Mirror lock up

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gaz_jameison

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Could someone please explain to me what Mirror Lock-Up is and when to use and and when not to use it?

Thanks in advance...
 
usually used for long exposures when mounted on a tripod. Basically pressing the shutter button once will lift the mirror, the second press will open the shutter itself. The point is to reduce the risk of camera shake caused by the mirror flicking up. Ergo, when using it in those situations, most people would also use some kind of remote shutter release too.

This is not to be confused with the other mirror up usually available within the the menus and is specifically for cleaning the sensor - this one lifts the mirror and opens the shutter curtain to allow access to the sensor. ;)
 
Mirror lock up has 2 main functions:
1) Use it to raise the mirror so that you can see & clean the sensor or, normally, the filter over the sensor.
2) Use it to raise the mirror before taking a shot so that the vibration of the mirror raising does not cause vibrations and therefore blur. Normally used when the camera is on a tripod.
AFAIK with the D3100 you can only use it for 1) above.


Must type faster :D
 
Suvv said:
Mirror lock up has 2 main functions:
1) Use it to raise the mirror so that you can see & clean the sensor or, normally, the filter over the sensor.
2) Use it to raise the mirror before taking a shot so that the vibration of the mirror raising does not cause vibrations and therefore blur. Normally used when the camera is on a tripod.
AFAIK with the D3100 you can only use it for 1) above.


Must type faster :D
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blimey, seriously?!?! WHAT were nikon thinking!! :eek:
 
Same as they were thinking with the D70s IIRC! :p
 
markmullen said:
Does the D3100 have liveview?

If so that works like mirror lockup for long exposures.
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Yes it does, one of the main additions over the D3000 which didn't.
 
Yv said:
yeah but thats REALLY old :p
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Not as old as the straight D70! (Which doesn't even have a socket for a wired release...) BTW, can you get wireless releases for the D70s and similar?
 
Should have been more specific - can you get radio based wireless releases for them - IMO, the need to be in front of the camera (or reaching around or rigging up a mirror arrangement) reduces the usefulness of a remote release. Restricted range as well using the ML-L3; around 10m on a good night and less in full sunlight.
 
Yv said:
yeah but thats REALLY old :p
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I still use my D70 almost daily............ but then I am getting really old too!:p
Do like the mirror lock up in the D300 for my long exposure landscape stuff though.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Yes its an infra red one, so you have to point it at the front eye.

Personally its often easier to use the timer set on a second or two.

I've never bothered with mirror lock up, seems almost pointless, especially on longer exposures.
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On long exposures, the time it takes for mirror slap to settle is generally outweighed by the length of the exposure, whereas exposures of 1/2" to 3 or 4" leave the potential vibration time as a significant %age of the total exposure, so it's more likely to show up in the final exposure. That's when mirror lock up comes into its own! IIRC, one of the Pentax MF SLRs had huge mirror slap, so mirror lock up is de rigeur for almost all tripod mounted shots.
 
Nod said:
On long exposures, the time it takes for mirror slap to settle is generally outweighed by the length of the exposure, whereas exposures of 1/2" to 3 or 4" leave the potential vibration time as a significant %age of the total exposure, so it's more likely to show up in the final exposure. That's when mirror lock up comes into its own! IIRC, one of the Pentax MF SLRs had huge mirror slap, so mirror lock up is de rigeur for almost all tripod mounted shots.
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Thanks was going to ask what shutter speeds that lock up is needed :)
 
Suck it and see! (By which I mean do some tests using your kit and tripod. A sturdy tripod will absorb any vibration better than a flimsy one (and, I've heard it said that wood is better than aluminium which is better the CF in this respect, although wooden tripods are rare these days and have always been heavy buggers to carry around!). Mirrors also vary a lot - some bodies now have been designed to greatly reduce mirror slap, while others (see my earlier note re some MF Pentaxes) almost feel like your palm's been slapped!
 
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