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70D viewfinder level adjustment

Cindy-Clicks
Enthusiast

Can someone please tell me how to adjust the viewfinder for leveling.  I am not talking about live view.  I take my time to compose every shot and they are always unlevel, so that makes more work for me in post processing.  I would like to get this issue resolved. Thanks!

9 REPLIES 9

The description begins on page 65 of your user's manual. Note, however, that they admit to a ±1° margin of error, which is normally very visible. So pay attention to the grid lines as well.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

ebiggs1
Legend
Legend

"... so that makes more work for me in post processing."

 

In PS or LR it is one click !  It is difficult to get some shots in perfect allignment so I usually just use that auto straighten feature.

EB
EOS 1DX and 1D Mk IV and less lenses then before!

For me it is a lot more than one click.  I use the fill feature so I don't lose the edges.  Most of the time it works pretty well, but when I shot using my old film camera I could get it straight every time, so it frustrates me that I keep getting tilted shots even when I reframe multiple times.  That makes me think it is a problem within the camera.  


@Cindy-Clicks wrote:

For me it is a lot more than one click.  I use the fill feature so I don't lose the edges.  Most of the time it works pretty well, but when I shot using my old film camera I could get it straight every time, so it frustrates me that I keep getting tilted shots even when I reframe multiple times.  That makes me think it is a problem within the camera.  


You should look in the mirror and see how you're holding it. Film cameras were held differently, because the need for a takeup spool made them less single-sided. Also, make use of the viewfinder's grid lines (every decent camera has them nowadays) and learn to trust them even when you think they're wrong.

 

I know how you feel; I've had the same problem. But I've been able to largely overcome it by simply paying better attention to my technique.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

Hmmm, this is interesting.  I have enabled the tilt indicator and have discovered that when it seems like the camera is level holding it up to my eye, it is actually tilted.  So when I adjust the camera accordingly, it feels like it is tilted when it is against my eye.  I guess I not other choice but to adjust.  I never seemed to have this problem with my T3i.   I don't know why the 70D would be any different.  


@Cindy-Clicks wrote:

Hmmm, this is interesting.  I have enabled the tilt indicator and have discovered that when it seems like the camera is level holding it up to my eye, it is actually tilted.  So when I adjust the camera accordingly, it feels like it is tilted when it is against my eye.  I guess I not other choice but to adjust.  I never seemed to have this problem with my T3i.   I don't know why the 70D would be any different.  


The human eye-brain system is exquisitely good at fitting reality into its pre-conceived biases. Look at something: a building, a picture on the wall, or whatever. Now tilt your head from side to side. Does the object you're looking at appear to tilt? No, your brain corrects for the motion of your head, and the scene remains upright. I can see that especially clearly, because I wear trifocal glasses. As I sit at my computer screen and tilt my head, the screen stays in place, while the horizontal lines separating the elements of my glasses appear to tilt. Those lines do tilt, but my eyes can't see that, because the orientation of my glasses relative to my head stays the same. So what my brain thinks it sees is not what my eyes see, but what it thinks they should see, given that it knows that what I'm looking at isn't what moved.

 

The same thing happens when you're using a camera. Unless you have an unusually good sense of when your head is level, the camera, which follows your head, may not be level either. And the viewfinder, especially if it's one that does a good job of mimicking reality, isn't likely to help you much. So it's very important to train yourself to use the electronic level or the viewfinder's grid lines to keep your brain from being fooled.

 

The difference in your experience with the 70D and the T3i is probably due to the different sizes, shapes, and weights of the two cameras. You're used to how the T3i feels when it's straight, but the 70D is different, and you haven't adjusted to that difference yet.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

cale_kat
Mentor
Even in the absence of gridlines, the viewfinder/LCD contains four "lines", the borders, that can guide the photographer. If an image contains horizontal or vertical elements, it is a fairly straightforward process to check for squareness.


@cale_kat wrote:
Even in the absence of gridlines, the viewfinder/LCD contains four "lines", the borders, that can guide the photographer. If an image contains horizontal or vertical elements, it is a fairly straightforward process to check for squareness.

True that, but the farther the "line" is from the subject, the harder it is to use it accurately. So when I use a camera with optional grid lines, I always turn 'em on. I even bought a Katz Eye for my 50D because it didn't come with lines.

Bob
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA

cale_kat
Mentor
If I'm hand holding, I just lift or drop, slide right or left, to find the correct alignment and then reframe and shoot.
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