Longest handheld exposure

jordanstarr · Apr 10, 2013

StoneNYC said:
I call BS on two seconds lol, however you might just be counting fast, I can see ALMOST a second perhaps

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

The picture of the graff materials is AT LEAST 2 seconds. I initially wrote 3 because that's what was in my notes, but I figured that I probably counted fast, so wrote 2.

I don't take offence to you calling BS...I would do that same if I had not have been the photographer. But look at the depth of field. I was shooting at f11 in a tunnel with 400 film, no pushing so I wouldn't blow the highlights out in the background too much. The first one is 1 second for sure. I have a few shots from that same angle (with the same settings) and have everyone blurry because of movement. This one just happened that the two guys in the back are spraying left to right and the frontman is standing somewhat still and looking at his piece. This is why it doesn't look like there's motion -their bodies weren't moving and their arms were doing more slight and fine, back and forth detail, rather than long lines.

I didn't post this as a "hey, look how long my exposure is" contest. I'm not that vain, nor that confident in my photo skills to try and strut around this forum like I'm king S&^# of photography. I'm simply showing what is my personal best shots with a long exposure to show what's possible.

removed account4 · Apr 10, 2013

StoneNYC said:
Maybe you drink so much coffee your head shakes and you think those images are normal and clear LOL

~Stone

4 shots of espresso is about the same caffeine as a cup of tea ..

semi-ambivalent · Apr 11, 2013

MaximusM3 said:
...and no double espresso

There's always a catch, isn't there.

s-a

Poisson Du Jour · Apr 11, 2013

With Pentax 67 and 45mm f4 (std prime), 1/30 with mirror lock up. But it is quite a whack all the same. 99.8% of my 67 work is tripod/cable release/MLU.
With 35mm, 1/15 sec sec easily (24mm, which is my standard prime), but again tripod/release/MLU is much preferred, unless using Program which biases toward higher Tv at the expense of shallow Av.

When the quality of the image quality counts, I'm not one to take risks and not troubled by tripod use!

Dennis S · Apr 11, 2013

1/250 but I was drunk at the time ;o)

Peltigera · Apr 11, 2013

NedL said:
snip

I've wondered about this topic in another way... I have some old folding MF cameras. They have top shutter speeds of 1/100 and 1/200. One has a 105mm lens with speeds of 1/25 and 1/50 and it does not have a tripod socket. Obviously it was made to use those shutter speeds even though by the "1 over focal length" rule these would be too long for handheld use.
snip

Old folding MF cameras (particularly from the cheaper end) were expected to produce contact prints in the main. Our family photos from the 1950s are all 6x9 prints - ie contacts - at that size, camera shake is not so visible.

baachitraka · Apr 11, 2013

1/8th of a second with Rolleicord.

Steve Smith · Apr 11, 2013

cliveh said:
Was that with the mirror locked up?

For 1/8 second hand held, what's the point?

Actually, the speed is irrelevant.

Steve.

Jim Taylor · Apr 11, 2013

Oh dear!

I'm not very good at slow speeds - 1/30 is about the best I can do on 35mm camera and 1/125(ish) on MF - I've got very shaky hands, and I'm only a youngster (mid 30's!) what's that all about?!?!

benjiboy · Apr 11, 2013

I don't usually attempt to hand hold at shutter speeds at less than than 1/15 second, and then only rarely, usually 1/30 second is the slowest I attempt..

NedL · Apr 11, 2013

Peltigera said:
Old folding MF cameras (particularly from the cheaper end) were expected to produce contact prints in the main. Our family photos from the 1950s are all 6x9 prints - ie contacts - at that size, camera shake is not so visible.

Aha! It had to make sense somehow.

StoneNYC · Apr 11, 2013

On my Mamiya 7 I'll go as low as 1/8th but on an SLR I won't go lower than 1/30 as the mirror slap gets me regardless of the steady hand.

