Tips on reducing shakyness without the need of a VR or IS lens?

[Kinobe]

Hi all..........

I currently have a Sigma F2.8 70-200mm which you know, I love. The problem I'm expereincing is "shakiness" and tbh its effecting a good percentage of my photos I take?

It doesn't have any type of image stabiliser or vibration reduction. I've heard that Sigma do a range of stabilised lenses but they don't come cheap and tbh like I say I love my Sigma F2.8 its produced imo some of my "best works" so far!

Does anyone have any tips to reduce shakiness, yes I could use a tripod, monopod but is there anything else that could reduce this?

Thanks for your help again!

Ed

 

[Venomator]

Bean bag, fence post, lamp post, wall - basically anything that doesn't move or vibrate ?

Tripod would always be your best bet as it goes where you want it and not where it happens to be - and does the job !

 

[Kinobe]

Bean bag, fence post, lamp post, wall - basically anything that doesn't move or vibrate ?

Tripod would always be your best bet as it goes where you want it and not where it happens to be - and does the job !

May sound crazy but anytips for the "free hand" approach... i.e just holding the body and lens?

Anything I can set like higher ISO to reduce this?

Sorry if thats a noobie question, but after all I'm new to this, so forgive me

Ed

 

[CT]

First off Kinobe, don't forget the general rule of thumb - your shutter speed should be equal to, or faster than the focal length of the lens you're using, for safe hand holding.

With your 70 -200mm lens 1/100 would be OK at the short end of the zoom but as soon as you zoomed to 200mm that shutter speed would be quite inadequate and you'd get camera shake evident in your images.

Don't ever take your hand holding technique for granted, particularly with long lenses, it's something you need to practice and be aware of all the time. Many a pro has suddenly found his shots not quite as sharp as they used to be and had to go back to basics.

I'll try and find a link explaining the technique for you - a picture paints a thousand words.

 

[Kinobe]

First off Kinobe, don't forget the general rule of thumb - your shutter speed should be equal to, or faster than the focal length of the lens you're using, for safe hand holding.

With your 70 -200mm lens 1/100 would be OK at the short end of the zoom but as soon as you zoomed to 200mm that shutter speed would be quite inadequate and you'd get camera shake evident in your images.

Don't ever take your hand holding technique for granted, particularly with long lenses, it's something you need to practice and be aware of all the time. Many a pro has suddenly found his shots not quite as sharp as they used to be and had to go back to basics.

I'll try and find a link explaining the technique for you - a picture paints a thousand words.

Thanks for your help!

I've been trying to experience shooting in aperture priorty so I assume the shutter speed is set automatically. I don't know enough about shutter speeds to even experiment with shutter priority.

If you could find that guide that would be much appreciated or even explain it in "ed simple terms" that would be ace

Ed

 

[Colin_S]

As CT said, try and push your shutter speed up. If using a DSLR this is easier as you can just increase the ISO for a particular shot. Try and keep it at 1/250 or faster when at 200mm and you should be ok, depending on how much coffee you drink etc. If you're already pushing the sensitivity as far as you can/like then opening up the lens a stop will halve the shutter speed you require.

In shutter priority try setting to 1/250 or 1/500 and see if that helps

Other than that a tripod or monopod is the way forward.

Hope that helped?
Col

 

[CT]

Well there's your problem then. Since avoiding camera shake is what you need to do, then you should be using Shutter Priority (TV on a Canon). You choose the safe shutter speed for the focal length you're using and let the camera choose the aperture. With your Sigma zoomed to 200mm your minimum safe shutter speed is 1/200, and that's assuming good hand holding technique - if you can go faster with the shutter speed you should.

I found this link which gives you some idea of the technique. I have found better ones in the past but damned if I can now! :embarasse


Click.

 

[Kinobe]

Excellent all..........

Its good to speak to folks that know what there on about, but hey after all this is a dedicated photography forum

I was experimenting with dof and found aperture priority was a good way for me to learn, I could be doing the totally wrong thing but from results I have to say I'm improving slightly!

Will set start experimenting on Shutter Priority see how I get on...... need to read up more on shutter speeds first though.

Thanks for the link CT, I will give it read!

Ed

 

[Arkady]

God! It was all so easy when all anyone had was manual, mechanical cameras with external, hand-held light-meters.
I take all of that experience so much for granted that I sometimes forget that there are some of us here who have never owned anything other than an automatic camera and are only now beginning to realise the potential of their new equipment...
Keep asking those questions, lest we forget.

