# Question about digital camera's distortion of image **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2011, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313 "2011-01-28T17:11:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/21 "2011-01-29T06:59:56Z")
Computer monitors can also have pincushion (or barrel) distortion. Have you adjusted your monitor to minimize this problem? ---
**Author:** ![Norse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a9adbd/32.png) [@Norse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Norse)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/22 "2011-01-29T10:21:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > > [@CurtC](#): > > > > OK, thanks. But going back to the OP, what he’s describing sounds like it could be just properties of the “ideal” image that he gets from perspective, and not lens distortion. Everyone here’s jumping onto the distortion explanation, when that might not be the case. > > No, he’s clearly describing barrel distortion. Um, no. Pincushion. > [@KlondikeGeoff](#): > > All four sides are slightly **bowed in toward the middle**. My emphasis. Concave (in toward the middle) is pincushion distortion. Convex (out towards the middle) is barrel distortion. [Cite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pincushion_distortion). ---
**Author:** ![Francis\_Vaughan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/francis_vaughan/32/3093_2.png) [@Francis\_Vaughan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francis_Vaughan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/23 "2011-01-29T12:15:32Z")
As has been noted, this is a well known and common distortion, somehting that photographers have lived with since the invention of photography. Modern digital cameras will correct for the distortion. Typically they know the lens settings used for each shot, and when they process the image to create a JPEG, they will apply appropriate correction. Higher end cameras will store the lens parameters in the RAW format file used in a digital photography flow, and RAW aware tools can usually apply the correction at an appropriate point in the flow. (There is unfortunately no such thing as a single RAW format, and the lack of understanding of the correction parameters from some cameras is one reason not all tools can cope with files from all cameras.) Not only can the barrel/pincushion distortion be corrected, but with a reasonable level of satisfaction chromatic, aberation can be corrected too. Similarly exposure differences across the sensor due to limitation of the optics or angle of incidence on the sensor. The ability to perform such corrections leads to some interesting tradeoffs in design for cameras. The influx of super wide angle compact cameras is heavily based upon the ability of the camera to correct for these issues. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/24 "2011-01-29T14:53:06Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > Computer monitors can also have pincushion (or barrel) distortion. Have you adjusted your monitor to minimize this problem? Only CRTs, and you won’t find any of them on the shelves of Best Buy anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Downtown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Mr\_Downtown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Downtown)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/25 "2011-01-29T15:37:40Z")
Don’t let descriptions of getting it perfect prevent you from trying a pretty simple fix in Photoshop: Filter\>Distort\>Lens Correction For my camera, the number is usually -2, but you can easily judge by the frame or edge of the canvas. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/26 "2011-01-29T17:31:02Z")
> [@Norse](#): > > Um, no. Pincushion. > My emphasis. Concave (in toward the middle) is pincushion distortion. :smack: Yes, I could have sworn I read “bowed out”. I’m not sure why, because the OP goes on to clearly state “concave.” Thank you for catching that. The point still stands, it’s not perspective distortion, but lens distortion. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/27 "2011-01-29T17:54:17Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Only CRTs, and you won’t find any of them on the shelves of Best Buy anymore. That doesn’t mean **KlondikeGeoff** doesn’t have a CRT. There are still plenty of them around. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/28 "2011-01-29T18:22:51Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > That doesn’t mean **KlondikeGeoff** doesn’t have a CRT. There are still plenty of them around. Read the OP carefully. He specifically says that the distortion is apparent **on the LCD screen of the camera.** ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2011, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/29 "2011-01-29T18:57:29Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Read the OP carefully. > He specifically says that the distortion is apparent **on the LCD screen of the camera.** Oops, sorry, you’re right. If it’s visible on the camera, it means the computer monitor has nothing to do with it. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313/30 "2011-01-30T14:55:56Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > That doesn’t mean **KlondikeGeoff** doesn’t have a CRT. There are still plenty of them around. Ha Ha! I’m not **that** ol fashioned. Thanks, all for fascinating information. Of course, I have cropped an fixed the images in PhotoShop, just was curious what was the cause the problem. Nothing I can’t live with, now that I see the causes of all this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-digital-cameras-distortion-of-image/569313.md?page=1)