bull drink water Loc: pontiac mi.

if you shoot at 1/1000 sec. or higher, does mirror vibration still effect sharpness with a long lens?

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

There is the same amount of vibration, but 1/1000 of a second is a very short period of time. That would be a good test for someone to do. Put the camera on a tripod and try it with and without MUP.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

Wouldn't mirror lockup make it easier to inspect the sensor surface for dirt particles?

Photogdog Loc: New Kensington, PA

Yes & no. With the mirror locked up, you could look at it for dirt particles but you would also be exposing it to the environment so more dust & dirt might be deposited on the surface.

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

I do primarily landscape photography. I always use mirror up on my D800E just to remove one more possible source of any unsharpness. When doing wildlife with me D4 at 10 frames a second, it is obviously not possible. On the H5D, mirror lock up does absolutely make a difference, but only visible to me on test targets.

My $0.02

twowindsbear

IMHO - IF you're using a tripod for 'convenience' - such as for multi exposures for HDR or a panorama, I really doubt that mirror lock up will help. OTH, if you're using a tripod for a long exposure - THEN MLU will probably make a difference.

CocoaRoger Loc: Cocoa Florida

I must be doing something wrong. I put it on mirror lockup, I have a d3100 and it says to press the shutter and that the mirror will remain locked up until I turn off the camera so I press the shutter and nothing happens, I get no photo.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

I dont think it matters if you cant see a thing . You should be pre focusd and on a tripod

saichiez Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon

seenext

saichiez Loc: Beautiful Central Oregon

In the sixties, I took the NYIP correspondence course. The part of the course relating to stabilizing camera's interested me enough to investigate in more detail.

Don't know if anyone here can relate, but there were no digital sensors, and no computerized stabilization programs at that time.... imagine that. I seem to recall that you shot a roll of film or two before digital.

In any event, one study was quite extensive with "control" experiments, etc.

It started with hand held. Then the following steps were taken,

1) after hand held, handheld with MLU.
2) camera on tripod- no MLU
3) On tripod with mirror lockup
4) On tripod, MLU, and cable remote shutter release.
5) All of #4, Plus hand two one gallon mild jugs filled with water hung from a hook on the center post of the tripod. (time was allowed for the hanging weight to dampen)

Control shots were (once mounted to the tripod) to shoot the same scene each time without the enhancements.

The report went on to included No Wind, and then 5-10 mph winds.

Tests were run on the 1951 USAF resolution charts... see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_USAF_resolution_test_chart

I've long since lost the report, but am a strong advocate of all the items tested.

Each function improves stability in a measurable way, including the added weight on the center post.

Landscape photography surely add the component of the time necessary to set the shot up for maximum stability.

In addition, there were some added tidbits. One, while 4 section legs on a tripod make it an easier carry, a 3 section leg tripod is more stable. (one of the reasons why LF shooters often use single section wood tripods.)

Also, combining MLU prior to using the timer on the camera also gives a bit of added time for the MLU to damp down.

Naturally, all of these functions would be overkill in normal shooting situations, but I submit that all the electronics for stabilization today are probably not really much better than can be accomplished using these "archaic" methods.

Add to that, that with digital you have that natural disaster going in to the capture, with the "smudging" or "smearing" of the AA filter, which is just now being dealt with in some digital cameras. There was never any such disastrous impact of any technology between the back element of the best lenses of the day and the surface of the film prior to the special filters between the snsor and the last element of the best lenses, ie the AA filter.

Eventually, digital cameras will shoot as sharp an image as film, without any "hocus pocus" in the $3000 package of computer and software on the Photographers ne, Graphic Artists desk.

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

[quote=saichiez]In the sixties, I took the NYIP correspondence course. The part of the course relating to stabilizing camera's interested me enough to investigate in more detail.

Don't know if anyone here can relate, but there were no digital sensors, and no computerized stabilization programs at that time.... imagine that. I seem to recall that you shot a roll of film or two before digital.

In any event, one study was quite extensive with "control" experiments, etc.

It started with hand held. Then the following steps were taken,

1) after hand held, handheld with MLU.
2) camera on tripod- no MLU
3) On tripod with mirror lockup
4) On tripod, MLU, and cable remote shutter release.
5) All of #4, Plus hand two one gallon mild jugs filled with water hung from a hook on the center post of the tripod. (time was allowed for the hanging weight to dampen)

Control shots were (once mounted to the tripod) to shoot the same scene each time without the enhancements.

The report went on to included No Wind, and then 5-10 mph winds.

Tests were run on the 1951 USAF resolution charts... see here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_USAF_resolution_test_chart

I've long since lost the report, but am a strong advocate of all the items
tested.

Each function improves stability in a measurable way, including the added weight on the center post.

Landscape photography surely add the component of the time necessary to set the shot up for maximum stability.

In addition, there were some added tidbits. One, while 4 section legs on a tripod make it an easier carry, a 3 section leg tripod is more stable. (one of
the reasons why LF shooters often use single section wood tripods.)

Also, combining MLU prior to using the timer on the camera also gives a bit of added time for the MLU to damp down.

Naturally, all of these functions would be overkill in normal shooting situations, but I submit that all the electronics for stabilization today are probably not really much better than can be accomplished using these
"archaic" methods.

Add to that, that with digital you have that natural disaster going in to the capture, with the "smudging" or "smearing" of the AA filter, which is just now being dealt with in some digital cameras. There was never any such disastrous impact of any technology between the back element of the best lenses of the day and the surface of the film prior to the special filters
between the snsor and the last element of the best lenses, ie the AA filter.

Eventually, digital cameras will shoot as sharp an image as film, without any "hocus pocus" in the $3000 package of computer and software on the Photographers ne, Graphic Artists desk.[/quote

They say it all ready does in the new crop of high end modles, 32 plus M.P.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Live view on Nikon - at least some of them - DOES NOT solve this as the mirror comes down prior to the shot, thereby negating mirror up thing. Canon, I believe is different.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

That, I believe, is "Mirror Up for Cleaning."

wingincamera Loc: Spanaway, Washington

This is one of the things I like about my Pentax. When using the tripod I use the three second timer, which when the shutter button is pressed it raises the mirror and three seconds later the photo is taken. If the camera is shut off afterwards it cancels the three second timer and reverts back to single shot.

CocoaRoger Loc: Cocoa Florida

That's what I do, I use the 2 second delay.