UNSOLVED Lens / Photo Distortion

[Mandy Bear]

Hi,

I have a Canon EOS 500D with a 18-55mm. Is there any techniques for taking pictures of a rectangle picture frame without causing distortion? and preferbly without the use of distortion removal software? I have Photoshop Elements 8 and find the distortion removal commands are not acurate enough! I am trying to take pictures from different distances and have tried zooming in and out and taking it from a distance whereby I fit the whole frame into the view finder with 35mm and getting distortion all the time. The frame is approximately 1.4m by 2m big and I am approximately 3.5m away from it with my camera on a tripod. Can you help?

Many thanks

[mike_j]

Assuming your lens doesn't introduce distortion it is all down to absolute precision in centralising the camera on the picture. It must be completely square on and absolutely aligned with the centre of the frame.

I have to reproduce a fair number of pictures from my wife's art group and it is a bit of a nightmare. I have a simple jig set up at home but on site pictures I take as well as I can then square up in Photoshop.

Probably something like a 100mm macro lens is ideal for the job,

[Mandy Bear]

Originally Posted by Cap'n Bill

Assuming your lens doesn't introduce distortion it is all down to absolute precision in centralising the camera on the picture. It must be completely square on and absolutely aligned with the centre of the frame.

I have to reproduce a fair number of pictures from my wife's art group and it is a bit of a nightmare. I have a simple jig set up at home but on site pictures I take as well as I can then square up in Photoshop.

Probably something like a 100mm macro lens is ideal for the job,

Thank you Cap'n Bill for your reply, what do you mean by " the lens may be introducing distortion"? but I believe I have got as central to the centre of the frame as is possible going by the AF points in the view finder but will look into getting a macro lens as suggested.

[mike_j]

Why don't you post an unmodified picture that you have taken? Someone may be able to diagnose the problem with an example to look at.

[devilgas]

Originally Posted by Mandy Bear

Hi,

I have a Canon EOS 500D with a 18-55mm. Is there any techniques for taking pictures of a rectangle picture frame without causing distortion? and preferbly without the use of distortion removal software? I have Photoshop Elements 8 and find the distortion removal commands are not acurate enough! I am trying to take pictures from different distances and have tried zooming in and out and taking it from a distance whereby I fit the whole frame into the view finder with 35mm and getting distortion all the time. The frame is approximately 1.4m by 2m big and I am approximately 3.5m away from it with my camera on a tripod. Can you help?

Many thanks

get further away and use a longer lens setting. 35mm is too wide angle and you will get a degree of distortion. as bill has said, post a pic. preferably 2, one at 35mm and one at 55mm. one final caveat, depending what is within the picture frame, be careful with copyright.

[Ian]

Geometric distortion is almost zero with this lens at 55mm, while there is a fair degree of barrel distortion at 18mm, so best use the lens set to 55mm.

Ian

[Ian]

Mandy - have we managed to help you solve your problem?

Ian