Lesson Learned

[Dr Bob]

I went on vacation in September to Yellowstone National Park. I had a great time and shot over 1000 pictures with some being better than others. However, for some of the shot, once I got them on my computer, they were not as sharp as expected. I was a bit disappointed. The lesson I learned from this is use a tripod!!! I had one with me and did use it for some shots, but I should have used it more often.

I just thought I would share my difficult learning experience.

Dr Bob

[Trina]

I'm so sorry to hear that Dr. Bob... I have learned that lesson as well... a few times actually....but when I don't have the tripod with me I am more mindful to make sure my SS and Aperture are where they should be for a nice crisp photo:>

[Sega62]

or shoot at higher ISO, was your lens VR or IS????

[rpcrowe]

I use a tripod whenever possible, a monopod often and I ensure that my shutter speed is up there fast enough for hand holding.

An advantage of a tripod, especially when using a kit lens, is that you can often shoot at a slower shutter speed and therefore use a smaller f/stop (like the "sweet spot" about 2 stops smaller than maximum) as well as use a lower ISO around 100-200...

[verysimplejason]

I guess the safe shutter speed is about 1/<focal length> without IS, non-moving. With IS, you can go 2 or 3 stops below. For moving objects, it will greatly depend on how fast they are. Raise your ISO or open up your aperture if you can't get the correct shutter speed. For still objects a tripod will always help especially when using slow shutter.

I think one other thing to consider is your AF. Fast lenses (those with F2.8 and higher aperture) will require consistent and accurate AF. Test and adjust (AFMA) if needed before going to vacation. Some lenses needs AFMA in order to produce correctly focused and sharp results.

One more thing, for landscapes, apertures between F8 - F13 will produce optimum results.

[jcuknz]

I had a couple of 'enlightening' experiences in my workshop in the past couple of days, this is a photo blog so will not detail them, but both reminded me of some basic truths and one wasted quite a few hours of work which has to be redone

[Shadowman]

The real lesson from this experience should be the source of the unsharp images. Was it the result of camera shake, slow shutter speed, or inaccurate focusing system. I rarely take a tripod with me (I'll learn my lesson one day), just added a monopod for instances such as described by the OP, and if I know my shot requires longer exposure time than I can safely handhold I will look for a support for the camera. Daylight landscapes shouldn't be that difficult to achieve, low light settings naturally require more preparation.

Bob,

Could you provide more details or examples of the type of shots you had difficulty with?

[AB26]

A simple rule I made for myself: When not using flash - use a tripod. When not using a tripod - use flash.

[Tringa]

As John has said an example or two would be useful.

When hand holding, with no additional support, having a shutter speed that is a minimum of 1/the focal length of the lens is not a bad place to start.

I have also heard this 'guide' expressed as 1/(focal length of the lens x crop factor) which can mean using an even higher shutter speeds.

Dave

[tbob]

Well. I am certainly shocked. You use a tripod? You should read this article by an expert. I chucked mine out after reading it. My pictures might be blurry and lack sharpness, however that is my fault obviously. Not because I don't use a tripod

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digi...-my-tripod.htm

This is a classic example of the definition of a self defined expert. Ex= has been and spert= drip under pressure

[DanK]

Bob,

I agree with John--some examples would be helpful, along with information about focal length, aperture, and shutter speed.

I disagree with Jason. I doubt AFMA is relevant. AFMA often makes no practical difference in landscape shooting, particularly if you follow Jason's very good advice to stop down to f/8 (which is generally what is done with landscapes, to get a reasonable depth of field). To give you a concrete example with arbitrary numbers: I'll assume that you are shooting with a Canon crop sensor (1.6 crop) camera at 40mm, and you try to focus 100 ft out. Your depth of field will be from 25 feet to infinity. If your lens badly needs AFMA and it actually focuses at 120 feet instead, your depth of field will be from 26 feet to infinity. You will notice no difference unless there are things 25 feet from you that need to be in focus. AFMA is important if (1) you have a lens that really needs it (most don't), and (2) you are shooting at a very wide aperture. I tested all of the lenses I used with my Canon 50D. Only one tested as needing any appreciable adjustment, and as is often the case with zoom lenses, the error was inconsistent across focal lengths. I think I dialed in a small adjustment, but the fact that I don't remember tells you something about the impact. On the other hand, if you have a lens-body combination that is really far off, you will see the difference in certain types of shots, typically those at wide apertures and with critical focus, e.g., shallow depth of field portraits. To be precise: the issue is the aperture at which you shoot, not the maximum aperture of the lens.

