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How to effectively hand-hold non-VR lenses?

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canonbcguy

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I use a number of zooms (24-120, 18-140 DX, 18-200 DX) and a medium telephoto (105) and I'm having difficulty hand-holding the lens steady. I see the focus point wavering all over the subject.

I'm hoping the VR (for those lenses that have it) can help or I try to stick to the guideline of 1/(focal length) for shutter speed. In lots of cases, even with the VR lenses, the picture is blurred (when pixel-peeping).

Any useful tips or techniques I can try?

Is spraying in burst mode a good trick? I've tried this with a bit of success. A frame within the burst is sometimes clear. It just seems wasteful. I used digital so there's no actual cost but the time in transferring to the PC, loading multiple RAW files into an editor, peeping at pixels, etc. seems considerable.

Must I lug a tripod? :-/

Thanks.
 
canonbcguy said:
I use a number of zooms (24-120, 18-140 DX, 18-200 DX) and a medium telephoto (105) and I'm having difficulty hand-holding the lens steady. I see the focus point wavering all over the subject.

I'm hoping the VR (for those lenses that have it) can help or I try to stick to the guideline of 1/(focal length) for shutter speed. In lots of cases, even with the VR lenses, the picture is blurred (when pixel-peeping).
Click to expand...
Lets call it 1/(focal lengthx1.5) for DX but yes you want to make sure your shutter speed is high enough, the higher the better.
canonbcguy said:
Any useful tips or techniques I can try?
Click to expand...
I tighten my elbows to my body and stop breathing at the instant of the shot. Its pretty much second nature now. Also make sure to squeeze the shutter button vs punch it hard. Lean up on something, against a tree, fence .... not another human they wiggle around too much :-).
canonbcguy said:
Is spraying in burst mode a good trick?
Click to expand...
Nah, you wind up with a bunch of pictures that you do not want. Never spray unless I am shooting multiple frames at different exposures. the 5.5 FPS (I think) on my D7100 is not a constraint. Birders I know spray to capture a bird at the right instant ....
canonbcguy said:
I've tried this with a bit of success. A frame within the burst is sometimes clear. It just seems wasteful. I used digital so there's no actual cost but the time in transferring to the PC, loading multiple RAW files into an editor, peeping at pixels, etc. seems considerable.

Must I lug a tripod? :-/
Click to expand...
Nope just try elbows in near body, stop breathing at the instant of the shot. Will work, promise but practise. Oh and keep shutter speed high.

A couple of examples with a 80-200 f/2.8D at 200 mm. it has no VR.



[ATTACH alt="1/500" key factor ...... "]media_3088330[/ATTACH]
1/500" key factor ......





[ATTACH alt="1/2000" key factor "]media_3293007[/ATTACH]
1/2000" key factor

canonbcguy said:
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Have fun.

--
Regards,
Sanjay
 
canonbcguy said:
Must I lug a tripod? :-/
Click to expand...
A monopod is very effective. Use it and your two legs to form a tripod. This walking stick converts into one and is very light to carry:

Walking stick
Walking stick
 
canonbcguy said:
I use a number of zooms (24-120, 18-140 DX, 18-200 DX) and a medium telephoto (105) and I'm having difficulty hand-holding the lens steady. I see the focus point wavering all over the subject.

I'm hoping the VR (for those lenses that have it) can help or I try to stick to the guideline of 1/(focal length) for shutter speed. In lots of cases, even with the VR lenses, the picture is blurred (when pixel-peeping).

Any useful tips or techniques I can try?

Is spraying in burst mode a good trick? I've tried this with a bit of success. A frame within the burst is sometimes clear. It just seems wasteful. I used digital so there's no actual cost but the time in transferring to the PC, loading multiple RAW files into an editor, peeping at pixels, etc. seems considerable.

