Other tips for steady shots?

bukanza

I'm having trouble taking hand-held shots as fast as 1/60. I try to focus on keeping my elbows in, one hand on the side of the camera and one under the lens. I then try to snap the pic on my exhale.

Are there any other tricks? Is it like firing a gun, where you want to apply smooth steady pressure to the trigger/shutter button and be surprised when it finally snaps?

pathfinder

First off, just relax, do not tense up.

I press the shutter down half way to activate the AF system, let that lock up, and then gently roll my finger across the shutter button to activate. Do not stab the shutter. If you have trouble with this, turn on high frame rate and shoot 3 or 4 frames at a time - the later frames should be better than the first (usually).


I can usually shoot short lenses ( 24 mm or thereabouts ) handheld down to about 1/30th or so, and 1/10th if the lens has IS.

darkdragon

depends on the focal length. 1/60 is going to be pretty slow if you are shooting at 200mm, but should be fine if you are shooting at 50mm.

Couple ideas for stabalizing: if you can sit, sit and use your knees as a stablizer (set the camera in the V between your kneed when your legs are bent up with your feet flat on the floor). look for anything at all to set your camera on: railings, trash can lid, V of a tree, your buddy's shoulder. Like pathfinder said, relax. The more tense you get, the more your body will shake.

bukanza

Thanks for the replies so far. You know thinking of it now I think I'm guilty of a bit of "shutter stabbing". I'll try the "roll" trick, multiple exposures and finding more supportive surfaces.

Matt S

3 shot bursts (hold the button down). Really, the second or third shots can be much sharper than the first one. Mirror slap is dealt with and any button "stabbing" you did is negated by the second shot. Give it a whirl and compare the shots you will see what I mean.

All the things mentioned above come first though.

darkdragon

Oh, I just thought of something else - 2-second timer. If you have a habbit of pressing the shutter too hard, put it on 2-sec timer and you should be able to overcome the issue.

Of course, that will negate the whole "no shutter lag" thing with an SLR.

When there is no stabilization, I've found that just concentrating on being gentle with the shutter button is very helpful. I agree that the multi-shot would also be helpful, but I've never used it to compensate for camera shake.

pathfinder

High Frame rate shooting tends to be used more by wildlife shooters, shooting with long glass, than folks shooting closer in. I just watched Moose Peterson rec mutli-frame shooting last night in a video for this very reason. Birdshooters tend to use highframe rate routinely, now that CF cards are big enough to allow it.

It will also work with shorter focal length lenses as well, but shorter focal lengths are a little more tolerant than longer is the camera movement is moderate. Stabbing the shutter destroys image sharpness with long or short glass.

Finding something solid to hold the camera firmly against for stabilization can help a great deal also.

If you are on a tripod, using the timer can be better than pressing the shutter by hand, if you do not have a remote release.

I find that shooting with the timer when I am hand holding is worse than pressing the shutter for me at least. I hate not knowing when the shutter is going to go off.

Matt S

I should note that I am a wildlife shooter and that is where I discovered the technique, particularly with a 500mm on a tripod. However I really have found it translates well into other areas.

Nothing beats support, but anything you can do to help out is good in my book.

Art Scott

If I am going to be shooting off hand I make sure to have my Crooked Horn OUtfitters Bino Straps on.....(you can find them at Wally World for under $20 and they do increase your stability by a lot......more than a regular cam strap.

mud390

I usually have my my LowePro Slingshot with me, so I'll turn that around so its in front of me and it acts as a little shelf to rest my elbows on. Sitting down helps a lot as you can use your elbows against your knees. Even kneeling like shooting a rifle is helpful. Just remember, if kneeling, don't put the bony part of your elbow on the bony part of your knee. Rest your elbow either in your thigh or your tricep on your knee. Tuck in close and that should help. I hope that makes sense...

Kris

pathfinder

Then there is the old trick of putting a chain or a rope attached to the bottom of your camera via a 1/4 x20 small eye bolt, and stepping on the other end of the rope and pulling upward slightly until it is tight, and then tripping the shutter.

Actually easier to do than to describe:D Works too!

JustPlainMe

To go on a tangent (translation: I need help because I stink at steady hands!) . . .

I have been reading that you don't want to try to handhold at a shutter speed whose reciprocal is "less than your focal length." Some people have told me the magic number is the maximum focal length of the lens, others say it's the actual focal length of the frame.

I cannot handhold my piece of crap camera (I call it my Capog---cheap-ass piece of glass) at 1/60th or slower, but I'm going to try the continuous advance trick. This focus failure occurs with my 18-70mm, and I'm usually at a focal length of around 50, so technically, 1/60 should be safe. Or maybe not.

