topic Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image in Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 18:35:22 GMT

Hi,

Yesterday I took self portraits of myself with a Cannon ixus 185 point and shoot digital camera on a tripod set to a 10 second timer, I wasn't very far away,but very close either but I ended up with a distorted somewhat fat face and a double chin which I don't have in person,in the mirror or even in inexpensive camera phones even though I have gotten the wide angle lens distortion if the camera was too close to my face but you can't really tell how close it is and sometimes you get lucky and get really good results. Do you have any suggestions on how to avoid this problem?

Thank You

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Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

rs-eos — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 19:27:54 GMT

Headshots are typically done with telephoto lenses in the range of 85mm to 200mm. My personal preference is 135mm.

On your camera, I don't think it shows the actual focal length as you change the zoom. But at about the middle of your zoom range, you should be around 126mm and that should be good for a headshot. The camera will need to be further away, but you should be albe to fill the frame now and not have as many distortions.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 20:26:22 GMT

Hi Ricky,

Thank you very much and I knew that portrait/headshot professional photographers use telephoto lenses and stand far away and then zoom in on the person being photographed, but wouldn't doing zoom on my non DSLR point and shoot camera cause *more* face distortions? I'm not sure if my zoom feature stays on when I'm using the timer, I tried it briefly but I'll have to try it again and see.

This morning I did an experiment and I took pictures with this camera at a medium close range of my pictures taken with cheap camera phones where I don't have a fat face or double chin to see if this camera would cause it in these pictures, but strangely it didn't! It's only when I'm taking my pictures directly live with this camera. Can you please explain this? Does lighting also cause double chins and other face distortions too?

Also, I spoke with a Best Buy Geeksquad member and she didn't say anything about what you said,she just said that I need to update my camera using my computer and formatting my SD card to use a memory card reader to transfer my pictures from my camera to my computer.But I told her that my computer didn't recognize the card reader device after I plugged it in,the red light was on it,and there was a little sound from my computer after I plugged it in,but there as no notification on my computer screen about any device plugged in,and there was no file with my pictures.This Geeksquad agent said it's because I need to update my camera's software. I do have problems with my computer sometimes though,there are picture file errors,and Google Chrome often doesn't respond and sometimes my computer beeps and other Best Buy Geeksquad agents have said that could indicate a hardware problem. I just ordered a different card reader this time an Energizer rom Best Buy.com that's coming Wenesday so if this also doesn't work then it could be a hardware issue.

Thank You

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 20:22:51 GMT

And I have had professional portraits taken of me over the years and the photographer's always stood a good distance away from me and I obviously never had any face distortions.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

rs-eos — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 21:08:11 GMT

I don't see why you'd get more distortions if zoomed in (using a longer focal length). I suppose with a less expensive lens in the point-and-shoot, there could exist some distoritions in general along the edges of the frame. But you shouldn't get the more extreme distortions with facial features as when using a very wide angle lens (zoomed out fully).

One thing you may try is center your head/face within the frame a bit more and then crop the image. The center-most area of the frame should be the most free of any distoritions or other issues. I would still set the zoom to about half-way if possible though.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Tronhard — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 21:28:52 GMT

The closer one is to a camera the wider the lens has capture to be to encompass the subject. In doing so the lens has to bend the light more to direct it to the sensor of the camera and that creates distortions of both width and depth. For the first, suddenly the distance to the nose is proportionally much shorter than to the eye or forehead, and thus appears bigger. In a similar way object further from the centre of the lens are further away and are bent to be able to be captured In extreme cases this results in 'fish-eye' effect, where there are almost no straight lines and everything is bent out of shape and highly distorted. THIS VIDEO might help to demonstrate what is happening with shorter vs. longer focal length lenses.

Really, if you want to learn more of this, try it out with your own camera. Stand back further and use a longer focal length and see the difference.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 23:03:25 GMT

Hi Tronhard,

Thank you very much too for your reply. But I don't have a longer focal length lens only the lens in this camera. Can lighting create double chins etc?

