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IXUS 185 Distorted Image

Carr
Contributor

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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1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Strongly suggest as Trevor (Tronhard) pointed out to dive into the manual and/or basic online photography courses.

For portrait photography tips, two of my favorite photographers are Canon Explorers of Light Lindsay Adler and Peter Hurley.   Do check out Peter's "The Headshot" and Lindsay's "The Photographer's Guide to Posing: Techniques to Flatter Everyone"

In terms of "Digital Lens", I don't see that mentioned on the product page of your new camera.  Instead, it mentions "Digital Zoom" which I personally do not like at all.  It can lead to much lower quality images.  Always better is "Optical Zoom" which is what your original point and shoot had (up to 10 times).

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers

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31 REPLIES 31

rs-eos
Elite
Elite

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.

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers

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

 

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.

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.

--
Ricky

Camera: EOS 5D IV, EF 50mm f/1.2L, EF 135mm f/2L
Lighting: Profoto Lights & Modifiers

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.


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris

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?

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
 
 
 
 
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. 
 
 
 
 
Phone cameras / selfies distort the face making the face and nose look wider and longer. - Rhinoplasty Los
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 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. -
 
 Rhinoplasty Los Angeles  Best Nose
 
 
 
 Camera Phones Can Distort Your Face
 
 
 
 
There's a simple trick to looking your best in smartphone photos - Business Insider
 
 
 
 
 
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.
 
 
 
(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.
 

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?

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


cheers, TREVOR

"All the variety, all the charm, all the beauty of life is made up of light and shadow", Leo Tolstoy;
"Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase" Percy W. Harris
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