When I hike, I often carry a carbon fiber tripod with a small and therefore lightweight ball head. Because the ball head is small, it is not terribly good, but it is adequate, and I try to minimize how much I strap to my back. You don't need to buy a top of the line tripod, but you do need to buy one that is high quality. There are lots of good carbon fiber tripods, varying in features, for $200+. I use a photo backpack that has a vertical strapping arrangement for the tripod. I also carry a cheap, wired remote release that I bought from a Hong Kong vendor on eBay for about $15. I also have a good monopod, but if you add a tilt head, it does not save all that much weight compared to a tripod.

However, I'd go back to John's request for examples. It may be that there are problems you can fix without more gear.

[chauncey]

Trevor...that link is six years old. Well before most lenses had tripod notification built in to them.

[Glenn NK]

Well. I am certainly shocked. You use a tripod? You should read this article by an expert. I chucked mine out after reading it. My pictures might be blurry and lack sharpness, however that is my fault obviously. Not because I don't use a tripod

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digi...-my-tripod.htm

This is a classic example of the definition of a self defined expert. Ex= has been and spert= drip under pressure

Oh yes, good old KR: "the jack of no trades and the master of none."

[Mike Buckley]

A simple rule I made for myself: When not using flash - use a tripod. When not using a tripod - use flash.

There are so many situations when neither will work. You're fortunate that your styles of photography allow either a flash or a tripod.

[Steve S]

Adjust your camera for how you are shooting, but most importantly..................REVIEW YOUR SHOTS ON THE CAMERA SCREEN(CHECK THE HISTOGRAMS), AND ZOOM IN TO SEE IF THE FOCUS IS WHAT YOU WANT. If you didn't get the shot, keep shooting until you do.

(I shoot wildlife photos, at extremely slow shutter speeds (sometimes), and can get the shots I'm after, if I take enough of them.) It doesn't matter if you shoot freehand, tripod, monopod........................bottom line , confirm you got the shot. Make adjustments if you didn't.


A tripod is always good to use, but a bad focus can still happen..................The lesson learned should be CONFIRM your shots, before you quit shooting. Make a habit of looking on screen , checking your histograms, and zooming in to check focus. After you get home, it's too late.

[Downrigger]

Contemporary technology makes getting sharp images easier, but not certain, and there are a lot of worthy remedies for errors in these posts. Using a tripod eliminates shake, but maybe more importantly slows one down, usefully, to be more present with what one is really trying to accomplish. The key here for me – whether I use a tripod or not – is to be consciously focused only on getting images I think are going to be good. I get into the most trouble when I am on a mixed mission (a destination focused hike, being part of a party of others with goals and demands that conflict with taking the time to be careful and thoughtful) and so wind up in “spray and pray” mode. I do best at sharpness, exposure, composition, depth of field when I am by myself, with plenty of time, and trying only to make good pictures, nothing else. I am early on the learning curve, and learn the most when my disappointments come from conceptual errors, not being hurried or careless.

[ajohnw]

I wonder if the problem is the latest greatest kits from the camera manufacturer. Nikon zoom to 200mm and Canon 300mm on APS and no image stability on either. Nikon have dropped it on the short zoom too which isn't so bad but.........:


rolleyes: seems one doesn't need either a mono or tripod. Just whack up the iso.

Pity some shots haven't been posted to see what the problem actually was.


John
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[Dr Bob]

Thanks for the support and helpful comments.

If I get some time over the holiday I will post an example, but it was wildlife shots (a moose) that were out of focus and I was in a hurry and some turned out fine but others were not. I don't think it was setting, more the photographer. The lens was IS, but now that I think about it, I may have turned it off as I was using a tripod on previous shots at another location. As I said, most likely the photographer operator error.

Dr Bob

[Colin Southern]

Well. I am certainly shocked. You use a tripod? You should read this article by an expert. I chucked mine out after reading it. My pictures might be blurry and lack sharpness, however that is my fault obviously. Not because I don't use a tripod

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/digi...-my-tripod.htm

This is a classic example of the definition of a self defined expert. Ex= has been and spert= drip under pressure

I'd like to have seen Ken make this 40 minute shot without a tripod ...

[Mike Buckley]

Though I am a proponent of NOT using a tripod for much of my photography including landscape for several reasons that I won't bore anyone with, the posted article by Ken Rockwell has some of the most preposterous statements I have ever seen published at a web site that specializes in photography.