I have a dream....

If that's all it takes to convince you then you should already know the Earth is flat.  Most cameras on high altitude balloons are fisheye which CURVES the image.  A normal camera shows the Earth to be flat.

It seems to be a common misconception by flat earthers that a super-wide angle lens causes major distortion—which makes the earth's horizon appear to curve downwards at the image edges.  This is true for vertical lines and horizontal lines that are off-centre from the lenses optical axis, but untrue if—for example—the horizon is centred on (or even near) the optical axis.

The following image was taken with a super-wide angle lens:




Note that the horizon is virtually flat, despite the barrel distortion—which because of the nature of the subject is unnoticed towards the edges of the frame.  This is an uncropped and unretouched image.

If there were to be some objects much closer to the camera—say a couple of metres distant, then the barrel distortion would be more pronounced and immediately noticeable.  And which is why many images shot from space shuttles/satellites/ISS show distorted images of landing gear, fins, struts and other ancillary gear that're much closer to the camera.
 

Well, of course.  Even if the horizon is curved, you could make it look straight by getting the horizon into the correct position with the lens.  What is this supposed to prove, other than it is possible to distort the horizon with certain lenses? 

Quote from: alfa156melb on February 11, 2014, 08:28:45 PM

A camera on a high altitude balloon - a weather balloon perhaps?

If that's all it takes to convince you then you should already know the Earth is flat.  Most cameras on high altitude balloons are fisheye which CURVES the image.  A normal camera shows the Earth to be flat.

I have seen high altitude footage where there is a piece of structure in the frame, giving a nice straight reference line, against which the horizon still appears curved. There is no physically possible way for a camera to distort one object and not another when they are in line, so this footage is proof positive of a curved horizon. Now, whether a curved horizon actually means anything or not is another question!

Quote from: EarthIsASpaceship on February 12, 2014, 03:57:44 AM

Quote from: alfa156melb on February 11, 2014, 08:28:45 PM

A camera on a high altitude balloon - a weather balloon perhaps?

If that's all it takes to convince you then you should already know the Earth is flat.  Most cameras on high altitude balloons are fisheye which CURVES the image.  A normal camera shows the Earth to be flat.

I have seen high altitude footage where there is a piece of structure in the frame, giving a nice straight reference line, against which the horizon still appears curved. There is no physically possible way for a camera to distort one object and not another when they are in line, so this footage is proof positive of a curved horizon. Now, whether a curved horizon actually means anything or not is another question!

Speed also causes more distortion but wide angle lenses are used in space craft because they have a much lower tendency to have large motion blur.

I mean watch this video and see how distorted high speed ground footage can get and then amplify the effect many times in space and the huge distortion of space photos are what you end up with.

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Well, of course.  Even if the horizon is curved, you could make it look straight by getting the horizon into the correct position with the lens.  What is this supposed to prove, other than it is possible to distort the horizon with certain lenses?

Many FEs claim that the "alleged" curvature of the earth's horizon taken from high altitude space vehicles is caused solely by super wide angle lenses.

My image (above) is intended to disprove that a WA lens doesn't necessarily distort the horizon line in any way at all.   For this reason alone, the FE claim that says it's always a WA lens effect is discredited, and should be ignored in future discussions involving anything other than obviously off-optical axis horizon lines.
 

Quote from: jroa on February 11, 2014, 08:47:51 PM

Quote from: alfa156melb on February 11, 2014, 08:28:45 PM

A camera on a high altitude balloon - a weather balloon perhaps?

How about this.. mathematical evidence?  Surely that would be easier?

In fact, any evidence at all..   I don't mean you trying to debunk mainstream science, i mean you OWN evidence supporting your theory, evidence that is falsifiable, that can be say.. peer reviewed.

Call me naive...  I'm a new member.

In that case, here you go.  It looks flat to me.

Me too.

Doesn't look very flat overall.  I see a couple hills there.

Quote from: alfa156melb on February 11, 2014, 08:28:45 PM

A camera on a high altitude balloon - a weather balloon perhaps?

If that's all it takes to convince you then you should already know the Earth is flat.  Most cameras on high altitude balloons are fisheye which CURVES the image.  A normal camera shows the Earth to be flat.

I've watched several balloon videos that did not use a fish-eye camera.  The horizon was still curved.

Quote from: EarthIsASpaceship on February 12, 2014, 03:57:44 AM

Quote from: alfa156melb on February 11, 2014, 08:28:45 PM

A camera on a high altitude balloon - a weather balloon perhaps?

If that's all it takes to convince you then you should already know the Earth is flat.  Most cameras on high altitude balloons are fisheye which CURVES the image.  A normal camera shows the Earth to be flat.

I've watched several balloon videos that did not use a fish-eye camera.  The horizon was still curved.

Light Physically bends like the Torus so it's no surprise that we see it bend. If you have it in your top part it bends down if you have it in your bottom part it bends upwards if you have it in the middle it will bend up in the middle and down near the ends, it's just optics.

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I have seen high altitude footage where there is a piece of structure in the frame, giving a nice straight reference line, against which the horizon still appears curved.

This is perfectly understandable.  The degree of barrel distortion is caused by three things. The focal length of the lens, the proximity of objects withing the field of view relative to the image plane of the camera, and the offset of the object(s) from the optical axis of the lens, either vertically or horizontally.