Bob Blaylock
Senior Member
Nikon D3200, with the stock 18-55mm ƒ3.5-5.6 “kit lens”.
A short time ago, I took this picture of a dandelion seed head. I was rather alarmed to see the way it came out distorted.
I was able to fix it in PhotoShop:
A few attempts, just now, to reproduce this distortion by taking a few other pictures at similar range were not successful. It seems like something odd and irreproducible that happened just on this one occasion.
Is there anything useful or otherwise interesting that anyone can tell me about this? Is there any normal, credible or why it would only do so explanation as to why this lens would ever produce this sort of distortion? Why only this once, and not when I later try to reproduce the effect? Is there any reason to fear that this might indicate something wrong with my lens or my camera?
How might I be able to reproduce this effect?
How might I be able to prevent it?
It occurs to me now, that if the dandelion were in very rapid motion, this is the sort of distortion that a focal plane shutter would produce via the “rolling shutter” effect. But the dandelion was not in such motion. I was in a rather unstable position when I took this picture, so I might not have been holding the camera quite as solidly still as I would like. Is it plausible that this is a result of ordinary camera shake? The shutter speed was 1/500 of a second.
Here are the EXIF data from the original image file:
A short time ago, I took this picture of a dandelion seed head. I was rather alarmed to see the way it came out distorted.
I was able to fix it in PhotoShop:
A few attempts, just now, to reproduce this distortion by taking a few other pictures at similar range were not successful. It seems like something odd and irreproducible that happened just on this one occasion.
Is there anything useful or otherwise interesting that anyone can tell me about this? Is there any normal, credible or why it would only do so explanation as to why this lens would ever produce this sort of distortion? Why only this once, and not when I later try to reproduce the effect? Is there any reason to fear that this might indicate something wrong with my lens or my camera?
How might I be able to reproduce this effect?
How might I be able to prevent it?
It occurs to me now, that if the dandelion were in very rapid motion, this is the sort of distortion that a focal plane shutter would produce via the “rolling shutter” effect. But the dandelion was not in such motion. I was in a rather unstable position when I took this picture, so I might not have been holding the camera quite as solidly still as I would like. Is it plausible that this is a result of ordinary camera shake? The shutter speed was 1/500 of a second.
Here are the EXIF data from the original image file:
Code:
ExifTool Version Number : 9.37
File Name : CSC_4977.JPG
Directory : .
File Size : 11 MB
File Modification Date/Time : 2013:10:25 15:42:38-07:00
File Access Date/Time : 2013:10:25 00:00:00-07:00
File Inode Change Date/Time : 2013:10:25 15:42:38-07:00
File Permissions : rwxrwxrwx
File Type : JPEG
MIME Type : image/jpeg
Exif Byte Order : Big-endian (Motorola, MM)
Make : NIKON CORPORATION
Camera Model Name : NIKON D3200
Orientation : Horizontal (normal)
X Resolution : 300
Y Resolution : 300
Resolution Unit : inches
Software : Ver.1.01
Modify Date : 2013:10:25 15:42:38
Y Cb Cr Positioning : Co-sited
Exposure Time : 1/500
F Number : 8.0
Exposure Program : Not Defined
ISO : 100
Sensitivity Type : Recommended Exposure Index
Exif Version : 0230
Date/Time Original : 2013:10:25 14:57:46
Create Date : 2013:10:25 15:42:38
Components Configuration : Y, Cb, Cr, -
Compressed Bits Per Pixel : 4
Exposure Compensation : 0
Max Aperture Value : 5.7
Metering Mode : Multi-segment
Light Source : Unknown
Flash : Auto, Did not fire
Focal Length : 55.0 mm
Maker Note Version : 2.10
Quality : Fine
White Balance : Auto
Focus Mode : AF-A
Flash Setting :
Flash Type :
White Balance Fine Tune : 0 0
WB RB Levels : 1.9296875 1.35546875 1 1
Program Shift : 0
Exposure Difference : 0
Compression : JPEG (old-style)
Preview Image Start : 13956
Preview Image Length : 24465
Flash Exposure Compensation : 0
ISO Setting : 100
Image Boundary : 0 0 6016 4000
External Flash Exposure Comp : 0
Flash Exposure Bracket Value : 0.0
Exposure Bracket Value : 0
Crop Hi Speed : Off (6080x4012 cropped to 6080x4012 at pixel 0,0)
Exposure Tuning : 0
Serial Number : 3196964