 

[CriPPle]

Kinobe, I also have the Sigma 70-200 and find that if you hold the lens by the hood, keep your elbows to your chest and stop breathing whilst taking the pic then you can get shots at slower speeds than CT has suggested, but it does take quite a lot of practice.

I have managed to take some hand held down to about 1/50 sec, but it is still quite hit and miss (normally end up taking a few shots to get a decent one with this technique).

 

[DJW]

With DSLR you can get away with a lot higher ISO rating, which will give you a few more stops back. If the kind of shots you are shooting require a short DOF for full effect I would suggest the following :-

- Experiment to suss max ISO you would go to before "noise" becomes a problem
- Experiment to suss the slowest shutter speed you can get sharp photo's from
- When at location start at ISO 200, with camera in AP.
- Line up test shot......looking at your screen, at aperature you want, is the shutter speed sufficient ? If yes then shoot
- If not, are you willing to increase the DOF by upping the f/stop. If not then up ISO rating & repeat previous step.

Like Arkady stated it was 2nd nature with manual camera's

 

[Steve]

Another sneaky tip and a last resort after applying all the above good advice is to put the camera into burst mode and fire off a few frames (usually 2 or 3) this can sometimes help a little as when you are first making the motion to press the shutter release your are introducing movement and vibration. You may find that the second or third frame is sharper due to there being a touch less vibration.

There is no substitute for good technique and knowing your own and camera limits though.

 

[Kinobe]

Thanks again for all your help!

I will try out these different techniques and hopefully soon I will find one that works for me to reduce my shakeyness. Wouldn't change my sigma lens as tbh I love it it has produced some of my "better" works so far.

Hoping to get a seperate flash, sb600 or sb800 which will improve my indoor event shooting a great deal (I think) although the internal flash on my d70 is not to bad at all.....

Ta again and I'll let you know how I get on!

Ed

 

[mfwild13]

Hoping to get a seperate flash, sb600 or sb800 which will improve my indoor event shooting a great deal (I think) .....

Probably better to get a good grasp of controlling the exposure with what you have before adding the further complication of an external flash. Its simply about practising and then learning from what went right and wrong.

Mark

 

[Steve]

Probably better to get a good grasp of controlling the exposure with what you have before adding the further complication of an external flash. Its simply about practising and then learning from what went right and wrong.

Mark

Wise words !!! :thumb:

 

[Marcel]

For handholding, tuck your elbows in, feet shoulder width apart. Effectively turn yourself into a tripod (Bipod if you're picky )

As for breathing, compose your shot then slow your breathing down, and take a few deep calm slow breaths. Then halfway through exhaling gently squeeze the trigg.., er, shutter. Don't hold your breath as this will introduce shake. Any good sniper, er, I mean photographer should tell you this ..lol

 

[Kinobe]

For handholding, tuck your elbows in, feet shoulder width apart. Effectively turn yourself into a tripod (Bipod if you're picky )

As for breathing, compose your shot then slow your breathing down, and take a few deep calm slow breaths. Then halfway through exhaling gently squeeze the trigg.., er, shutter. Don't hold your breath as this will introduce shake. Any good sniper, er, I mean photographer should tell you this ..lol

That was ace

Thanks for the tips, I'll give it a go and let you know how I get on!

Ed

 

[Steve]

You should stand with your feet not side by side but one slightly infront of the other at shoulder width apart. Its easier to steady yourself that way

 

[CT]

You should stand with your feet not side by side but one slightly infront of the other at shoulder width apart. Its easier to steady yourself that way

Agreed. I actually found the link I was looking for which is by far the best article on hand holding I've seen. The picture of the girl (9th one down) shows the technique really well with the weight on the back foot.


CLICKY.

 

[Mr THX]

For handholding, tuck your elbows in, feet shoulder width apart. Effectively turn yourself into a tripod (Bipod if you're picky )

Using this method in high winds would it also be an advantage to hang your camera bag onto to your belt buckle to increase stability

 

[Marcel]

Using this method in high winds would it also be an advantage to hang your camera bag onto to your belt buckle to increase stability

And don't forget to tighten your belt buckle to stop any droop .

Forgot about the direction of the feet. I think the best is left foot with the heel in line with the left shoulder, and the foot pointing to 12 o clock, and the right foot with the toes just behind your right shoulder, pointing to half past 2, so in effect you're turned slightly left.

Failing that, rob a bank, get a really fast lens with IS, and wing it

 

[SammyC]

Failing that, rob a bank, get a really fast lens with IS, and wing it

"Marcel made me do it officer!"