VisionLight
Veteran Member
I spent yesterday afternoon at one of our local farms, SX50 in hand of course. Now I usually take my travel tripod with me on hikes, and since farm animals don't usually move very fast, I definitely thought I'd get the best results by using it this time around as well.
I read the recent thread on whether you should use a tripod or not with the SX50 with interest. Because there were very good replies on when and why you should, which I agreed with, I felt I didn't need to add more there. But after yesterday's hike, I felt I could post some examples here with results that show the edge a tripod can give in attaining precise focus and resulting sharpness in the field. And because my 60 inch, carbon fiber travel tripod is only a little over 3 lbs. with the C&C aluminum ball head and QR plate, it's not a burden to carry with the camera always attached. When necessary, a quick push of the release button on the QR plate removes the camera for handheld work.
When using the tripod in the field, it becomes easy to set up your image's composition and precise focus, and then wait for the exact moment the picture becomes something special. This could include the subject striking a particular pose, or the light changing to add more depth or drama. Whatever it is, you're not continually trying to hold the camera steady, changing focus to maintain your view, and hoping everything is in place when the moment occurs. This goes very well with my particular contemplative style of photography, which is to take a single image and get it right rather than multiple images that have to be edited later. Though yes, I will many times take an insurance image if my premise for taking the first image still presents itself. My style appeared readily apparent to my companions on the hike who would take 8 or 10 handheld images of the same subjects I did (the hike as usual was not about basics, but about seeing interesting images and stories in interesting light). They began to see the benefits of contemplation.
So here are a few images to illustrate the results. One of the first things you will notice is the clarity of the main subjects (which should show up even in the DPR downloads of the full size originals.) Now with the bright available light and great IS of the SX50, I'm sure results handheld would have been good at these focal lengths and shutter speeds. But with the help of the tripod, focus could be locked in exactly where needed, and camera shake becomes totally eliminated as well, adding to the ability to attain the sharpest, highest contrast results. (And note, with my last 4 digital cameras from Canon, I do NOT turn off IS when using a tripod. My tests at 400% show that it is just not necessary to do so.)
The first image is of a newborn calf, discovering its way in a difficult world. I watched it at the top of a rocky rise, foraging for something to eat. When the farmhands began filling the feed troughs below, the adults started to climb down the rocks. The calf, sensing it should follow, tried to figure out just how to do so as well. When it found the little opening between the two rocks, I trained the tripod mounted camera on the scene. It went back and forth between the two rocks, sometimes stumbling down a few paces, then retracing its step back up before trying again. It finally climbed back above the rocks and struck this pose, moving its head back and forth to see if there was an easier way. When it turned all the way into the sun the second time, I saw that it had had enough and also that I had my image. The little calf then turned away back to the field. Probably to find some condolence from the large dark cow just behind it that stayed and watched the entire time. Maybe next time.
Tripod mounted SX50 from raw
The second image was taken just because I liked the color and light. The tripod allowed me to set up the composition and focus, and then just patiently wait until the cow lifted its head to give me a look. That took about two or three minutes, but I was ready.
Tripod mounted SX50 from raw
And one more image as I continue to add at least one new nicely lit bird to my collection each week (It is after all an SX50
). My tripod was already set for a landscape when I saw a flash of black and red go by in front of me. This red winged black bird landed on a branch very close by so that all I had to do was re-aim and zoom the camera. Focus was difficult with all the in between branches, but the tripod made it easier to point directly at only the edge of the birds feathers. The bird moved around in place a lot while singing, but was never in a good position when the reddest feathers showed. I did however like this pose and lighting and caught the image just before he flew away.
Tripod mounted SX50 from raw.
So I highly recommend a lightweight tripod for hiking with the SX50, especially one with a QR plate for quick handheld work. It could be just the difference in getting that little bit of extra quality in a well crafted image.
Thanks for looking, and discussion is always welcome.
Ed
I read the recent thread on whether you should use a tripod or not with the SX50 with interest. Because there were very good replies on when and why you should, which I agreed with, I felt I didn't need to add more there. But after yesterday's hike, I felt I could post some examples here with results that show the edge a tripod can give in attaining precise focus and resulting sharpness in the field. And because my 60 inch, carbon fiber travel tripod is only a little over 3 lbs. with the C&C aluminum ball head and QR plate, it's not a burden to carry with the camera always attached. When necessary, a quick push of the release button on the QR plate removes the camera for handheld work.
When using the tripod in the field, it becomes easy to set up your image's composition and precise focus, and then wait for the exact moment the picture becomes something special. This could include the subject striking a particular pose, or the light changing to add more depth or drama. Whatever it is, you're not continually trying to hold the camera steady, changing focus to maintain your view, and hoping everything is in place when the moment occurs. This goes very well with my particular contemplative style of photography, which is to take a single image and get it right rather than multiple images that have to be edited later. Though yes, I will many times take an insurance image if my premise for taking the first image still presents itself. My style appeared readily apparent to my companions on the hike who would take 8 or 10 handheld images of the same subjects I did (the hike as usual was not about basics, but about seeing interesting images and stories in interesting light). They began to see the benefits of contemplation.
So here are a few images to illustrate the results. One of the first things you will notice is the clarity of the main subjects (which should show up even in the DPR downloads of the full size originals.) Now with the bright available light and great IS of the SX50, I'm sure results handheld would have been good at these focal lengths and shutter speeds. But with the help of the tripod, focus could be locked in exactly where needed, and camera shake becomes totally eliminated as well, adding to the ability to attain the sharpest, highest contrast results. (And note, with my last 4 digital cameras from Canon, I do NOT turn off IS when using a tripod. My tests at 400% show that it is just not necessary to do so.)
The first image is of a newborn calf, discovering its way in a difficult world. I watched it at the top of a rocky rise, foraging for something to eat. When the farmhands began filling the feed troughs below, the adults started to climb down the rocks. The calf, sensing it should follow, tried to figure out just how to do so as well. When it found the little opening between the two rocks, I trained the tripod mounted camera on the scene. It went back and forth between the two rocks, sometimes stumbling down a few paces, then retracing its step back up before trying again. It finally climbed back above the rocks and struck this pose, moving its head back and forth to see if there was an easier way. When it turned all the way into the sun the second time, I saw that it had had enough and also that I had my image. The little calf then turned away back to the field. Probably to find some condolence from the large dark cow just behind it that stayed and watched the entire time. Maybe next time.
Tripod mounted SX50 from raw
The second image was taken just because I liked the color and light. The tripod allowed me to set up the composition and focus, and then just patiently wait until the cow lifted its head to give me a look. That took about two or three minutes, but I was ready.
Tripod mounted SX50 from raw
And one more image as I continue to add at least one new nicely lit bird to my collection each week (It is after all an SX50
). My tripod was already set for a landscape when I saw a flash of black and red go by in front of me. This red winged black bird landed on a branch very close by so that all I had to do was re-aim and zoom the camera. Focus was difficult with all the in between branches, but the tripod made it easier to point directly at only the edge of the birds feathers. The bird moved around in place a lot while singing, but was never in a good position when the reddest feathers showed. I did however like this pose and lighting and caught the image just before he flew away.Tripod mounted SX50 from raw.
So I highly recommend a lightweight tripod for hiking with the SX50, especially one with a QR plate for quick handheld work. It could be just the difference in getting that little bit of extra quality in a well crafted image.
Thanks for looking, and discussion is always welcome.
Ed
