To recap on this topic - Olympus are the authors of the
recommendation to hand hold the camera and lens when using telephoto
and longer lenses. I have never heard of their recommendation being
specific to certain lenses, just the longer focal lengths in general.
Olympus says to use a tripod as something to take the weight of the
camera and lens while they are held and guided by your hands. One
hand cradles the lens, operating the aperture and focus rings, while
the other holds the camera and operates the shutter release.
They recommend against using a tripod as the sole support and using a
cable release - with long focal length lenses.
Although the technique might seem counter intuitive it makes sense.
The human body is mostly water, consider that it is somewhat like a
stiff jelly. As such, it has inherent vibration damping
characteristics - have you ever touched your hand to a vibrating bell
or piece of metal - instant damping of the noise and vibration.
So by holding the lens and camera body you will absorb and damp out
vibrations from the aperture stop down, mirror and shutter mechanisms
which occur when the shutter release is pressed.
I have tested this method using Provia 100, an OM-4Ti with a 300/4.5
+ 1.4x TC (420mm) and a Benbo tripod.
I took a shot with the tripod head loose while supporting the camera
and lens with my hands, a shot with the tripod supporting the
camera/lens but using the self timer and a shot with the tripod
supporting the weight of the lens/camera and using a cable release.
I think the shutter speed was 60 or 125. The shots taken using the
hands on approach and with the self timer were indistinguishable from
each other. The one taken using the cable release had noticeably
less resolution, though it wasn't entirely dreadful.
I did not use multiple shutter speed/aperture combinations with each
method as I was just finishing up a roll at the time.
I now either use the hands on approach when the indicated shutter
speed is over an eightth of a second - below that I use the self
timer where possible.
Giles
I was curious so I checked as well and came up with the same as you
did-nothing.
Intuitively one might well suppose that the longer the lens focal
length then the more sensitive that lens would be to shake, but the
thing is the entire point of a cable release is to minimize any
shake from your hand touching the camera in the first place. With
mirror lock-up you minimize camera shake further, though assuming a
sturdy tripod I've always wondered if this wasn't a point of
theological nicety when it all boiled down. I'll tell you this: I'd
hate to have to judge between two photographs taken with a 4T, one
using a cable release, the other the self-timer.
Tris
I noticed on the http://www.taiga.ca/~esif/om-sif.htm site that the
use of a cable release is not recommended for a few lenses. The
recommendation is to use your finger while holding the body steady.
Is this what all you zuikos practice? Or, do you use a cable
release? thanks.
-dean
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