Stabilizing Nikon D500 on small boat: I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my...

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

Tikva wrote:

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

Holding the camera is better than a hard mount, like a tripod. The action of the boat on the water and the vibration from the engine is not smooth, even in a very large vessel. And, shoot at a relatively high shutter speed to minimize or avoid camera movement while taking the photo. Maybe at least 1/500, but the faster, the better.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

I would say Tripod, but the whole boat wobbles in the waves so, best of Luck, keep your Shutter speed high.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Gitchigumi wrote:

Holding the camera is better than a hard mount, like a tripod. The action of the boat on the water and the vibration from the engine is not smooth, even in a very large vessel. And, shoot at a relatively high shutter speed to minimize or avoid camera movement while taking the photo. Maybe at least 1/500, but the faster, the better.

All that and a VR lens :)

Rongnongno Loc: FL

You are kidding, right?

Place a camera on a moving (floating) object and expect stability?

Fix it to the boat and you get every sway, vibration and what not. Hold it and you have some apparent stability because your brain corrects it, not your camera thought.

Now you have some inertia adapters used to make movies but those only go so far and are expensive.

Only solution that does not suppress motion at all but limits it is high speed shooting*. (And as Steve suggested, make sure that 'VR' is active on your lens)

Since the camera is weather sealed there is no problem with water. Dropping the camera and seeing it sink is another problem. If that is your real question, there it to a floating device whose buoyancy is superior to the weight of the camera.

-----
* Good luck if you use a long lens...

Leitz Loc: Solms

Tikva wrote:

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

https://www.top9rated.com/best-dslr-camera-stabilizer-steadicams/

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Gitchigumi wrote:

Holding the camera is better than a hard mount, like a tripod. The action of the boat on the water and the vibration from the engine is not smooth, even in a very large vessel. And, shoot at a relatively high shutter speed to minimize or avoid camera movement while taking the photo. Maybe at least 1/500, but the faster, the better.

What Gitchigumi said, but I'd suggest 1/1000 second. You should have plenty of light, plus you have one of the best cameras for low noise at high ISO. Don't be afraid to use if if necessary. Also, what Steve Perry said, use a lens with VR unless you're using a relatively short lens.

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

Thank you for the comments. I had sort of thought from previous threads that hand holding would be the best. I'm planning on using the new Tamron 18x400. I bought this lens because it was lighter than any other lens of this length. This will be my first real checkout of the lens. I'll see how I like it now that I've got it.

Gitchigumi Loc: Wake Forest, NC

Tikva wrote:

Thank you for the comments. I had sort of thought from previous threads that hand holding would be the best. I'm planning on using the new Tamron 18x400. I bought this lens because it was lighter than any other lens of this length. This will be my first real checkout of the lens. I'll see how I like it now that I've got it.

One more tip... keep the camera strap around your neck! Or, some other means of making sure you don't/can't drop it on the deck or in the water. That would make for a bad day!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Tikva wrote:

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

Image stabilization would help, but on a boat I've always viewed the situation in reverse - I use the same shutter speed taking pictures from the boat that I would use taking pictures of the boat {for anyone familiar with modern physics, I'm basically using Einstein's Theory of Relativity thinking}

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I just completed a long trip where I limited myself to carry on luggage and gear. I took one medium sized mirrorless camera and one zoom lens. My favorite single addition was a Manfrotto PIXI EVO Mini Tripod for improved stabilization. I rarely used it as a tripod, but with it's short legs extended, I typically held the base against my chest. It helped to stabilize both video and still shots.

blue-ultra Loc: New Hampshire

Try to keep your focal length as short as possible and use a fairly high shutter speed if the light allows it say around 1/500 to 1/1000 f8 to f11 for DOF. Should be fine. keep that strap around your neck. You never know when a wave will cause you to lose your footing, oh and wear sneakers or boat shoes if you have them.

Bob

Tikva Loc: Waukesha, WI

Gitchigumi wrote:

One more tip... keep the camera strap around your neck! Or, some other means of making sure you don't/can't drop it on the deck or in the water. That would make for a bad day!

I have a should strap/harness or whatever it is called that I will keep on the whole trip. The last thing I need is to drop the camera into the lake or river.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Tikva wrote:

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

"Small boat" and "Nikon D500" sound like a bad combination. In your situation, I would stand, bend my knees a bit, and use my legs as stabilizers. Did you ever see those videos (posted here) of the African dancers whose legs are moving like crazy, but their heads remain still? The human body makes a good stabilizer.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Tikva wrote:

I will be going out on Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River this Sat. I have a Nikon D500 and am wondering what is the best way to stabilize my camera while on the boat. Any suggestions appreciated. I do have a camera shop in town that might have what I need, but I don't know what I need.

Hand strap, VR on the lens, shutter speed 1/1000 min. and your body