Minimum handheld shutter speed
Oct 15, 2019 05:50:54 #
CamB wrote:
There is way more to it than this formula. How steady are you as a person? Are you calm or stressed? Did you just walk up a hill? Is the wind blowing? When was your last cup of coffee? And on and on. Sometimes with lens X I can do an eighth of a second. Sometimes I’m lucky if I’m steady at 250th. I’ve found a “steady formula” to be pretty worthless.
...Cam
...Cam
It's the rule of thumb. My brother can hold a still 1/4 with a 50mm on FF. I would be lucky if I can do it at 1/60. However, as you said the 1/shutter speed rule is only for 35mm. With smaller size sensor you would have to multiply.
If someone think you don't have to consider the sensor size or film size then what kind of shutter speed you would need if you shoot a Speed Graphic hand held?
Oct 15, 2019 05:51:32 #
There are people on here who can shoot at quite low speeds for the equipment used. Regis is one, as his Osprey images (with a big zoom) will testify.
But there is a way to test this for yourself that was demonstrated at our club a few years ago. And it's both very simple and accurate.
Take one double page from a broadsheet newspaper (warm iron if necessary to remove wrinkles/folds). Open up and pin on a wall with the centre about the height you hold the camera with. Put the camera on Tv. Start at a high speed with the newspaper filling the sensor and keep doing so decreasing speed each time. Download results to PC and examine images at 100% in both the centre and the corners. When you reach a point where the quality is unacceptable to you your minimum shooting speed is one or two stops higher. This can be done with or without stabilisation employed but should be with just you and the camera. Try at different lengths (zoom) or different lenses.
The old rules are useful guides but cannot account for personal fitness or individual skill.
P.S. When you finish your run of shots it might be an idea to do one on a tripod as a reference to what the lens is capable of.
But there is a way to test this for yourself that was demonstrated at our club a few years ago. And it's both very simple and accurate.
Take one double page from a broadsheet newspaper (warm iron if necessary to remove wrinkles/folds). Open up and pin on a wall with the centre about the height you hold the camera with. Put the camera on Tv. Start at a high speed with the newspaper filling the sensor and keep doing so decreasing speed each time. Download results to PC and examine images at 100% in both the centre and the corners. When you reach a point where the quality is unacceptable to you your minimum shooting speed is one or two stops higher. This can be done with or without stabilisation employed but should be with just you and the camera. Try at different lengths (zoom) or different lenses.
The old rules are useful guides but cannot account for personal fitness or individual skill.
P.S. When you finish your run of shots it might be an idea to do one on a tripod as a reference to what the lens is capable of.
Oct 15, 2019 06:34:08 #
Oct 15, 2019 06:38:06 #
billnikon
Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont
Timothy S wrote:
Hi, my name is Tim, and this is my first time on h... (show quote)
The general rule of thumb is a MINIMUM shutter speed of 1/focal length of the lens. So, if you have a 100 mm lens, the minimum shutter speed would be 1/100 sec. and so on.
However, with VR and other systems to help the camera maintain vibration reduction this rule does not always hold true.
And it depends on if you want to stop action, take that 100 mm lens, if you want to stop action a shutter speed of 1/1000 sec. or more would be needed.
That rule is a minimum to ensure a sharp image and take away any body movement of the photographer.
So, at 88mm then, yes, the minimum shutter speed should be 1/100 sec. or higher, to be safe.
Good luck and keep on shooting until the end.
Oct 15, 2019 07:16:35 #
Gene51 wrote:
You can believe what you want, but in practice it does make a difference.
As I said, I certainly am No expert, and am still learning myself, so I do fully admit when I am incorrect in my thinking or understanding. Just need to be corrected, so I might improve in my Photography journey.
Oct 15, 2019 07:30:45 #
CHG_CANON wrote:
For best practices, yes, the crop factor i should... (show quote)
Ok, now if I use my 50mm 1.8g lens on my Nikon D3300 (Crop-Sensor) camera, my adjusted F.O.V. will be 1.5 x 50mm = 75mm, so therefore, a proper adjusted Shutter Speed would be or should be 1/80 or higher, is this the correct thinking concerning Shutter-Speed on a "Crop-Sensor" Camera?
Oct 15, 2019 08:16:21 #
Linda From Maine wrote:
This is the perfect situation to do controlled tests and then examine the results in your computer, so that you'll have confidence for when it really matters. Some people (comme moi) are more wobbly than others 
Good suggestion Linda. And while at it, do some shots at increasingly high ISOs so you can determine your practical limit before the image is not acceptable. Then once you know your ISO and Speed limits, you only need to play with the Aperture.
Oct 15, 2019 08:23:42 #
Oct 15, 2019 08:28:27 #
Silverrails wrote:
Ok, now if I use my 50mm 1.8g lens on my Nikon D3300 (Crop-Sensor) camera, my adjusted F.O.V. will be 1.5 x 50mm = 75mm, so therefore, a proper adjusted Shutter Speed would be or should be 1/80 or higher, is this the correct thinking concerning Shutter-Speed on a "Crop-Sensor" Camera?
Yes, based on the formula. You may be successful at 1/50. You may be unsuccessful at anything less than 1/100. These are guidelines, not rules, and you need to confirm with your own experience, shooting style and equipment.
Oct 15, 2019 08:29:33 #
Took a class with a professional with over 25 years who doubles the old ss/lens mm with high resolution sensors
Oct 15, 2019 08:36:11 #
John N wrote:
There are people on here who can shoot at quite lo... (show quote)
The image stabilization in the lens Regis uses is quite effective, I know because I use the same lens and it is awesome, the point is that the lens breaks the rule and that can not be discounted.
Oct 15, 2019 09:15:30 #
Oct 15, 2019 09:19:59 #
Collhar wrote:
You nailed that cat.
Thanks!
Cats are stealthy and they will not move, especially feral ones. I could have been taking a picture of a sign. All I did was fire off 3 shots before the shutter noise scared her off. The stabilization is good for about 4 stops, and I am usually successful with 1/focal length. So this is pretty close - 1/30 is what the math works out to.
But how slow a shutter speed you can use can be impacted by so many factors. So it's best for someone to explore, using the rule of thumb, what THEY can shoot with and still get a good number of unblurred shots.
I find that using 1/(2xfocal length) yields a higher percentage, and of course, use the effective focal length and NOT the actual focal length.
Oct 15, 2019 09:23:47 #
John Howard wrote:
Good suggestion Linda. And while at it, do some shots at increasingly high ISOs so you can determine your practical limit before the image is not acceptable. Then once you know your ISO and Speed limits, you only need to play with the Aperture.
Some people here seem to think it is a copout to suggest doing your own tests when asked a question like this. I think it is the best advice. One of the first things I do when I get a new camera is do ISO tests, and when I get a VR lens I test it with VR off and on to find out what I can expect.
Oct 15, 2019 09:39:53 #
gvarner
Loc: Central Oregon Coast
The rule of thumb stays the same. But also consider using double the shutter speed for static subjects when possible.
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