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06/26/2004 03:42:32 AM · #1 |
I read that you're not supposed to overshoot your focal length. Like if you're at 150mm, your shutter should be 1/150s or faster.
Does this matter if you use a tripod? Is this only for getting a clear shot (hand held)? |
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06/26/2004 03:52:17 AM · #2 |
| That is a rule of thumb for hand-held. If you use a tripod you should be ok if you use a longer exposure. But you may want to use a shutter release cable or self timer. Locking the mirror can also prevent unwanted movement. |
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06/26/2004 08:19:29 AM · #3 |
A good rule of thumb is to always use the fastest shutter speed possible for your shot. Another good rule of thumb is to always use a tripod unless you can't for some specific reason. You can experience motion blur even with a tripod though. If you are shooting some landscape at dawn or dusk when the light is not extremely bright, you may still experience blur from a longer shutter speed at a small aperture. If there is a slight breeze in the air, it will create motion in the trees and other parts of the landscape. Your camera may not be moving, but the landscape will be :)
This is another good reason to understand hyperfocal distances. If you know that you can get maximum depth of field at larger aperture settings, you can get faster shutter speeds without sacrificing depth of field. F/22 may not be required for the deepest possible depth of field in any given photo. You may be able to shoot it at f/16 or f/11 instead, based on the scene. If this is the case, you can double or quadruple your shutter speed.
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06/26/2004 08:48:43 AM · #4 |
The rule of thumb doesn't seem to apply with digital cameras. With film I would say sure yeah the rule of thumb don't over shoot your focal length. Digital is trickier and I would say it depends more on your camera run some test shooting and see about how slow you can shoot it and your focal length before you really notice any movement in your pictures you take while hand holding it then you can better gauge. In film stay with focal shutter equivelants. The digital is actually more lenient. I work with a lot of night work and sometimes just depends on contions I can get a perfectly still looking images hand holding a digital at 1 second that I would never get with a film camera that wasn't on a tripod.
Of course everything that I have said about movement blur all depends on your subject of course if you are taking something moving then you are definitely going to need a faster shutter to stop the movement.
Message edited by author 2004-06-26 09:44:48. |
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06/26/2004 11:19:58 AM · #5 |
Rules of thumb can often be adjusted based on the skill and intentions of the photographer. I've never gotten a sharp image hand held at 1 second without bracing of some kind! But I don't doubt it can be done.
It's important to distinguish between motion blur and camera shake. Motion blur is unique to photography, and can often enhance the message of a photograph. But it has to appear intentional, generally by including something not blurred in the image. Waterfalls are a classic example, but even wind blown trees can have an eerie effect when there are solid trunks or rocks to compare it too. I can't think of any instances when camera shake would be desirable.
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