Must I lug a tripod? :-/

Thanks.
Click to expand...
If you are having trouble with camera shake( as I do)It's best to ignore the 1/f guide and simply use the highest speed possible given the nature of the subject and the circumstances.( double the 1/f speed could be a start e.g. with a 50mm lens ,try 1/100th of a second rather than 1/50th.

If lower speeds are needed, as other posters have noted, good holding technique or use of a monopod might be useful.

Bear in mind that VR does not stop motion blur caused by subject movement, and many subjects are not completely static. Another reason to keep the speed up!
 
There's a very good parallel between "shooting" with a camera and shooting for real with a rifle.

It takes years of practice to become proficient with a rifle, and even then, there's huge differences between shooters. Top shooters can hold 1 minute of angle from the standing position, while novices might manage 1 degree of angle (i.e. barely being able to hit the target).

The standard technique for target shooting is to "squeeze off" the shot, attempting to take advantage of relatively stable phases of your hold, but still having the actual release come at a slightly random moment; this leads to the term "follow-through".

With telescopic sights, a trained shooter (e.g. a sniper) can "snap off" a shot at exactly the right moment, but in general, the slow and steady approach is best for the average to good shooter, and "pulling" the trigger is a recipe for a poor result.

These techniques are transferable to photography.

Sigma 10-20mm; no stabilisation. Taken in a dimly-lit museum without a tripod. No flash allowed.



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six34sigma said:
and stop breathing at the instant of the shot
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It's even better to stop breathing halfway through exhausting. Some people tend to stop breathing at the peak of inhale, and that's bad, muscles are too tight, and shaky.
 
There are some people out there who are anal about the way to hold a camera, for instance:

1-standing.jpg


But for me I find it IMPOSSIBLE to hold the camera the way they are suggesting in the rightmost example, certainly not without struggling, which means I won't be able to hold the camera steady!

I actually hold the camera using the middle technique, it's comfortable for me, and more importantly I can hold the camera VERY steady (it's the technique I've been using for decades). The following is an 2.5 second 28mm image I took handheld without any IS (unfortunately DPR softens it; the original image looks much better):

streetfest.jpg


The other techniques I use is having my legs partially spread apart, and I take a shallow breath and hold it, not a full inhale, but just enough to sustain me for the duration of the exposure. Also I squeeze the shutter release slowly and hold it down...I don't jab at it, and I don't release it to reduce the chance of camera shake.
 
The 1/focal length guide is a pretty good baseline, but you still need to watch your technique. Try cradling the lens in your left hand, camera in right, elbows against your body, press camera against face, steady stance. Inhale, let out half the air, hold breath, fire. It sounds elaborate, but takes less than a second. This is essentially the technique marksmen use to shoot at targets--same skill set.

Spraying a series of images will usually get you a sharper frame or two, but it is a pain to edit afterwards. A monopod also makes a great alternative to tripods.
 
First I have to ask if you're using the viewfinder or trying to use live view?

Trying to hold a camera out at arms length is a recipe for disaster.

If you're using the viewfinder, adjust as others have mentioned - your left hand under the lens with elbow in tight - that makes your left arm a more stable platform. If you're already doing that and you're seeing the focus point shake all over, I would ask - do you have any type of palsy? You really shouldn't see the focus point move around like that in the viewfinder if you're using the viewfinder and holding the camera tight to your face and proper arm position.

That part of your statement is concerning because it indicates a LOT of camera shake - especially for lenses that are, relatively speaking, light.

If you're already doing all of the above and you're still seeing the image move around a lot, you probably should be using a monopod at least. It's fairly inexpensive and will definitely help with stability. I'm not a big fan of using a head on one though.
 
In the old days, we learned to do this and it was easier in that generally primes were the norm and maximum apertures of f2 or f2.8 were fairly common: Since film was rarely fast relative to the ISO's we see as common today, you had to have these apertures for even overcast days in some cases, much less 'available light' indoors, etc.

The zooms we have today, unless you're buying pro-speed glass, have far smaller maximum apertures that shrink even darker as you zoom out.

