Perspective and the Digital Camera

visitors since May 8, 1998

Below are two sample pictures taken with my Epson PhotoPC 600. Near the right edge of each picture the buildings are leaning towards the center while the rest are approximately straight. After some research, I think that this is simply "keystoning" (aka "false perspective") -- the convergence of verticals when the film plane isn't exactly parallel to the image plane -- a common feature in all cameras with a relatively wide angle lens.

Here is some further reading on perspective, distortion, wide-angle lenses and some software "tweaks."

An essay called "on seeing and perspective"
A description of Keystoning and 3D photography
A tutorial on correcting Keystoning using Adobe PhotoShop
An interesting message on perspective, curvilinear distortion and wide angle lenses posted in rec.photo.equipment.35mm
A message posted in comp.graphics.apps.photoshop on correcting barrel distortion
A discussion of barrel distortion with examples
A FAQ and tutorial on photographic lenses

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