Handheld tele-shooting tips please

[LittleG.]

Can anybody give me some tips using longer focal lengths? I'm a semi-pro [mostly fine art and macro] so I am not completely inexperienced, but I have never managed to master shooting with longer lenses. They ALWAYS turn out unfocussed. :oops:

I have tried the standard Canon zooms and got nowhere. I then traded in all my zooms for faster prime lenses. STILL I can't seem to get anywhere. :roll:

What I want to know is, what sort of speed should I be using in order to get a sharp handheld picture? My current tele-lens is only 200mm but is an f2.8 L so I though it would manage. I'm still struggling though, unless I use my tripod and cable release [lovely sharpness then].

The thing is I can't get my head around the fact that sport and wildlife photographers must [i]always use a tripod. How is that practical when tracking a bird in flight or a racing car? So how do they get focussed pics handheld?

ps cam is D60

[timmyquest]

I never use a tripod or a monopod.

I tend to think like a shooter, you have to pay attention to your stance, your breathing heart rate etc.

Keep the camera and your arms in close to your body. You gotta be relaxed. Being rigid will only cause you to move a lot. Shot with a purpose, dont jerk the shutter button down. Shoot while exhaling...practice.

[Andy_T]

You certainly know the 'rule of thumb' that you should shoot at least 1/focal length in mm (35 mm equivalent).

So use from 1/125 (70 mm) to 1/500 sec (200 mm) minimum speed, to be on the safe side.

However, this is an average. You might manage better or not-so-good.

Best regards,
Andy

PS: There's also something like tripod heads that allow movement :lol:

[samdring]

I never use a tripod or a monopod.

I tend to think like a shooter, you have to pay attention to your stance, your breathing heart rate etc.

Keep the camera and your arms in close to your body. You gotta be relaxed. Being rigid will only cause you to move a lot. Shot with a purpose, dont jerk the shutter button down. Shoot while exhaling...practice.

Agree with everything TQ says plus, for me, add continuous and check the second shot. I have some great shots @ 1/30th with 100-400

[ssim]

I have recently started to use a tripod or monopod more and it has increased the quality substantially. Of course one has to gauge each circumstance on its own merit. Tracking a bird in flight is pretty much impossible on a tripod.

For near stationary subjects I always try work with a tripod and in AV mode and keep the DOF highest. Depending on the lens that I am using I don't like to hand hold below 1/125 sec. If I am handholding I will switch between TV and AV mode always being aware of the shutter speed. If I am using a tripod and an IS lens I almost always turn the IS off. Don't be afraid to increase your ISO to keep your shutter speed and DOF high.

I've tried to discipline myself into using the tripod or monopod and I think the images are getting better. There are always going to be circumstances where this isn't possible and you make the best of it and hope that you get some keepers.

BTW, I had a look at your website and you do have some nice stuff there.

[LittleG.]

Thanks guys. I appreciate the feedback.

BTW, I had a look at your website and you do have some nice stuff there.
Cheers ssim. Alas, all pics there were shot under 100mm :roll: Love your wildlife folder, especially the wolves! Jeez you have billions of pics! :wink:

[JZaun]

LittleG.

Yep I have been there done that. Flowers hold still so speed is not much of an issur. When shooting anything else, birds especially, I shoot the fastest speed I can get!! Even when sitting still birds and other animals just seem to quiver :) I also use the center focus point so the outside ones will not focus on something other than the intended target. Lean against a tree, car, wall, sit on the ground, use anything you can to be more stable, Monopod, tripod etc.. Last but not least is shoot a lot!!! I probably only keep 5-10 out of a 100 shots. I recently went after Goldfinch ,I took 180 pics and trashed them all :lol:

Good Luck

JZ

[abel]

i often use a mono pod on my 10d/70-200 f2.8 setup when i am out at the zoo or something. where i know i will be luggin the cam around and i use the mono pod to sorta give me a break from supporting all of its weight etc...

i see guys there all of the time using tripods and cable releases... guess they wanna make surethey dont get any shake... :)

[Cadwell]

The thing is I can't get my head around the fact that sport and wildlife photographers must always use a tripod. How is that practical when tracking a bird in flight or a racing car? So how do they get focussed pics handheld?



The only person who uses a tripod round a racing circuit is the one who's not going to get any decent shots. Monopods help (although they are a bit restrictive) as does IS, but the only real solution is to get the shutter speeds up.

[Scottes]

The thing is I can't get my head around the fact that sport and wildlife photographers must always use a tripod. How is that practical when tracking a bird in flight or a racing car? So how do they get focussed pics handheld?

It depends on the lens and 'pod. If using a big lens, like a Canon 500 f/4, you *need* to use a gimbal head like a Wimberley. It keeps the lens very mobile, and balanced. But it's still not easy to track a bird in flight if they're close or mobile.

