easiest MLU for 1Ds3 ??

[timplog]

Would like to know the simplest, most direct way to lock up the mirror on my 1Ds3 before an exposure-I think the 'set' button can be assigned the 'mirror down' duty in Custom Functions but other than setting MLU in My Menu-is that the only way?
Hope I'm missing something simple-this seems awkward at best.
Thanks very much for your time, and this great forum.
Cheers!

[Colin Southern]

Hi Tim,

You can't assign MLU to the set button - probably the closest would be assigning LiveView to it (assuming that you've focused before enabling it).

I take it that you're aware that MLU is only useful when the shutter speed is around 1/4 sec - much faster or slower than that and it won't have any measurable effect on your images.

[timplog]

thanks Colin-sounds like Canon think MLU not all that useful and therefore somewhat buried in the my menu option. maybe I don't need to worry about it either.
afraid I don't use 'live view' very much-still prefer that wonderful 1Ds3 viewfinder.
but would you mind elaborating on your 1/4 second exposure comment-I hadn't thought that through.

thanks very much for your time Colin-cheers!

[Colin Southern]

thanks Colin-sounds like Canon think MLU not all that useful and therefore somewhat buried in the my menu option. maybe I don't need to worry about it either.
afraid I don't use 'live view' very much-still prefer that wonderful 1Ds3 viewfinder.
but would you mind elaborating on your 1/4 second exposure comment-I hadn't thought that through.

thanks very much for your time Colin-cheers!

Hi Tim,

You're very welcome. And welcome to CiC too by the way - great to have you with us

Folks have been asking for a dedicated MLU button for years ... perhaps one day!

Personally, I don't find it a big deal ... if one is in a situation where one can benefit from MLU then it's not hard to turn it on / off as required (the camera will remember the last location in the setup anyway).

LiveView is a great tool when needed ... a good example would be when I'm shooting a few inches above sharp rocks with seawater swirling around - there's physically just no way to get down to that kind of level (let alone do it comfortably) to look through the viewfinder. In terms of using it as a psudo-MLU, it's not quite as good as the "real thing" because the 1Ds3 doesn't have an electronic first curtain - so it has to close the shutter - reset the sensor - then open the shutter(s) again to take the shot - and that initial closing has been known to add a little motion blur (although only a little).

1/4 sec is pretty much the "sweet spot" for mirror-slap induced motion blur (up to about 1/30th)... if the shutter is open for much longer then although the motion still occurs, it's not actually moving for a great percentage of the time that the shutter is open. If the shutterspeed is much shorter then the higher shutterspeed tends to freeze the motion due to the shutter only being open for a fraction of the vibration cycle. Add to the mix that longer lenses make the effect worse - but some (Canon) long lenses have IS units specifically designed to take mirror slap into account (hence the reason Canon like to customise the IS unit performance to the characteristics of the lens rather than have a "Jack of all trades / Master of none" unit in the camera itself). The sturdiness of tripods also enters into it. You can also program the mirror to STAY up between shots with the 1Ds3, if you haven't found this feature.

Hope this helps

[timplog]

thanks once again Colin-truly learning something new here, all the time.
understand how Live View can be useful at times but still use my good ol' Angle Finder C for those low level shots-landscape too for that matter-on the tripod enjoy for some reason the act of peering down into the finder, shielding from stray light and using the magnifying feature for focus etc. showing my age
Appreciate your explanation of the mirror-slap vibration timing in relation to shutterspeed and am going to digest that further.
Thanks very much again and it's a pleasure to be able to participate with such knowledgeable and experienced photographers as yourself.
CHEERS !

[Colin Southern]

thanks once again Colin-truly learning something new here, all the time.
understand how Live View can be useful at times but still use my good ol' Angle Finder C for those low level shots-landscape too for that matter-on the tripod enjoy for some reason the act of peering down into the finder, shielding from stray light and using the magnifying feature for focus etc. showing my age
Appreciate your explanation of the mirror-slap vibration timing in relation to shutterspeed and am going to digest that further.
Thanks very much again and it's a pleasure to be able to participate with such knowledgeable and experienced photographers as yourself.
CHEERS !

Hi Tim,

Again, you're very welcome.

The Angle Finder C is great too, but it still means getting down on my knees on wet rocks -- and I'm just getting too old and sore for that these days. LV isn't always the solution - but a great tool when I do need it. It's also handy for focusing night shots where focusing - basically - consists of adjusting the focus until the spots of light are their smallest (the x10 magnification really helps).

If it helps to digest the shutterspeed range, just think of the extremes ...

- If you were shooting - say - a 10 minute exposure you could even walk in front of the lens momentarily, and it wouldn't have any visible effect on the image because it's effectively averaged out - same with the mirror slap vibrations.

- At the fast end - it effectively gets frozen as something like 1/1000th would freeze motion pretty well.

So 1/4 to around 1/30th - with a long lens and/or poor tripod - with no IS can induce a small motion blur (that correct sharpening would go a long way towards compensating for anyway). So all in all, it's not a big issue in my opinion.