lowest shutter speed for hand held success

[Old-N-Feeble]

When I was a young kid in great health with steady hands... 1/15th was a piece of cake... 1/4th was usually always do-able... and could often do well enough at 1/2 second. But that was a long time ago.

 

[Alan Gales]

You guys are something! I've never even tried hand holding below 1/30 of a second.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

These days I wouldn't handhold slower than 1/60th.

 

[Alan Gales]

These days I wouldn't handhold slower than 1/60th.

To be honest, I have trouble with 1/60th today. A lot depends upon how my back is doing that day.

 

[Old-N-Feeble]

^^^ Getting old is a beach, ain't it?

 

[Alan Gales]

Yep.

A beach of sharp sea shells and I've lost my flip flops.

 

[Sirius Glass]

Besides the fact that I like to look of ISO 400 films, they allow me to not worry about hand holding at low speeds.

 

[markbarendt]

A mechanical speed is safer for low shutter speeds because you can anticipate the time. In automatic the camera may select the correct time for exposure but if you don't know how long to hold still, when the shutter is open and closed, you may blur the shot.
Also, even on tripod you can blur a shot with careless firing. Even though shake may be a fraction of total exposure time ... the highlights will blur immediately.

I assume you mean Manual speed setting rather than mechanical.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Do any of you have tips for acquiring tack sharp images at lower shutter speeds (no image stabilization)? The only thing that I can think of is tying a taut string to the tripod socket, extending that string to the ground, then stepping on it to cause it to 'anchor' the camera as you pull upward. Other suggestions? - David Lyga

apart from a trip or monopod ,that's really a good idea but I would make it a loop that you can step into.

 

[Alan Gales]

apart from a trip or monopod ,that's really a good idea but I would make it a loop that you can step into.

That would work fine as long as you don't mind holding the camera at the same height every time.

 

[Alan Gales]

I've shot a lot of fast pitch softball hand held. I would hold my elbows into my body. I'd also position my body against a chain link fence. I was the assistant manager so I could get away with shooting from the hole in the dugout fence.

 

[TheRook]

Press the camera against a wall, tree, rock, signpost, the ground, or whatever is available and unmovable. If you can't get the angle right press you against the unmovable and brace the camera as well as you can. Using the self-timer helps.
A camera with a WLF or removable prism helps a lot as well, because the viewfinder may not be accessible, depending on where you are resting the camera.
Some of my best night-shots have been done with the camera on an improvised support.

Excellent points!
I would also add the use of a shutter release cable, particularly with cameras which do not have a self-timer function and the camera's shutter button requires a little more than a light touch to release the shutter.

 

[David Allen]

Working with a rangefinder I find what really helps a very low speeds is a collapsible shoulder brace like this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Braun-ST3-Sc...945029?hash=item5698744885:g:gGsAAOSwTuJYvUj1

I have one permanently on my Mamiya.

I also find that it makes one more deliberate about tight composition.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

 

[Alan Klein]

It's not only shutter speed. It's how much you're magnifying the image either by using a telephoto lens or by enlargement of the print.

 

[Skiver101]

A short, taught neck strap and pre-setting - allied with previuosly mentioned breathing technique; might get you down a stop if you judge a shot from the chest. Depends on the subject I guess.

 

[Bill Burk]

I assume you mean Manual speed setting rather than mechanical.

Yes and no at the same time. Manual for the predictable time for sure. But maybe it's the buzzing sound.

Certainly I can make it work with A-1 or OM-4 but by contrast the experience holding an EOS camera which has to focus shoot and advance, I can't really predict from the press of the shutter... when to relax.

 

[Rick A]

In the absence of a tripod, since there are many places worthy of documenting that bar them, I brace against anything solid I can find that still allows a decent vantage point.

 

[Bill Burk]

So I'll do a fifteenth or an eighth this way and can pull off a picture in certain cases... but if practical at the time, set up a tripod and instead of using f/1.4... move to f/5.6 and go to a whole second.

Because the result will not be sharp handheld.

 

[ac12]

Take advantage of any support that you can find, either natural to the area (tree, side of building, etc) or something that you bring (monopod, walking stick, cane, etc).
Use the target rifle shooting technique.
Don't drink coffee or similar drink.
Your own physical condition.

I've gone down to 1/60 sec with a 210mm lens, and the pix were reasonably sharp.

 

[Bill Burk]

Don't drink coffee.

Took a color slide class in college, the instructor said that... she was deadly serious about it too.

I remember now why I always have a tripod.

Because I can never go without coffee.

 

[darkroommike]

With a TLR or MF SLR with a WLF use a neck strap and tension the strap against your neck, pressing down a bit. I can still get good results at a 1/15th this way, with an eyelevel I limit my shots to 1/30th unless I really need to go low and slow.

 

[Arklatexian]

Working with a rangefinder I find what really helps a very low speeds is a collapsible shoulder brace like this:

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Braun-ST3-Sc...945029?hash=item5698744885:g:gGsAAOSwTuJYvUj1

I have one permanently on my Mamiya.

I also find that it makes one more deliberate about tight composition.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Leica makes/made a tabletop tripod which when combined with their larger ball head could be configured in such a way to make a very useful shoulder brace when used with M Leica cameras. Also someone made a chain with a tripod screw on one end and I guess you stepped on the other end. Same idea as using the string mentioned earlier......Regards!

 

[Sirius Glass]

A MF SLR camera or a MF TLR with prisms are provided holding stability by adding the head pressure on the prism to the two hands thus holding it more stable for slow shutter speeds.

 

[David Lyga]

Interesting replies signify that this topic is very potent within our realm. In fact, it never stopped being relevant.

Somehow, I think that cushioning the SLR against the body seems to be the next best alternative to the (cumbersome, yes) monopod. The softness of the material (backpack or other cloth material) would seem to be able to absorb the slight tremors of a normal person's body. And, holding one's breath is also going probably aid in this endeavor.

As benjiboy says, firing a rifle is very similar to 'firing' a shutter. Holding the elbows close to the body would aid with preventing the tiny amount of shake, as would holding the camera strap taut against the neck.

Thank you for your illustrious, helpful comments, but the one thing that we do not wish to overplay here is the 'ugliness and discomfort' of knowing that much of this success depends upon pure luck. - David Lyga

 

[BrianShaw]

Ah, David... not to be annoying but have you tried a monopod? They are definitely not cumbersome.