So you'll just have to find that sweet spot between what your upper limit is for ISO for acceptable noise combined with the apertures you have available. This can get tricky, as I'm always going to try and stop down a stop or two from wide open to increase quality. YRMV. And the more you practice, the better you'll get at this.

I've done the breath routine, it works. More often, I tend to always find a wall, a rail, something to lean against or set the camera on or against for some help. I only bring a tripod if I know I'm shooting some I KNOW is not going to move, say a cityscape at night. I like working from a tripod, but if I'm moving constantly, not so much.

I've never tried burst shots hoping to get one 'between the jitters', but just thinking about it, I could see where the mirror jumping out of the way and back could introduce some shake, like I say, I've never done it, but that would be my guess.

I'd get out of full Auto or Program, try in aperture or shutter-priority, see what the camera wants to set, and see where you're at, and adjust accordingly.
 
canonbcguy said:
Any useful tips or techniques I can try?
Click to expand...
Posture: Common practice is to tuck elbows into body, stand with feet apart. There are a number of ways you can use your body for further support, most of these are personal preferences people pick up with experience, eg holding right wrist with left hand and steadying lens on lower left arm, or lifting knee to balance lens when in seated position.

Also, practice gently squeezing the shutter button. Don't jab it.

Camera strap: There are a number of ways you can wrap your camera's strap around your wrist and arm to create a tension brace.
canonbcguy said:
Is spraying in burst mode a good trick? I've tried this with a bit of success.
Click to expand...
You have your answer right there. Now you need to weigh the pro's of that 'bit of success' against the con's of extra time spent editing.
canonbcguy said:
Must I lug a tripod? :-/
Click to expand...
Not if you don't want to. It just limits some of your options. Fortunately, with modern equipment, those limits are relatively small.

And there are other braces you can purchase or make:

Aforementioned monopod, plus things such as Wrist supports (think bowling glove), shoulder-support (think rifle but), pistol-grips, steady-cam vests.

And the MacGyver techniques :

Use your environment (lean on trees/posts/walls, etc)

Make a Photographer's Bean-bag from a sock full of dried peas/rice.

Make a stringpod, from a bolt tied to a length of cord with a loop in it.

Rgds, NN

--

My (tripodless!) portfolio
 
Going back to Leica rangefinders, before there were slr cameras, cameras were designed for right-handed and right-eyed people. When a camera is held horizontally, the wind lever is almost always at the upper right corner. (The Kodak Retina Reflex was a notable exception with the wind lever at the lower corner). Winding the film with the right thumb while the camera was held to the right eye allowed the thumb to sweep past the cheek. Holding the same camera to the left eye meant that when the film was advanced the right thumb was perfectly positioned to scoop the right eye out of its socket entirely. I’m left-eyed and know how this feels. It’s really of no consequence for most but the photojournalist or sports photog who wants to have the camera at his eye at every moment will not want to have to move the camera in order to wind every frame. It breaks concentration and forces the photographer to reframe and recompose every shot. Half the reason I bought my first motor drive was so I could advance frames without having to move the camera from shooting position.

Cameras are designed to be cradled in the left hand, palm up, thumb to the left, with the camera’s weight supported by the left hand. With traditional cameras this put the left hand in control of focus and aperture ring adjustments and allows the left elbow to press into the ribcage and support the camera’s weight. With a modern camera the left hand also handles (no pun) zoom adjustments. The right hand controls the shutter speed dial, winds the film and presses the shutter release. Because the right hand can press the shutter release while supporting almost no weight at all, the press can be accomplished with much less possibility of inadvertent camera motion during exposure.

