 Mike Stephens |
Shutter Speed Vs. Tripod Use In general, at what shutter speed would you typically start to use a tripod or stabilizing device?
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- Gregory LaGrange Contact Gregory LaGrange Gregory LaGrange's Gallery |
With a lightweight lens/camera combo - like a 50mm or 135mm - if you're steady, you can do 1/15 without. What you might see recommended in a book or manual, 1/60 without. Below those, go with a tripod. But, that doesn't mean you have to.
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Bob Cammarata |
It's all relative to the individual and, as Greg pointed out, the equipment he or she is using. If you have the tripod with you, use it. That's the general rule I follow whenever I go below 1/60 for all-around scenics with a standard or medium wide-angle lens, and below 1/250 with my telephoto or tele-converter. In macro, I will use a tripod always. You can get acceptable results on slower speeds by using your own body as a support. Leaning against a tree or wall is a good example. Sometimes, I'll sit on the ground and prop my elbows on my knees. These methods can't replace the tripod but will work in a pinch.
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Irene Troy |
IMHO: if you want tack-sharp images, use a tripod. Of course, there are conditions when using a tripod is simply not practical. However, I use a tripod about 85 percent of the time and find that I have gotten fairly adept at setting up quickly. I have found that my shots are generally better when using a tripod since it forces me to slow down and really "see" a scene before I start trying to capture it.
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Steve Eschenburg |
Generally, if you are stuck without your tripod, or monopod, or something to lean against, take the inverse of your maximum lens length and use that as a guide. If your lens is 50mm then anything slower than 1/50s would call for extra stability. There's a cut-off point somewhere above 200mm (it's different for everybody) where a realistic shutter speed/hand-held combination isn't worthwhile. You'll need to do some tests to find yours.
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Alan Jefferys |
As a you should use a tripod when your shutter speed is less than that of your focal length. So with a 50mm lens 1/60th should be regarded as a minimum, at 135mm it would be 1/125 and so on. I hope this helps. Good Luck.
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David King |
Egos aside, Irene has the correct answer... USE A TRIPOD any and every time possible, ESPECIALLY with digital! you'll hear a number of rules of thumb such as the oft quoted one about shooting speeds of 1/focal length to be safe. Nonsense. A few years ago several instructors and myself at the college where I teach decided to test this. We set up side by side and shot our own cameras at every shutter speed both planted on a tripod and hand held. We then enlarged the 35mm images to 11x14. In every single case, no one had any trouble picking out the hand held shots even with normal (50mm) lenses shot at 1/125 and sometimes 1/250. They all looked tack sharp on the contacts, and many were acceptable at 8x10 but fell apart readily at 11x14. Years ago in a desperate moment I astonished myself with a hand held shot for a full second leaning against a tree. It was a miracle. I could now claim in some learned article that I can shoot hand held at a second but it would be a lie. Remember the sample shots you see in magazines are small and printed with a line screen for reproduction. The proof is in an enlarged print. Now before the wails of protest arise, I confess I do have a friend that routinely pulls off 1/30 of a second hand held shots. Or so I thought until we ent shooting together. He takes multiple shots and only prints the ones that worked. The truth is he has about a 20% success ratio and then only when he is leaning against something solid. So get a useable tripod and a cable release (it does you no good to put the camera on a tripod then lean on it and impose that movement on the camera) and use them. you will notice an improvement in sharpeness. You will probably also notice an improvement in composition becasue now you can study the image and fine tune it. Remember, those great shots of Adams and Weston and Sexton are all shot on tripod and the steadiness and ability to calmly and purposefully compose are as much to credit as the large film size. Good photos are most often "made" not just "taken." some people worry about the time involved but I've always found that Minor White was correct: "If the subject sees in you someone worthy to take its portrait, it will wait for you." David
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Mike Stephens |
Steve, Alan, and David- Thank you for your input. Dave, glad you mentioned the cable release! I almost forgot about that! However, as far as the Minor White quote, tell that to the two fawns at a local park I was at!! =) Again, THANKS!! mike
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Scott Pedersen |
Iv found that handheld keep the shutter speed a 1/125th or use a monopod. If you get too slow use a tripod.
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