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06/17/2006 05:42:46 PM · #1 |
| I rented the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS for this weekend. I went to the zoo yesterday and shot about 500 shots. But only about 50 came out good. How slow shutter speeds can I shoot with IS on at full telephoto in bright sunlight? I think my shutter speeds were just too slow. I took some shots today at a local lake and turned up the shutter speeds to about 1/320 to 1/400 sec. I still got some soft shots of stationary objects at full telephoto when I swore they were in focus. I'm going to the wild animal park tomorrow and already paid to do a Cheetah Run safari where they have the cheetah chase a mechanical rabbit. I'm very excited about this opportunity but I don't want to not be able to get any good shots because I'm using the lens wrong. Any advice? Thanks. |
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06/17/2006 05:44:58 PM · #2 |
With a 1.6x crop factor, you essentially have a 600mm lens. Lowest framerate I'd use is then 1/600th, probably more like 800 or 1000 to keep things tack sharp.
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06/17/2006 05:49:24 PM · #3 |
Originally posted by wavelength:
With a 1.6x crop factor, you essentially have a 600mm lens. Lowest framerate I'd use is then 1/600th, probably more like 800 or 1000 to keep things tack sharp. |
Even with IS on? |
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06/17/2006 05:49:32 PM · #4 |
Are you sure you have th IS turned on? Does this lens have more than one mode? one is for panning shots, the other general use.
at 400mm on a 1.6 crop keep the shutter 1/1000 or more and you should be OK. IS is good for three stops they say, 1/125 in theory, maybe 1/80. ON my 70-300 lens i had to keep it a 1/800 to get consistenly sharp images (no IS). Depends on how steady you are, and how you focus. This can be an issue.
What ap are you shooting? Wide open is likely softer than F8.
What picture mode? RAW or jpg? Some are softer than others and RAW needs more PP than jpgs, especially sharpening.
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06/17/2006 05:53:02 PM · #5 |
| At the zoo I was using aperature priority mode and kept it wide open all day. Today I switched to shutter priority so that I keep my shutter speeds up. I didn't realize that I needed such high shutter speeds at full telephoto. I'm shooting in jpeg. |
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06/17/2006 05:55:35 PM · #6 |
Originally posted by A4wheelin:
At the zoo I was using aperature priority mode and kept it wide open all day. Today I switched to shutter priority so that I keep my shutter speeds up. I didn't realize that I needed such high shutter speeds at full telephoto. I'm shooting in jpeg. |
can't wait to see those "good" ones ;)
Message edited by author 2006-06-17 17:55:41.
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06/17/2006 05:56:11 PM · #7 |
Check the IS is turned on.
I find that with care on IS you can slow down to 8x of the reciprocal rule (as Canon claims) but generally 4x or less is best.
Note if you are moving the camera substantially, this does not apply.
So at 400 mm and 1.6 crop you should be able to shoot at 8/600 ~ 1/80th but I'd stay at 1/100th - 1/200th unless you can adequately brace the camera.
AP mode is risky - shoot Shutter priority and try to set up your Cheetah shots (don't rapidly move your camera). Also, such a slow lens will have a challenge with focus outside of bright light.
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06/17/2006 05:58:22 PM · #8 |
jpg should be pretty sharp, especially if shooting standard mode. faithful has better color accuracy but is less saturated, less contrasty and less sharp than standard mode (all fixable in PP or in the camera via settings)
Yeah, I was a bit dissapointed at having to keep the shutter that high too. a tripod helps, at the zoo anyway. I took one this year when i went and it helped. My friend has the monster canon 500 f4 and uses a monopod or tripod 100% of the time.
keep your elbows locked into your sides helps, watch your breathing, lock your hips/lower back. I can handhold my 70-200 2.8 at 200 as slow as 1/60 at times. not sure why - i think cause it's heavy i just naturally tuck and lock myself to support the weight - the 70-300 was light so i didn't.
