Originally Posted by
Andy_K
This picture was taken with a relatively normal lens --
the built-in on my Canon PowerShot S2 IS. I was just happy that it decided to focus on the chain and not the tire.
I'l take a closer look at the chainring. It is the stock ring from my cheapo Origin8 crankset. Somebody here said the rings on those were criminally unsafe or something like that. I hadn't really noticed, but it wouldn't surprise me too much if it's bent.
The lenses in compact cameras are notorious for distortions in this kind of photo--you won't notice it in a lot of snapshots, but take a picture of anything straight, or get too close while you're zoomed wide, and you'll almost always see it.
If you'd taken this photo with a Canon L-series lens, it might be a different story, but I'm betting the problem here is your lens and the perspective, not your chainline.