What is parallax error and how can I avoid it?
Have you experienced carefully framing your shot through the viewfinder of your camera, then having an off-center, inaccurate or weirdly angled result? That is called a viewfinder error, more commonly known as a parallax error. It refers to the shift in the apparent position of your subject, due to the difference between what your lens sees and what your viewfinder shows.
The parallax error occurs when your camera’s viewfinder is not directly above or linked to the lens. The misalignment is most noticeable when your subject is close to the camera. It is less likely to occur when your subject far away from you.
The parallax error is not a reason to limit ourselves and our creativity, though! Composition, framing and depth all add to the stories that our photographs tell – these are thoughtful details that we want to preserve and reflect in our works. While we cannot avoid the parallax error completely, there are simple things we can do to compensate for it.
For example, you want your subject to appear at the center but your viewfinder is located at the upper right corner of your camera. What you should do in this case is to look through your viewfinder and keep the subject at the lower left corner. This makes up for the gap in the position of your camera and its viewfinder. If your viewfinder is situated at the upper left, do the opposite – just adjust according to your camera and its design. If you’re up for something challenging, you can try shooting without looking through the viewfinder at all. Align the lens with your eyesight and trust your instinct. This takes practice and confidence, so channel the true Lomographic spirit and keep yourself open to mistakes and experimentations.
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