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Post by johnbear on Feb 8, 2016 13:13:48 GMT -5
Having just snapped pictures of my latest camera collection additions, in the gloom of a North East England winter's afternoon, I was wondering what sort of hand-held low shutter speeds folks can get away with ... for non-moving subjects. I have to do this quite often, and I don't always get away with it, but according to my camera (and I'm shooting digital), I am exposing at 1/8th of a second.
Is this normal, is my camera (a Japanese Leica) lying to me, or am I a freak? I use a neck strap under tension.
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Feb 8, 2016 16:46:43 GMT -5
I was wondering what sort of hand-held low shutter speeds folks can get away with ... for non-moving subjects. I have to do this quite often, and I don't always get away with it, but according to my camera (and I'm shooting digital), I am exposing at 1/8th of a second.
Is this normal, is my camera (a Japanese Leica) lying to me, or am I a freak? I use a neck strap under tension.
Johnbear,
I always do my best to avoid just hand holding and relying on my steadiness and neckstrap for long exposures.
There is almost always a wall or a door or a tree or a post or even a statue or fire hydrant upon which I can lean. I will go to great lengths to seek any kind of support and if possible brace the camera directly on that support which does not possess the serious flaw of breathing. Now I rarely take my heavy tripod. I almost always have my unipod with me. It has a tilt only head as a pan head is not needed on a unipod. It also has a quick release so there is no excuse for not using it. And now that I have joined the club of arthritics, I find it useful as a cane.
Mickey
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Post by johnbear on Feb 8, 2016 18:31:57 GMT -5
Mickey - I noticed that in your photo you seem to me leaning on a camera. Hehe!!
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Stephen
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Post by Stephen on Feb 8, 2016 19:24:33 GMT -5
I always use a Bolex monopod, any monopod will works as well, but the engineering of the Bolex is just so good. I reckon with the Olympus 4/3 Pen, I get about 1/2th second, before image quality goes down. But with the monopod jammed against a wall, a stone or me, it can go longer. The only camera that does work better for longer hand held is the Rollei, which can go to a second, or more with a monopod.
The other useful stand is the delightful Minox tripod, which is also micro monopod as well, and has a cable release hidden in side as well. It is study enough for most 35mm cameras, but I don't think a Kiev 120 would even balance on it!.
The other odd way is a chain to the ground and stand on it pulling the camera upwards, it will increase the sharpness at lower speeds.
But sharpness is relative, and low light shots may not require sharpness, the blur can add atmosphere, especially in Black and White. Kodak's design team, at least in the UK, deemed 1/30th as the limit before blur showed on an N Print size shot.
But an amateur photographer would notice it far sooner with his use of enlargements. In the trade we were always surprised at what people accepted as decent shots in general Developing and Printing. And then we would get a SLR owner who would query the sharpness of a Nikon....guess who in general took the better photographs?
I had a assignment years ago to take shots around Soho area in London ( not the sex shops!) and because it was for publication, it demanded colour slide in 6x9 format, so I used my Mamiya press. This was twofold, it did not look like a "spying" camera, it looked pro, and it took shots at 1 second hand held because of its weight. I would not like to repeat the shots with a Leica around the area these days.
Stephen.
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mickeyobe
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Post by mickeyobe on Feb 8, 2016 22:14:46 GMT -5
Mickey - I noticed that in your photo you seem to me leaning on a camera. Hehe!! Johnbear, At my age I will lean on anything, even a marshmallow. By the way, take a close look at the lens of the camera I am leaning on --- er --- on which I am leaning. Mickey Stephen, I once saw a professional photographer use that chain device. One end in the tripod socket and the other a loop under his foot. The camera pulled out of his hands and landed on the lawn. It did not appear to be damaged but his ego was badly bruised. Mickey
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Stephen
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Post by Stephen on Feb 9, 2016 8:45:49 GMT -5
Canadian expression for "Flushing the toilet."
Mickey
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Post by yashica1943 on Feb 10, 2016 18:27:27 GMT -5
Our club had a lecture from a very good photographer, one of the sections was sharpness, he showed magnified examples of photos taken with the camera on a tripod. The wind (weather!) made a lot of difference and we were encouraged to hang a weight on the centre column hook (if there was one). Also we were advised not to let the camera strap dangle and flap about with the camera on a tripod. I must admit I very rarely use a tripod as I take photos spontaneously and erratically. I have however taken some good photos in the dark leaning against street furniture. Shutter speeds down to about 1/8. (As an old film photographer, the last thing I think of is to wind up the ISO!)
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Post by camfiend on Feb 12, 2016 0:59:42 GMT -5
always brace myself on something these days, even if it means sitting down and resting on my own knees (thats getting harder to, have trouble getting back up) but my hands shake like leaves and get worse as I get older... good thing I'm not a surgeon
Bob
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