On my Mamiya RZ67 I'll go to 1/60, I've gotten very good at that and people are shocked I can do it, but if you take your time and breathe properly, you can do it.,

~Stone

Mamiya: 7 II, RZ67 Pro II / Canon: 1V, AE-1, 5DmkII / Kodak: No 1 Pocket Autographic, No 1A Pocket Autographic | Sent w/ iPhone using Tapatalk

Jeff Kubach · Apr 11, 2013

1/30 is the slowest I go.

Jeff

Thomas Bertilsson · Apr 11, 2013

cliveh said:
Was that with the mirror locked up?

Nope.

I should add that for me it's near impossible to get a steady exposure for anything longer than 1/30s with a 50mm lens, with 1/60s definitely preferred. It seems physically impossible for me, and I've been trying for a few years now.

case-ie · Apr 11, 2013

NedL said:
I don't know a good answer, but I have one example that was 1/4th second with the 35mm camera itself braced on a rail but tilted up with my left hand under the lens to frame the image.. it is perfectly fine. Another from the same day was 1/8th second handheld at my eye... I was standing and made it as well as I am possibly able ( shutter released as I breathed out... as still as can be ) and I made an 8x10 print that is definitely soft. It still looks nice, but there is softness. I'm glad I made the photo and I like it.

I've wondered about this topic in another way... I have some old folding MF cameras. They have top shutter speeds of 1/100 and 1/200. One has a 105mm lens with speeds of 1/25 and 1/50 and it does not have a tripod socket. Obviously it was made to use those shutter speeds even though by the "1 over focal length" rule these would be too long for handheld use. When I use 100 speed film, it can be a problem keeping the shutter speed as fast as 1/100 if there's shade or it's not a bright day. Probably this has all been covered on APUG a thousand times, but I wonder if that "1 over focal length" rule of thumb is really only for 35mm cameras... It seems odd that the camera would be made without a tripod socket and have only the fastest speed usable with the films that would have been available at that time. Someday I'll try some 1/25 and see how it goes....

These old Cameras were probably placed on tables or other accessoires. Also outside.
for shutter time, I do a 1/30 with my old pentax me super with 50 mm lens, without precautions and get lucky in half of the shots.

Kees.

I just read about the contact prints, indeed that makes sense.

NedL · Apr 11, 2013

case-ie said:
These old Cameras were probably placed on tables or other accessoires. Also outside.
for shutter time, I do a 1/30 with my old pentax me super with 50 mm lens, without precautions and get lucky in half of the shots.

Kees.

I just read about the contact prints, indeed that makes sense.

I've pretty much decided that the one without a tripod socket is for Tri-X and the one with a socket is for Acros and PanF. I think they are a lot of fun! Not fancy but there is a kind of simple pleasure in using them. The one without the socket has a little lever built into the door so that you can trigger the shutter with your right hand while looking through the viewfinder, clearly for handheld use.. but it also has the little tab that lets you rest it on a desk in "portrait" orientation. I think you're right about tables, and that contact prints is right too. Makes sense.

polka · Apr 21, 2013

This is an (around) ten seconds shot purely hand-held (without support), but the camera I used means almost cheating : a Minox 35EL.

Because :
the Minotar lens is relatively short focal (35mm)
the shutter release is very quiet
the viewing is permanent (rangefinder style)
the shutter is electronic : you only have to open it, stay still and wait until it automatically closes.

This image shows an interesting Xmas decoration in a french gothic church: suspended Xmas trees !

Paul

polka · Apr 21, 2013

and these are two other handeld shots made with the same camera but maybe a little shorter (around 4 seconds).

The first image shows a statue in a sicilian church equipped with an electric neon glory. The second, my daughter aged 20.

I could also show other pictures made with a Yashica Electro 35, even longer exposures but not strictly hand-held (with the help of some opportunistic support). Anyway, rangefinders with electronic shutters are very convenient for such long exposure times.

Paul

Longest handheld exposure

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