypfer mentions above)...

[Kobayashi.K]

I do the same as BigMackCam. I think my K5-II has a level indicator with one degree resolution, and not better. So, that's virtually useless because it is quite easy to level out a camera visually within one degree with a bit of attention, even hand-held. That's what I see in post where I mostly do a further leveling out within 0.1 degree (for architecture).

[Simon K]

There is at least one laudable exception, the Samsung NX300. Here, you can easily calibrate the horizon via the menu. When I bought a K5 with a tilted horizon after being used to do the calibration in no time myself it with the NX300, I searched through the whole menu of the k5, several times, because I just couldn't believe that this important function should simply not be there.

[rpjallan]

The level on my K-7 has always been noticeably out. I just never used it after realising this.

The level on my K-3ii is spot on. Sometimes it looks a bit off but once lens distortion correction is applied it straightens up perfectly.

[house]

Sometimes it looks a bit off but once lens distortion correction is applied it straightens up perfectly.

This is why I use the levels in my cameras. It's not much of an issue with standard or tele lenses but for wider lenses it's quite easy to be tricked by the distortion. When using apsc I was fooled by the DA21 a lot. Since I shoot architecture keeping the camera level is my main skill despite this I'm often fooled by distortion.

[Theov39]

Back in the film days you could buy these small levels that slid into the hot shoe. Are they still around?

[BigMackCam]

Back in the film days you could buy these small levels that slid into the hot shoe. Are they still around?

Yes - I use one in my film digitising setup. Of course, accuracy is dependent on the hot shoe, body and sensor being closely aligned. They're usually quite well aligned, but not always perfectly...

[BigMackCam]

Back in the film days you could buy these small levels that slid into the hot shoe. Are they still around?

Yes - I use a cube-shaped three-axis version in my film digitising setup. Of course, accuracy is dependent on the hot shoe, body and sensor being closely aligned, and accurate machining of the level's foot. Alignment is usually good, but not always perfect...

[Jonathan Mac]

I'm sure the sensor in my K-3 is slightly off. I mean, once it indicates that the camera is level you can move it a little and it will stay centred, so there has to be some leeway there. It's never been a huge problem, easy to fix in post.