Buildings are not always level

"jjs" wrote in
:

I suspect the device he has is intended for panoramics - one which
levels the camera to the horizon for a 360 degree sweep. It's like a
surveyor's transit mount, but more expensive. We have one at work
and for multiple-image panos it is invaluable. For that.



I made a pano head for my digital camera and spent 15 minutes trying to
level it before I determined that the ball head on my tripod is not square
to the center column :-/

Bob

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"jjs" wrote in message

I suspect the device he has is intended for panoramics - one which levels
the camera to the horizon for a 360 degree sweep. It's like a surveyor's
transit mount, but more expensive. We have one at work and for
multiple-image panos it is invaluable. For that.

Surveyors' level transits start at $50 for questionable units and go to $500
for collectors' items.

I thought you could get them a lot cheaper. At one time folks were buying
transit + tripod for $25, chucking the transit and using the tripod.

Using a transit would require an SLR and critical magnifier to get the transit
and camera pointing at the same spot. Wouldn't work well with close subjects.

Or, glue the camera (er a camera mount) to the transit right at the
dead-nuts position. Then you are using only the transit's bubble levels and
bearing.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

"jjs" wrote in message

I suspect the device he has is intended for panoramics - one which levels
the camera to the horizon for a 360 degree sweep. It's like a surveyor's
transit mount, but more expensive. We have one at work and for
multiple-image panos it is invaluable. For that.

Surveyors' level transits start at $50 for questionable units and go to $500
for collectors' items.

I thought you could get them a lot cheaper. At one time folks were buying
transit + tripod for $25, chucking the transit and using the tripod.

Using a transit would require an SLR and critical magnifier to get the transit
and camera pointing at the same spot. Wouldn't work well with close subjects.

Or, glue the camera (er a camera mount) to the transit right at the
dead-nuts position. Then you are using only the transit's bubble levels and
bearing.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

"jjs" wrote in message
...

While I think of it - for new viewcamera people - So you leveled your
camera, made perfect rise, triple checked all levels and the building is
still not level in the frame? Newsflash. Many old buildings are not
level! You might level the roof and find some doors, walls or windows
canted, or visa-versa. Funny how we don't always notice that in the
frame,
but at the leisure of the lighttable, *argh*.

So, is it better to just show the building As Is or go to the fantastic
trouble of making it "look right"? Your decision.



Check out this lighthouse in Michigan:
http://www.shuttercity.com/ShowPhoto.cfm?PhotoID=57844
Admittedly, this was no large format camera, still, the waterline is as
horizontal as can be, and this was shot on a tripod with a level built in
(which I used). Never noticed it was the Leaning Lighthouse of Ludington
until I scanned the slide.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

"jjs" wrote in message
...

While I think of it - for new viewcamera people - So you leveled your
camera, made perfect rise, triple checked all levels and the building is
still not level in the frame? Newsflash. Many old buildings are not
level! You might level the roof and find some doors, walls or windows
canted, or visa-versa. Funny how we don't always notice that in the
frame,
but at the leisure of the lighttable, *argh*.

So, is it better to just show the building As Is or go to the fantastic
trouble of making it "look right"? Your decision.



Check out this lighthouse in Michigan:
http://www.shuttercity.com/ShowPhoto.cfm?PhotoID=57844
Admittedly, this was no large format camera, still, the waterline is as
horizontal as can be, and this was shot on a tripod with a level built in
(which I used). Never noticed it was the Leaning Lighthouse of Ludington
until I scanned the slide.

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"jjs" wrote:

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote in message
...

Hey! By adjusting the camera properly, you can make the leaning tower
of
Pisa stand up straight. ;-)

As you mentioned (Snipped, sorry), the Piza is truly remarkable. They
made
all kinds of adjustments in its balance to make it work out. Left,
right,
down balance, the works. Kinda reminds me of American History writers.


Like the story of Humpty Dumpty.



That's right, in US history, Humpty Dumpty was a terrorist (who knew?) and
they blew that rotten egg away! Never mind putting him together again!

Now that's the king's history! (Or was it the horses'?)

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"jjs" wrote:

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote in message
...

Hey! By adjusting the camera properly, you can make the leaning tower
of
Pisa stand up straight. ;-)

As you mentioned (Snipped, sorry), the Piza is truly remarkable. They
made
all kinds of adjustments in its balance to make it work out. Left,
right,
down balance, the works. Kinda reminds me of American History writers.


Like the story of Humpty Dumpty.



That's right, in US history, Humpty Dumpty was a terrorist (who knew?) and
they blew that rotten egg away! Never mind putting him together again!

Now that's the king's history! (Or was it the horses'?)

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

"Gregory Blank" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"jjs" wrote:

"Jean-David Beyer" wrote in message
...

Hey! By adjusting the camera properly, you can make the leaning tower
of
Pisa stand up straight. ;-)

As you mentioned (Snipped, sorry), the Piza is truly remarkable. They
made
all kinds of adjustments in its balance to make it work out. Left,
right,
down balance, the works. Kinda reminds me of American History writers.


Like the story of Humpty Dumpty.



That's right, in US history, Humpty Dumpty was a terrorist (who knew?) and
they blew that rotten egg away! Never mind putting him together again!

Now that's the king's history! (Or was it the horses'?)

--
Regards,
Matt Clara
www.mattclara.com

Well, I think that I rremember that even ol' Ansel admonished us that we should
keep some distortion in a photograph because it looks unnatural when a building
appears to be completely rectilinear.

I think he was talking about horizontal convergence if you are looking at a
building obliquely. In that case to square it up looks unnatural. Vertical
convergence is a different problem and usually this needs to be corrected
unless you are doing it obviously for a visual effect.

With older buildings that are not square then be true to the building.

steve simmons

Well, I think that I rremember that even ol' Ansel admonished us that we should
keep some distortion in a photograph because it looks unnatural when a building
appears to be completely rectilinear.

I think he was talking about horizontal convergence if you are looking at a
building obliquely. In that case to square it up looks unnatural. Vertical
convergence is a different problem and usually this needs to be corrected
unless you are doing it obviously for a visual effect.

With older buildings that are not square then be true to the building.

steve simmons