Is distortion from the Sony E 18-55mm kit lens normal, and how can I reduce it?
Asked 7/21/2013
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I’m using a Sony NEX-5N with the 18-55mm kit lens and I’m seeing noticeable distortion, especially at 18mm. Turning on the camera’s lens distortion correction didn’t seem to change the result. Is this amount of distortion normal for this lens, or could it be caused by the camera not being perfectly level? What’s the best way to avoid or reduce it?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The first and third photos exhibit barrel distortion which is normally to be expected at 18mm when using an 18-55mm zoom lens. Software correction can help, but for best results you need software that includes a custom profile of that particular lens on that particular camera. There are also some perspective issues in shots #1 and 3, which are related to the camera position relative to the top and bottom of the cabinet.
The second photo demonstrates little, if any distortion. The reason the top of the cabinet appears wider than the bottom is one of perspective, and is due to your shooting position being closer to the top of the cabinet than to the bottom. This is further emphasized because the camera was tilted to the right enough that the right edge of the cabinet looks straight compared to the edge of the frame and the left edge of the cabinet appears tilted.
An extreme example of this effect would be a picture taken while standing between the rails of a train track. Even though the rails are a constant distance apart, they look closer and closer together the further away they are from the camera. If the image is composed so that one rail is "straight", the other rail looks very tilted.
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—noticeable distortion at 18mm is normal for many 18-55mm kit zooms, including the Sony E 18-55mm. It tends to be strongest at the ends of the zoom range and much less obvious around the middle.
Some of what you’re seeing is also perspective distortion, not lens distortion. If the camera is tilted or if you’re closer to the top of the subject than the bottom, straight objects can appear to lean or change width. Keeping the camera level helps with that, but it won’t remove the lens’s optical distortion.
To reduce the problem:
- avoid shooting at the widest end when possible
- keep the camera level to minimize perspective effects
- correct it in software, ideally with a lens profile for that exact lens/camera combination
- use a higher-end zoom or a prime lens if distortion control is important
So: your lens is likely behaving normally, and the main fixes are composition/leveling, avoiding 18mm when possible, and software correction.
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