To switch to vertical the photog rotates the camera counter clockwise while each hand (and each finger) stays in the exact same position relative to the camera & lens. In fact the left hand doesn’t move a millimeter. There’s no interruption in the photog’s view through the eyepiece, no break in concentration or composition. Each dial or knob or control is still controlled by the same hand, and the camera’s weight remains firmly in the left hand which continues to add support by keeping the never-moved left arm pressed to the ribs.
 
henryp said:
Cameras are designed to be cradled in the left hand, palm up, thumb to the left, with the camera’s weight supported by the left hand. With traditional cameras this put the left hand in control of focus and aperture ring adjustments and allows the left elbow to press into the ribcage and support the camera’s weight.
Click to expand...
I've seen this position for the left hand recommended fairly often. Even KR says you can identify a "proper" photographer by this position of the left hand, so it must be right. ;-)

I've always found this "approved" position damned uncomfortable for my left wrist, and my fingers are in the wrong place for adjusting zoom and focus, particularly with a physically short lens, such as the Sigma 10-20mm that I have fitted to my D7100 at the moment.

I find that the thumb underneath the camera, together with the proximal part of the index finger is more than strong enough to support the lens. With many camera/lens combinations, there simply isn't enough room for the "palm up" option, and you risk seeing your fingers in the VF.

Too late for me to change now.
 
six34sigma said:
I tighten my elbows to my body and stop breathing at the instant of the shot. Its pretty much second nature now. Also make sure to squeeze the shutter button vs punch it hard. Lean up on something, against a tree, fence .... not another human they wiggle around too much :-).
Click to expand...
+1

"Breath Control While Shooting: 4 Options"

These are breathing techniques for shooting a firearm but will work for photo shots.

http://www.usacarry.com/4-options-breath-control-shooting/

I like option 3 as does the author.

Try all 4 options to see which works best for you.

--
Norm
 
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I read a really interesting article by an army sniper about how to brace yourself. You may look a little silly but some of them really work.

Unfortunately the guide is off-site, here is the link. It is not my site nor do I believe it is for commercial use nor does it break any DPReview forum rules, to the best of my knowledge.

Loading…

www.pentaxforums.com
 
Good advice above but the 1/f rule was optimistic for 35mm film and is very optimistic for many users on APS digital.
--
Andrew Skinner - but remember I cannot get the hang of threaded fora.

Loading…

www.flickr.com
 
I have never seen anyone balance a camera on the palm of their left hand like this guy does. I don't know how one would focus/zoom, and it doesn't even seem to securely hold the camera. Let's just say that this article didn't convince me to change.

indigodc said:
I read a really interesting article by an army sniper about how to brace yourself. You may look a little silly but some of them really work.

Unfortunately the guide is off-site, here is the link. It is not my site nor do I believe it is for commercial use nor does it break any DPReview forum rules, to the best of my knowledge.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/long-exposure-handhelds/introduction.html
Click to expand...
 
gscotten said:
I have never seen anyone balance a camera on the palm of their left hand like this guy does. I don't know how one would focus/zoom, and it doesn't even seem to securely hold the camera. Let's just say that this article didn't convince me to change.
indigodc said:
I read a really interesting article by an army sniper about how to brace yourself. You may look a little silly but some of them really work.

Unfortunately the guide is off-site, here is the link. It is not my site nor do I believe it is for commercial use nor does it break any DPReview forum rules, to the best of my knowledge.

http://www.pentaxforums.com/reviews/long-exposure-handhelds/introduction.html
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
gscotten said:
I have never seen anyone balance a camera on the palm of their left hand like this guy does. I don't know how one would focus/zoom, and it doesn't even seem to securely hold the camera. Let's just say that this article didn't convince me to change.
Click to expand...
In any field, you'll always get "trainers" or "coaches" telling you to do crazy stuff, simple to assert their authority and to get the novice out of their comfort zone.

I can remember going to tennis lessons many years ago and being told to grip the racket is a manner that made it impossible for me to hit the ball.

If you ever go to "wine tastings", you'll be advised to snuffle and slosh the wine like a pro, but nobody actually drinks wine that way in the real world.
 
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