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06/17/2006 06:02:08 PM · #9 |
Originally posted by A4wheelin:
Originally posted by wavelength:
With a 1.6x crop factor, you essentially have a 600mm lens. Lowest framerate I'd use is then 1/600th, probably more like 800 or 1000 to keep things tack sharp. |
Even with IS on? |
Most people quote shutter to focal length as a minimum. What they forget to emphasize is it's the minimum, almost an absolute that you will have a slight blur if you don't follow the rule. Many pro's will tell you to keep it closer to double the focal length to keep things sharp, but something like 1.5 times the focal length will be good. IS provides some latitude, but only about 3 stops max, and that depends on how much your hands shake or wind, or whatnot.
As long as it's sunny or even slightly overcast, 1/1000 shouldn't be a problem. Under the shade, you might need the tripod, even with IS on.
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06/17/2006 06:04:40 PM · #10 |
With IS mode 1 and if you're generally quite steady 1/320 can be sufficient at 400mm. Mode 1 is the general purpose IS on that lens, counters shake in both directions. Mode 2 is for panning, counters shake in one direction (vertical).
Without IS 1/640 would be the slowest based on rule of thumb.
1 over the focal length is the rule of thumb and you take into account the crop factor. |
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06/17/2006 07:05:54 PM · #11 |
IS is helpful for getting shots you wouldn't be able to in low light situations. If you have "bright sunlight" you don't need IS. Turn it off. Set your camera to Shutter priority and 1/1000 or 1/800, at least 1/640, and shoot away. Adjust ISO if necessary to get the apropriate apertures for the depth of field you want. If the histograms tell you that you are underexposing at max aperture and 400 to 800 ISO, then consider turning IS on. Consider using a monopod if that lens is a lot heavier than what you are used to. If you must shoot a lot with IS turned on make sure you take an extra battery with you.
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06/17/2006 07:20:42 PM · #12 |
I seem to remember reading somewhere reading recently that the 1/focal length rule was based on film shooting and printing pictures at 8x10. If you're going to be basing your sharpness off of 100% screen viewing optimally you might want to keep your shutterspeed around 2xfocal length.
Also, leaving IS on while shooting even at higher shutterspeeds can only make you more steady, although its true that it drains your battery much more quickly.
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06/17/2006 07:38:01 PM · #13 |
 about 1/10 of the total frame, 1/250 sec, ISO 200, 400mm edit has added gaussian blur
 crop of  1/250 sec, ISO 200, 400mm
 full frame 1/80 sec, ISO 400, 400mm
The more I use the lens, the better I get using it. I ALWAYS use it with a monopod. It aids in stabilization at slow speeds. I get a few blurry images but that is either the subject moving or OE. I gets lots of crappy pics, but that is also OE. :) As you can see from my times, IS really makes a difference. Only thing I can think is that you got a bad lens. It happens.
The 100-400L is my favorite lens and I just wish I had more occasion to use it. |
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06/17/2006 09:30:18 PM · #14 |
The OP asked about shooting running cheetahs in bright sunlight. Using IS in that situation can not improve your shoot. It may actually hurt the clearity because it will take the auto-focus slighly longer to lock onto the subject. Fast shutter speed is what's called for in those conditions, not IS. He may want to move to an even faster shutter speed than the rule of thumb calls for in order to use a wider aperture to achieve shallower DoF and get a nicely blurred background. And you would never use IS when shooting from a tripod. With Canon's early versions of IS, you were instructed to turn IS off when using a tripod. The latest version is equiped with a built-in sensor than automatically turns off IS when on a tripod. The panning mode assumes straight line panning in either a vertical or horzontal direction, something that is difficult for a human to do handheld, but very possible when using a tripod. There is a lot of misinformation about IS floating around on the internet. It is a technology that works, and works well, in all it's configurations (in the lens or body of a DSLR, or in the lens system of a P&S) but it isn't needed in situations where you would be using shutter speeds fast enough to eliminate the effects of camera shake.
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