How slow (shutter speed) can you go handheld?

[arith]

17mm and 1.3 secs with monopod.

[george013]

I begin to think that I'm the only one that shot handheld without any help.
George

[William W]

Not using Image Stabilization (VR, IS, OS, etc.)hand-holding and standing with no support -

1/500th second with a Stationary Subject using 400mm FL on a 5D Series camera:


“Moonset at Sunrise”

Two enlargements are here:





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Not using Image Stabilization (VR, IS, OS, etc.)hand-holding and standing with no support -

1/8th second with a very steady Subject using a 100mm Lens on a 5D Series Camera:


"Pensive"

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Not using Image Stabilization (VR, IS, OS, etc.)hand-holding, standing braced and using “mirror up” -

2 seconds with a 58mm FL on a 5D Series Camera:

“Hotel Berlin-Berlin”

(of the 11 shots of this scene that were pulled, this one and also three that were pulled at 1 second were acceptable. I attempted one shot at 4 seconds and it was a failure as were all the others at 2 and 1 second.)

The scene in daylight:


WW

[William W]

Two seconds at 50mm.

Nice work.

Bravo.

WW

[arith]

Thankyou Bill. It took a few attempts and I find it best to breath out and not thinking about it, press the button holding it down throughout the exposure.

It is always useful to be steady but mostly I practice for a HDR on a monopod or indoors where tripods and flashguns are not allowed.

The picture of the tripod is the only one I have completely without support apart from lens stabilisation.

[William W]

You are most welcome.

That is a very close Subject, with a 50mm lens.

I looked closely at the tripod strap there is no movement evident.

Quite obviously technically superior to my Night Shot "Hotel Berlin-Berlin" which is one of my longest exposures hand held with a 58mm lens.

I was exceptionally impressed. I have got close to 1 second exposure at that shooting distance but never longer than 1 second though.

. . . I meant to ask: did you use "Mirror Up".

WW

PS here are some of my idle dooddles with a macro hand held, 1/50; 1/30 and 1/25

[arith]

No I didn't even think of mirror up Bill. Just make myself like a statue until I hear the shutter closing. It's a bit harder with HDR and the most combined speed assuming 1/6 sec between 3 exposures is about a second, without stabilisation of course, but with a monopod and wedging myself against something solid.

[mrinmoyvk]

2 sec shot of tripod is amazing. You must be having rock steady hands...

[rpcrowe]

1/15 second @ f/2.8, ISO 640, 17-55mm f/2.8 IS 51mm, Canon 30D camera shooting over the heads of a crowd..

[FrankMi]

After seeing some of these images at slow shutter speeds I don't think I ever use the words 'hand held' in a post again. There is no way that I could hold a camera that steady. What this thread does convince me of, however, is that I need to get out the tripod more often if I really want to get images without camera shake, no matter how minor.

Thank you Ed for starting this thread. I needed a wakeup call!

[Inkanyezi]

Of course I always try to find some support when I expect a long shutter time. For the one second shot I showed here, I braced myself against a piano. The image below, ½ second, is taken leaning on the back rest of the chair that is turned ninety degrees. So "handheld" might imply different degrees of freedom for the "free hand" shot. To me, handheld implies that I do not use a bean bag, a tripod or that I brace the camera itself against something rigid, but that I hold it in my hands.

[AlwaysOnAuto]

I pulled this shot off at a wedding I recently attended. This was across the street from the reception.
2 sec ISO 400, braced underneath only on an open window frame edge and shooting thru a window.
I guess I'm glad there was no mirror slap to contend with.

[Panama Hat & Camera]

1/8 - f/5.9 - ISO 1600 - 85mm FFE - Canon S100 (IS on)


1/200 - f/6.5 - ISO 80 - 1200 mm FFE - Canon SX50 HS (IS on)

[krispix]

There's no real answer to this question. The rule of thumb is the reciprocal of the focal length. So, if you're shooting with a 50mm you should be able to hand-hold at 1/50 sec or thereabouts. Image stabilisation claims to add two stops to this. Therefore with that employed you should be able to manage about 1/15 sec
Of course, this is just a guide. A great deal more depends on how stable the platform is (you!). Kneeling is more stable than standing; sitting more than kneeling and lying down the most stable. Do you have anything to lean on to improve your stability? All these are factors.

However, 50 years ago I could hand-hold a 200mm lens at 1/60 sec with no difficulty. But, I was was annoyed to discover camera-shake in a shot I took last week with a 200mm at 1/125sec with Image Stabilisation. Clearly age has a lot to do with it too.

[george013]

There's no real answer to this question. The rule of thumb is the reciprocal of the focal length. So, if you're shooting with a 50mm you should be able to hand-hold at 1/50 sec or thereabouts. Image stabilisation claims to add two stops to this. Therefore with that employed you should be able to manage about 1/15 sec
Of course, this is just a guide. A great deal more depends on how stable the platform is (you!). Kneeling is more stable than standing; sitting more than kneeling and lying down the most stable. Do you have anything to lean on to improve your stability? All these are factors.

However, 50 years ago I could hand-hold a 200mm lens at 1/60 sec with no difficulty. But, I was was annoyed to discover camera-shake in a shot I took last week with a 200mm at 1/125sec with Image Stabilisation. Clearly age has a lot to do with it too.

If everything will be exact the same, including your movements, then you will need a shorter shutter speed when you use a camera like D800 than a camera like D700. It's pixeldensity dependent, viewed at 100%.

George

[Abitconfused]

Top of the Rock - Rockefeller Center NYC. Nikon D7100, Sigma 16-35mm f/1.8 at 1/15s but I could support my elbows on the ledge.



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