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 23:11:42 GMT

Selfie Distortion: Do Cameras Distort Your Face? This Is A Great Article Demonstrating How The Wide Angle Lens Typical In Smartphones Distort Faces Especially Too Close Up

https://silentpeakphoto.com/photography/photography-tips/selfie-distortion-do-cameras-distort-your-face/#

Scientists Find Selfies With Camera Phones Distort Your Face 30% Many People Getting Plastic Surgery Including Nose Jobs Because Of This

https://www.livescience.com/61896-why-selfies-distort-your-face-math.html

https://the-pro-photographer.com/how-to-find-the-perfect-portrait-lens-to-avoid-distortion/

https://gizmodo.com/this-image-shows-how-camera-lenses-beautify-or-uglify-y-5857279

https://www.iflscience.com/technology/heres-the-simple-trick-to-look-your-best-in-selfies-from-your-smartphone/

Plastic Surgeon shows how camera phones that commonly have wide angle short lenses distort faces making faces & noses longer & wider & ears don't show professional headshot and portrait photographers don't use wide angle lenses and they photography people's faces from a far enough distance and then zoom in.

https://www.vgplasticsurgery.com/blogs/phone-cameras-selfies-distort-face-making-face-nose-look-wider-longer/

Phone cameras / selfies distort the face making the face and nose look wider and longer. - Rhinoplasty Los

Angeles

Best Nose Surgery Options Dr. Grigoryants

Phone cameras and selfies have became very popular nowadays. However, the phone cameras distort the face and nose making them wider and longer. A number of patients before surgery complain that they do not like their noses in their photos. Also, some patient after rhinoplasty ...

Phone cameras / selfies distort the face making the face and nose look wider and longer. - Rhinoplasty Los Angeles Best Nose Surgery Options Dr. Grigoryants Phone cameras and selfies have became very popular nowadays. However, the phone cameras distort the face and nose making them wider and longer. A number of patients before surgery complain that they do not like their noses in their photos. Also, some patient after rhinoplasty ... Phone cameras / selfies distort the face making the face and nose look wider and longer. -

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Camera Phones Can Distort Your Face

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-look-good-in-phone-photos-selfies-2016-8#and-smartphones-dont-make-it-easier-2

There's a simple trick to looking your best in smartphone photos - Business Insider

https://people.csail.mit.edu/yichangshih/wide_angle_portrait/

A OnePlus 3 sits in front of a Galaxy S7. Rafi Letzter/Tech Insider Have you ever taken a selfie, looked at it afterward, and thought, That's not even what I look like!. The problem was likely ...

There's a simple trick to looking your best in smartphone photos Wide-angle distortion is the bane of anyone trying to look good smartphone photos and selfies. Here's how to get around it.

Researchers recently developed a software that corrects the typical face distortions from the common wide angle camera phone lenses.

https://people.csail.mit.edu/yichangshih/wide_angle_portrait/

Distortion-Free Wide-Angle Portraits on Camera Phones

(a) A group selfie taken by a wide-angle 97° field-of-view phone camera. The perspective projection renders unnatural look to faces on the periphery: they are stretched, twisted, and squished.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sat, 25 Jun 2022 23:40:10 GMT

Can anyone explain why even though I often got face distortion taking a face selfie with cheap camera phones but I didn't get a double chin?

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Tronhard — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 00:06:22 GMT

Lighting and posture can create double chins. If you have soft light from in front you will not get great shadowing. I personally find that shooting outside in soft available light (such as lightly cloud-cover day or for harsh days, in a shadowed area) gives the bet results. On top of that if you have the camera low down and tilt your head down to look at it, you will get a double chin. So, raise the camera up a bit and look up and that will stretch your neck and reduce the chances of a double chin.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Tronhard — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 00:07:44 GMT

Likely, without realizing it, you held the cell phone higher than the camera and then looked up at it - the classic selfie posture.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

rs-eos — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 13:00:39 GMT

Your camera's zoom lens goes from wide angle to telephoto. 28 mm to 224 mm in terms of a full frame camera equivalent. That's why I mentioned putting your zoom range at around half-way to get around 126 mm. That should make a good headshot focal length (in the range of 85 mm to 135 mm).