Which is the standard advice, the maximum focal length of the lens or the actual focal length of the shot?

Thanks! I hope you don't mind my piggy-backing on this thread. I can't find a precise definition anywhere.

Sarah

jeffreaux2

JustPlainMe wrote:

To go on a tangent (translation: I need help because I stink at steady hands!) . . .

I have been reading that you don't want to try to handhold at a shutter speed whose reciprocal is "less than your focal length." Some people have told me the magic number is the maximum focal length of the lens, others say it's the actual focal length of the frame.

I cannot handhold my piece of crap camera (I call it my Capog---cheap-ass piece of glass) at 1/60th or slower, but I'm going to try the continuous advance trick. This focus failure occurs with my 18-70mm, and I'm usually at a focal length of around 50, so technically, 1/60 should be safe. Or maybe not.

Which is the standard advice, the maximum focal length of the lens or the actual focal length of the shot?

Thanks! I hope you don't mind my piggy-backing on this thread. I can't find a precise definition anywhere.

Sarah

Actually the standard advice would be two times the focal lenth in most cases to "insure" that your shot is sharp. At least that was my training (informal of course) back in the days of film. Back then, the 35mm I had would warn...by way of a yellow caution light....If the shutter was set below 1/60. That was the camera manufacturer's way of saying that "most" folks aren't steady handed enough at those slower speeds regardless of the focal length.

So...two times the focal length ...right? Not exactly. Much depends on the person shooting...of course...but I have heard instances on this forum of folks having sharpness issues shooting their 70-200 F2.8 lenses at shutter speeds below 1/320. My 70-200 is stabilized...I have shot sharp photos even down to 1/30 with it. Go figure.

As for support, a monopod...used correctly....can be invaluble. Most of my "kit" is stabilized now....but I still use it now and then.

JustPlainMe

pathfinder wrote:

Then there is the old trick of putting a chain or a rope attached to the bottom of your camera via a 1/4 x20 small eye bolt, and stepping on the other end of the rope and pulling upward slightly until it is tight, and then tripping the shutter.

Actually easier to do than to describe:D Works too!

I'd love to see a shot of someone with this rig, I can't picture it, but it seems pretty easy.

Scrubs

JustPlainMe wrote:

I'd love to see a shot of someone with this rig, I can't picture it, but it seems pretty easy.

Don't forget that your breathing makes a large difference also.
Try taking the shot in that brief moment after a slow exhale
just before you inhale again. Also look for techniques that rifle
shooters and snipers use. They utilise techniques - such as the
breathing and the squeezing trigger principle applies also.

Art Scott

Quote:
Originally Posted by pathfinder
Then there is the old trick of putting a chain or a rope attached to the bottom of your camera via a 1/4 x20 small eye bolt, and stepping on the other end of the rope and pulling upward slightly until it is tight, and then tripping the shutter.

Actually easier to do than to describe:D Works too!

JustPlainMe wrote:

I'd love to see a shot of someone with this rig, I can't picture it, but it seems pretty easy.

wHAT IS IT WORTH TO YA!! I can have up on here tomorrow morn for a proper amount of
$$$$ by paypal:D:D:D:D:D:D

It does work!!!!!


I have shot many a concert shot with out digital, without IS...VR....or OS of any kind aside from my elbows jammed in my ribs, proper foot stance for said phots and shot under 1/30 using my 70-210 at 210..............somwetimes I do pop a sunpak 622 on the cam with the straight 622 bracket to use as a shoulder pod for vertical photos during concerts.

JustPlainMe

Art Scott wrote:

wHAT IS IT WORTH TO YA!! I can have up on here tomorrow morn for a proper amount of
$$$$ by paypal:D:D:D:D:D:D

Well, if I could pay you, I wouldn't have such a cheap piece of junk for my camera! My PayPal account's broke, I don't have anything to put in it!

divamum

What a great thread - loads of tricks here I"ve never heard of. I have a low-light shoot next week, so perfect timing for me to read all these - thanks all!!!

mike_k

JustPlainMe wrote:

I'd love to see a shot of someone with this rig, I can't picture it, but it seems pretty easy.

You can see the details here....

PremiumMalt

Art Scott wrote:

If I am going to be shooting off hand I make sure to have my Crooked Horn OUtfitters Bino Straps on.....(you can find them at Wally World for under $20 and they do increase your stability by a lot......more than a regular cam strap.

Ill have to check those out. Thanks

Also, I thought I was the only one who called it wally world lol

JustPlainMe

mike_k wrote:

You can see the details here....

That is amazing, and I guess it really works? I'm rigging it up tomorrow! Thanks for the resource.

Sarah