OK, I"ve been trying to resist, but this is the 2nd or 3rd time you have
mentioned how tripod + cable release is going to solve everything. Let's
make it clear! That is NOT the method for minimizing vibration
recommended by Olympus! I know you like to listen to all those folks you
hang out with who know everything about photography, but.........
Oly says: "Also, to prevent camera shake: When using a tripod, hold the
camera steady with both hands and press the shutter release with the
ball of finger, not with the cable release." Their reason for saying
that is especially true with a small, light, aluminum, tripod like the
Velbon 343. The rigid sections of aluminum have resonante frequencies at
which they vibrate, often rather vigorously. The mechanical 'crashes' of
the mirror, aperture mechanism, and shutter can very easily excite
sympathetic vibrations in the tripod, which can actually amplify the
vibrations of the camera itself. Of course, you can lock the mirror up,
but that doesn't solve the problem, as Gary's tests pretty conclusively
show.
So what's the solution? Use one of the most sophisticated types of
vibration damping systems, a heavy mechanism that makes solid contact
witth the camera and employs a very complex mixture of components of
differing viscosities to absorb vibrations over the entire range
produced by the camera/tripod system. In other words, hold the camera
rather firmly (no 'death grip' to induce trremors from overtaxed
msucles!), press down moderately on the tripod both to damp vibration in
it and to make your own grip steadier, and do what Oly says. Breath and
squeeze techniques from target shooting may help, too.
This is not rocket science, but ideas left over from big, heavy cameras
with leaf shutters, but that are wrong for the physics of SLRs on
relatively light tripods just won't seem to die. Maybe it's because it
looks and feels so cool to stand off with scientific detachment and
operate the camera differently than the hoi poloi (Yes, a lengthy
discussion of the meaning and proper use of this phrase is already in
the archives, so just let it go).
Moose
Albert wrote:
But I shot off tripod the last week, and man, tripod + cable = MUCH
easier macro shots!
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