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 15:54:09 GMT

Ricky,

Thank you but how do I do this? I don't think the zoom lens stays while the timer is on and I don't know which buttons to press to get the zoom. And I can't tell how far away I am if it's far enough etc.And back in November 2019 when I first got this camera, my father just using the auto feature took a test shot picture of me from a medium distance and my face was somewhat stretched from side to side like a wide angle lens camera phone, and I had the double chin, and I thought that's really strange why is this new camera doing this? I had never used it myself until now, and I hadn't looked at that picture for several years and I remembered that it wasn't good but I forgot it was that bad.

Also a Best Buy Geeksquad agent said that I need to update the software in this camera by plugging it into my desk top computer, but when I plugged it in all it did was download my pictures.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 17:28:36 GMT

Thank you but how do I do this? I don't think the zoom lens stays while the timer is on and I don't know which buttons to press to get the zoom. And I can't tell how far away I am if it's far enough etc.And back in November 2019 when I first got this camera, my father just using the auto feature took a picture of me from a medium distance and my face was somewhat stretched from side to side like a wide angle lens camera phone, and I had the double chin, and I thought that's really strange why is this new camera doing this? I had never used it myself until now, and I hadn't looked at that picture for several years and I remembered that it wasn't good but I forgot it was that bad.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 18:45:21 GMT

Thank you but how do I do this? I don't think the zoom lens stays while the timer is on and I don't know which buttons to press to get the zoom. And I can't tell how far away I am if it's far enough etc.And back in November 2019 when I first got this camera, my father just using the auto feature took a picture of me from a medium distance and my face was somewhat stretched from side to side like a wide angle lens camera phone, and I had the double chin, and I thought that's really strange why is this new camera doing this? I had never used it myself until now, and I hadn't looked at that picture for several years and I remembered that it wasn't good but I forgot it was that bad.

I just tried to do test shots on zoom and portrait mode from a good distance and I still got the same distorted fat face with a double chin. I only got one good serious expression headshot portrait a few days ago but it had a yellowish bright tone over exposed look to it so it looks better in black and white but I was able to somewhat correct this on the color picture with a site that I can't remember the name of right now.

The camera took a nice clear un distorted picture of my bedroom lamp,but people's face portraits it's poor.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Sun, 26 Jun 2022 18:56:12 GMT

I don't really know how to use the zoom lens,and I can't tell if I'm far away enough. And back in November 2019 when I first got this camera, my father just using the auto feature took a picture of me from a medium distance and my face was somewhat stretched from side to side like a wide angle lens camera phone, and I had the double chin, and I thought that's really strange why is this new camera doing this? I had never used it myself until now, and I hadn't looked at that picture for several years and I remembered that it wasn't good but I forgot it was that bad.

The camera took a nice clear un distorted picture of my bedroom lamp, but people's face portraits it's poor.

Thank You

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Tronhard — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:22:17 GMT

If you don't know how to use the camera, the first thing to do is read the manual, or better still, go to a camera store or club and get them to help you use the camera. HERE is a link to the manual - just click on it to see it. Use it directly on the screen or download it and print the bits you need.

If you want to learn the basics of photography, invest a couple of hours and watch THIS YOU TUBE VIDEO by National Geographic Photographer Chris Bray - it's a very easy intro to the basics.

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:47:04 GMT

Hi,

Thank you very much again. I have read the online manual several times over the last few years and I read it again about how to take a portrait but it doesn't improve anything. I just bought this inexpensive camera yesterday from amazon.com,

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B3JKYYYD?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Tronhard — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:50:39 GMT

What specific benefit does this camera deliver for you? It is more a video recording camera than a stills camera... do you want to video yourself as opposed to take still selfies?

Re: IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 20:59:32 GMT

Hi,

I don't know why you say this, it this camera's description it says that it takes digital pictures as well as video so does my ixus. This camera says it has a selfie timer too.