But for any smaller lens it's high shutter and handheld. IS helps if you can't keep a high shutter, but then you've got to get more practice panning.

[BearSummer]

Hi LittleG,

Just had a thought. Are your pictures out of focus or are they motion blurred. The two can look similar but are caused by very different things

If the object just looks soft then they are probably out of focus
If the object has streaks and they are all going in the same direction then its motion blur

If its out of focus it could be that the D60 isn't quick enough to latch onto and focus your lens for the object you are tracking. set your shutter speed to 1/500 or 1/1000, push your ISO up as high as it will go, let the aperture look after itself, set focus to center spot, now try your birds. The pictures will be horribley grainy but if they are still soft then its a focus issue. At 1/1000 and a large dof from the aperture then something should be sharp.

If the streaks are all in the same direction then it is a motion blur issue, it could be that the object is moving to fast and moved whilst the shutter was open or the camera was moving whilst the shutter was open. If the entire object is streaked then its a camera panning issue. This requires you to practice your panning and to try not to slip to far below the 1/lens length. If only part of the object is streaked then its probably that the object (birds wing) was moving to fast and became blurred, try increasing your shutter speed.

Best regards

BearSummer

[LittleG.]

Hi LittleG,
Just had a thought. Are your pictures out of focus or are they motion blurred. The two can look similar but are caused by very different things
Thanks BearSummer. I do use centre spot for focus. I think it's not motion blur as nothing is sharp. It is generally soft but also looks like cam shake, which I guess a longer lens is more vulnerable to. Also, when I use tripod/cable release on still objects, the pics are focussed nicely. Could be awful panning skills of course. I will up my shutter speed and ISO, and practise a bit more on the panning.

Thanks to all who posted advice. I will try all suggestions. Much appreciated.

[DocFrankenstein]

I never use a tripod or a monopod.

I tend to think like a shooter, you have to pay attention to your stance, your breathing heart rate etc.

Keep the camera and your arms in close to your body. You gotta be relaxed. Being rigid will only cause you to move a lot. Shot with a purpose, dont jerk the shutter button down. Shoot while exhaling...practice.
Same thing here. I have some nice pics at 1/40th of a sec at 320 mm.

Basically, just like shooting a rifle. Accept the fact that you're moving and breathing, that you have a heartrate and all of them will give you blur. Given that, concentrate on pressing the shutter with the tip of the finger, this way you won't shake your camera as much. Press it slowly, you shouldn't know when the shutter is gonna fire, it should be a surprise.

Your "stance" should be right too. Left leg extended and the weight of the body on the right leg. Left hand's elbow is pushed into the body....

You get the idea. But it usually works with stationary subjects.

[KartGirlsMom]

The only person who uses a tripod round a racing circuit is the one who's not going to get any decent shots. Monopods help (although they are a bit restrictive) as does IS, but the only real solution is to get the shutter speeds up.

I agree--I tried using a monopod once and just hated it. I'm new to this, but I'm finding that shutter speed is what makes the biggest difference in the crispness of my shots.

[Scottes]

KartGirlsMom, I hated the monopod the first few times I used it. But give it a try some more. Unless you need quick lens movements it's quite nice. And even if I don't have time to move the lens I can just pick it up off the ground - the weight of the monopod hanging down can help a little with steadying.

As long as you don't have to do it much! It gets heavy within seconds.

[CyberDyneSystems]

A common source of trouble is the "trigger" pull.


When shooting handguns.. 95% of the troubles one will have hitting a target have to do with how we squeeze the trigger. I find the same issues occur on a camera.. though with different effect.

There may be a chance that you are jerking the shutter release.
You want a gradually building pressure as opposed to a quick jab.

Try practicing your shutter pull with the camera off with your telephoto lens attached at home.. look through the viewfinder to see if you can notice any movement.

Also.. to eliminate subject movement as the trouble.. try shooting telephoto at some innanimate objects etc... see how that goes.

Lastly.. tripods and monopods are indespensible when you can use them. Obviously there are times when you can't.. but it certainly never hurts.

I don't shoot fast motorsports myself.. but I do "birds" most fo the time.. and I use both tripods with the appropriate head and monopods succesfully to track birds in flight all the time. I get shots like this with a tripod and no IS regularly;

http://cyberdyneosprey.fotopic.net/p4506127.html

...a monopod was used for this one;

http://cyberdynesystemsimaging.fotopic.net/p6586577.html


.. so don't write the tripods off without giving it a chance! :)

[Mark Kemp]

One point about panning that I don't think anyone has mentioned - - keep moving after the shutter press.

Its a bit like golf or tennis, its all in the follow through. If you stop dead when you press the shutter you will guarantee that everything is blurred.