[daacon]

Hey All

I have noticed alot of my shots are tilted slighty to the right ? Now I am still getting use to the K10D as the last several years were PS mostly from the LCD - I don't notice it so much in the view finder or maybe I am not payng attention to the orientation, and too much on the focus. Too many of them are slanted that way , it appears to be my style (too many years of watching the old Batman series ? )

I am right handed , no battery grip , fairly big hands ... always considered myslef a "straight shooter" until I went DSLR -

Any tips ? I am getting older and shrinking maybe I am starting to slant as well ?

thx..........Dave

---

Last edited by daacon; 06-01-2007 at 07:43 PM.

[mtngal]

I have to really think about horizon or vertical lines to get them straight. I'll use the lines on the focusing screen to line things up, but I have to really think about it. I still often use Lightroom or CS2 to rotate things slightly, because I still don't always get it right. One thing you can do is get a divided focusing screen - it has the third lines marked on them and that's easier to use for lining things up.

[Mallee Boy]

Hi Dave......it could be said you are leaning to the right.......

[PDL]

My horizons always lean to the left.

I need to get the K10D screen with the rule of thirds (I have it for my Ds). Even with that I lean to the left.

PDL

[tranq78]

Hey All

I have noticed alot of my shots are tilted slighty to the right ? Now I am still getting use to the K10D as the last several years were PS mostly from the LCD - I don't notice it so much in the view finder or maybe I am not payng attention to the orientation, and too much on the focus. Too many of them are slanted that way , it appears to be my style (too many years of watching the old Batman series ? )

I am right handed , no battery grip , fairly big hands ... always considered myslef a "straight shooter" until I went DSLR -

Any tips ? I am getting older and shrinking maybe I am starting to slant as well ?

thx..........Dave

It's probably the way you are holding the camera. Remember, elbows in, left hand under and cradling the body/lens, squeeze (don't jab) the shutter.

But you can test to see if it's the K10. Mount it on a tripod and put a bubble level in the hotshoe. Level the camera using the bubble. Then take some test pics using the self-timer, so you don't touch the camera when the shutter triggers.

If you don't have either take the camera to the store where it was purchased and borrow a tripod & level from them. I'm sure they will let you try it out if you explain what's happening to your pictures. If the problem is with the camera it will be fixed under warranty.

[rfortson]

Mine also lean to the right, by about the same amount. I was convinced it was the camera until I actually leveled the tripod, or was extra careful using the viewfinder and leveling it against the horizon. Then I found out I was just very consistent in my lean.

Regardless, Pentax Photolab (and others) easily adjusts it.

[aabram]

Some of mine are too slanted to the right. But I've figured that mine are mostly because of the shutter press. Though I never just slam it and always have it prefocused before taking the actual shot it happens. But in my case the percentage isn't overly big so I don't worry about it too much.

But I've noticed that when I actually take time to align the subject with viewfinder grid, the results tend to be better, so there may be some weird sight psychology at play too.

[Arjay Bee]

Something to consider_

Are those people that inadvertantly get horizontal lines that slant down on the right, right hand and eye dominant while those who slope to the left, left hand/eye dominant?

Something could be happening with the side of the nose and the way the body of the camera is held against the cheek.

[bdavis]

Something to consider_

Are those people that inadvertantly get horizontal lines that slant down on the right, right hand and eye dominant while those who slope to the left, left hand/eye dominant?

Something could be happening with the side of the nose and the way the body of the camera is held against the cheek.

I'm right eye--left hand dominant. I get slanted photos when I'm really tired, or lazy/sloppy with my technique. The key I've found is to slide my left hand back towards the base of the lens and support the body fairly often (this can be really difficult with large, heavy lenses).

[Djedi]

They say as you get older, one leg often gets shorter!
Djedi

[little laker]

I have the same problem, but I thought that it was because of my spinal cord being so bent up after a couple of accidents.

I have to use the lines in the view finder, then I'm fine.

I should point out that the horizon or subject aren't always level anyways. We have to compensate to make everything look right.

[Bob Wallace]

My aunt, the family photographer, produced a lot of shots of people who were missing the tops of their heads. We finally figured out that she leaned "into" the camera as she pressed the shutter button.

Try changing your shooting technique so that you don't "press" the button, but "squeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzzzeeee" the button by closing up your grip rather than pushing down.

(I'd suggest that you use somewhat the motion one uses when milking a cow, but probably no one would know what I meant. ;o)

Some people even use a rolling motion with their index finger to depress the shutter so that they create as little camera motion as possible.