Can't stop shaking

[MrKickalot]

I just got my Rebel Digital and like it a lot. I have a Rebel TI and have used it a lot without this problem?? It seems like digital is more sensitive to shaking. I am having trouble keeping the camera real still without a tripod..... it's really starting to get on my nerves!! Any suggestions on where I can go to get tips on the best ways to hold the camera and right way to stand to get the least shaking.... I was thinking about getting the vertical grip which would add weight to the camera, does anyone think that would help??

Thanks!!

[RichardtheSane]

I am sure that the grip would help a lot, it certainly did with my 10D.
What sort of shutter speeds are you using?

[MrKickalot]

It all depends.... a lot of the pictures I am taking in my yard are in the shade and I don't have a f2.8 lense yet so it gets as low as 1/15 to 1/60.

Did the grip help because you could hold on to it better or because of the weight?? I know of all the reviews I read some people said the Rebel is too light. I know the camera takes great pictures, I get really nice ones off the tripod but unless there is enough light to get the shutter speed above 1/100th, I have real trouble keeping myself from shaking!! I have never had this problem shooting guns but I now the best ways to hold it/stand.

Thanks a lot!!

[CyberDyneSystems]

1/15th to 1/60 is very slow. Hand held you can definately expect camera shake blur a lot of the time. Although it can be done hand held, at these speeds a tripod is really a must.

When you shoot whith 35mm what speed film are you buying? I bet you get 400?

When faced with such low shutter speeds try bumping up the digital ISO to 400 to get faster shutter speed.

[MrKickalot]

Thanks for the advice... I am shooting 400 with the 35MM and 100 with the digital. Will I loose much picture quality going to 400?? I could just try it but I know that most people here know much more about this than I do!! I love the sharpness and color saturation of 100, don't want to loose that much of that!!

Thanks again all!!

[defordphoto]

Hey. Get a grip buddy. :) Actually when I pick up a regular camera anymore these days it feels like a toy. The grip will help some, but it also offers the second battery too, so you get the best of both worlds.

And yes, crank up the ISO to get the speed up. Don't worry about noise, you can filter most of that out later. And it's better to get a grainy shot than no shot at all. Most of the award-winning shots you see are not technically perfect, but the content is what makes the picture, not the technical perfection of it.

And lastly, an IS lens will also offer another 2 stops in low light conditions.

[CyberDyneSystems]

ISO 400 looks fantastic on the 10D,. you start looking a bit grainy at ISO 800 but even that is really amazing. ISO 1600 is where the 10D starts to look like grainy film. Anything lower will look good in most cases.

[iwatkins]

Grip on the 10D has made a real difference to my low shutter speed shooting ability. I think it is mainly as the 10D now feels more secure in my hand so I don't grip hold of it so hard. I also find it easier with the grip to gently release the shutter rather than stab at it.

Even so, I use a tripod whenever I can/where location allows and use mirror lock up. I do this before resorting to bumping ISO up from 100. But there again, I don't do much action shots.

Cheers

Ian

[mrbobco]

1/60 IS too slow....don't forget the 1.6 x factor in the rebel digital...

it multiplies your focal length by that amount thereby increasing the old formula for minimum handheld speed...

(originally if your focal length was 200mm, you wouldn't shoot at any speed below 1/200 sec. under this new formula, you have to multiply by 1.6 (i.e. 1.6 X 200=320 or 1/320 sec)

bob

[defordphoto]

CDS: Yes, that is true. You can do some awesome stuff at 800 and even at 1600 isn't all that bad. 3200 is pretty funky though, but if you get the shot then it's worth it.

[MediaMagic]

MrKickalot wrote:
I am having trouble keeping the camera real still without a tripod..... it's really starting to get on my nerves!! Any suggestions on where I can go to get tips on the best ways to hold the camera and right way to stand to get the least shaking....


Hiya MrKickalot (maybe you should try NOT kicking during photography! lol)

Okay, here's a link to something that works for me for steadier shots with slower shutter speeds. As other have suggested, bump up the ISO, and then try this grip technique, it may work for you.

Go here:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=18857#106226

[where1]

The grip idea sounds like a good idea to me. I took out my old A1 film camera with the motor drive grip on it and a 200mm lense. Heavy, and I don't have the 12 AA batteries the motor drive takes. But I was able to hold it steadier than I can hold my D-300.

[scottbird]

I use the 10D, and to avoid shaking in windy situations, low shutter speeds etc I simply take a burst of pictures, and select the best one afterward. One of the great things about digital photography is that the cost of taking a dozen shots is the same as taking one.

I suspect this technique would also work on the 300, though unfortunately you are a little more limited in the number of pictures you can take in a burst.

[ChrisNardone]

Is it possible you aren't allowing for shutter lag?

[MrKickalot]

Shutter lag?? I know nothing of this(I've just graduated from the point and shoot relm), please explain...

Thanks

[SoopaTim]

MrKickalot wrote:
Shutter lag?? I know nothing of this(I've just graduated from the point and shoot relm), please explain...

Thanks

the lag in time from when you press the shutter button to when it goes "click" ;)

[ChrisNardone]

MrKickalot wrote:
Shutter lag?? I know nothing of this(I've just graduated from the point and shoot relm), please explain...

Thanks
With all digital cameras there is a delay from when you fully depress the shutter to when the shutter opens and the camera records the picture. See:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/E10D/E10DA7.HTM
Granted in most cases it's less than a quarter of a second, but it can be a factor. When you smoothly press the shutter to take a picture, hold the camera steady for a second or so, and make sure it's done before you move.
It's common for most people to take some getting used to this.