VR Info Version : 0100
Vibration Reduction : On
VR Mode : Normal
Active D-Lighting : Auto
Picture Control Version : 0100
Picture Control Name : Vivid
Picture Control Base : Vivid
Picture Control Adjust : Full Control
Picture Control Quick Adjust : +2
Brightness : +1
Hue Adjustment : None
Filter Effect : n/a
Toning Effect : n/a
Toning Saturation : n/a
Timezone : -08:00
Daylight Savings : Yes
Date Display Format : Y/M/D
ISO Expansion : Off
ISO2 : 100
ISO Expansion 2 : Off
Auto Distortion Control : Off
Lens Type : G VR
Lens : 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6
Flash Mode : Did Not Fire
Shooting Mode : Single-Frame
Shot Info Version : 0224
Firmware Version : 1.01a
Noise Reduction : Off
WB GRBG Levels : 256 494 347 256
Lens Data Version : 0204
Exit Pupil Position : 97.5 mm
AF Aperture : 5.8
Focus Position : 0x11
Focus Distance : 0.32 m
Lens ID Number : 154
Lens F Stops : 5.33
Min Focal Length : 18.3 mm
Max Focal Length : 55.0 mm
Max Aperture At Min Focal : 3.6
Max Aperture At Max Focal : 5.7
MCU Version : 156
Effective Max Aperture : 5.7
Retouch History : NEF Processing
Image Data Size : 11069874
Shutter Count : 7158
Flash Info Version : 0105
Flash Source : None
External Flash Firmware : n/a
External Flash Flags : (none)
Flash Commander Mode : Off
Flash Control Mode : Off
Flash Compensation : 0
Flash GN Distance : 0
Flash Color Filter : None
Flash Group A Control Mode : Off
Flash Group B Control Mode : Off
Flash Group C Control Mode : Off
Flash Group A Compensation : 0
Flash Group B Compensation : 0
Flash Group C Compensation : 0
External Flash Compensation : 0
Flash Exposure Comp 3 : 0
Flash Exposure Comp 4 : 0
Vari Program : Close Up
Multi Exposure Version : 0100
Multi Exposure Mode : Off
Multi Exposure Shots : 0
Multi Exposure Auto Gain : Off
High ISO Noise Reduction : Normal
Power Up Time : 2013:10:25 14:13:30
AF Info 2 Version : 0100
Contrast Detect AF : Off
AF Area Mode : Single Area
Phase Detect AF : On (11-point)
Primary AF Point : Center
AF Points Used : Center
Contrast Detect AF In Focus : No
File Info Version : 0100
Directory Number : 100
File Number : 4977
User Comment : Bob Blaylock
Sub Sec Time : 00
Sub Sec Time Original : 00
Sub Sec Time Digitized : 00
Flashpix Version : 0100
Color Space : sRGB
Exif Image Width : 6016
Exif Image Height : 4000
Interoperability Index : R98 - DCF basic file (sRGB)
Interoperability Version : 0100
Sensing Method : One-chip color area
File Source : Digital Camera
Scene Type : Directly photographed
CFA Pattern : [Red,Green][Green,Blue]
Custom Rendered : Normal
Exposure Mode : Auto
Digital Zoom Ratio : 1
Focal Length In 35mm Format : 82 mm
Scene Capture Type : Standard
Gain Control : None
Contrast : Normal
Saturation : High
Sharpness : Hard
Subject Distance Range : Unknown
GPS Version ID : 2.3.0.0
GPS Latitude Ref : North
GPS Longitude Ref : West
GPS Altitude Ref : Above Sea Level
GPS Time Stamp : 21:57:46
GPS Satellites : 07
GPS Map Datum :
GPS Date Stamp : 2013:10:25
Thumbnail Offset : 38812
Thumbnail Length : 8403
MPF Version : 0100
Number Of Images : 2
MP Image Flags : Dependent child image
MP Image Format : JPEG
MP Image Type : Large Thumbnail (full HD equivalent)
MP Image Length : 789786
MP Image Start : 11142144
Dependent Image 1 Entry Number : 0
Dependent Image 2 Entry Number : 0
Image Width : 6016
Image Height : 4000
Encoding Process : Baseline DCT, Huffman coding
Bits Per Sample : 8
Color Components : 3
Y Cb Cr Sub Sampling : YCbCr4:2:2 (2 1)
Aperture : 8.0
Auto Focus : On
Blue Balance : 1.355469
GPS Altitude : 19 m Above Sea Level
GPS Date/Time : 2013:10:25 21:57:46Z
GPS Latitude : 38 deg 27' 5.08" N
GPS Longitude : 121 deg 25' 1.24" W
GPS Position : 38 deg 27' 5.08" N, 121 deg 25' 1.24" W
Image Size : 6016x4000
Lens ID : AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G
Lens : 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR
Preview Image : (Binary data 24465 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Red Balance : 1.929688
Scale Factor To 35 mm Equivalent: 1.5
Shutter Speed : 1/500
Create Date : 2013:10:25 15:42:38.00
Date/Time Original : 2013:10:25 14:57:46.00
Modify Date : 2013:10:25 15:42:38.00
Thumbnail Image : (Binary data 8403 bytes, use -b option to extract)
Circle Of Confusion : 0.020 mm
Depth Of Field : 0.009 m (0.312 - 0.321)
Field Of View : 20.6 deg (0.11 m)
Focal Length : 55.0 mm (35 mm equivalent: 82.0 mm)
Hyperfocal Distance : 18.76 m
Light Value : 15.0