Slow shutter speed vibration blur with tripod?

[andyedward]

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Do slow shutter speeds cause vibration blur with film M shots taken on a tripod? I ask because I intend to shoot street at night (in b&w) with a tripod and cable release. I previously owned a d3x which had a "karate chop" shutter at any speed, whereas my current M6 is far softer.

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[earleygallery]

Shouldn't do, with a sturdy tripod that is. Did your Nikon shutter cause blur on a tripod?

[andyedward]

Rarely, but then I was using a cheap aluminium manfrotto. I'll be using the M6 at slower speeds than the d3x, but the shutter is far softer, so perhaps I won't have any problems

[dslater]

Unless you used the mirror-lockup feature, the vibration in your Nikon was probably due to mirror slap more than the shutter.

[honcho]

......I previously owned a d3x which had a "karate chop" shutter at any speed, whereas my current M6 is far softer.

 

 

Did you not use the mirror lock up function on your D3x? Shutter operation with the camera secure on a tripod and a cable release will not cause unsharp images but the mirror action in an slr will cause vibration, that's why you have the option to lock the mirror up prior to exposure when using slow shutter speeds and/or long lenses. If you were getting unsharp images with the mirror up, something was wrong with your technique.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by 'karate chop' shutter, but the sound of the mirror action of the D3x adds considerably to the sound of the shutter. Your M6 is quieter than the D3x with mirror up because the mechanism, materials and construction of the M6 shutter is different, not better.

[250swb]

Rarely, but then I was using a cheap aluminium manfrotto.

 

I didn't think Manfrotto made a cheap tripod. But that is most likely not the cause. I would guess at mirror slap.

 

It is short exposures of around a second or thereabouts that tend to show mirror slap because it accounts for a fair amount of the overall exposure time. Increase the exposure to many seconds and mirror slap becomes an insignificant part of the overall time, so shows much less or not at all. But when you do that you do need to make sure your tripod is sturdy and the wind isn't blowing because that takes over from mirror slap as the degrading factor.

 

I don't think you will have that problem with your M6, but if you are worried about vibration with long exposures, a) use a cable release, and set the shutter on 'B' and open the shutter but with your hand just in front of the lens, this gives time for the camera to settle, then take your hand away and start counting 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi, 4 Mississippi, etc. (but some people say 'elephant').

 

Steve

[Broadside]

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When using my lightweight aluminium tripod I always carry a butcher's hook and a plastic carrier-bag which can be filled with something heavy (e.g. stones, sand, camera bag etc.) and hung from the tripod to greatly improve stability.

[pico]

For such pictures I avoid a tripod that has an extendable center column. It is usually the weak spot.

 

Regardless, if you use a shutter speed of 1/4th of a second or longer with an M, the shutter travel vibration will be the very least part of the overall exposure, therefore inconsequential.

 

In my experience, camera shake even with the consideration above can occur through ground vibration and sometimes even a breeze. It has surprised me more than once, but usually with long and telephoto lenses. For long shot video work I used a plastic wrapped sand bag draped over the camera. It helped.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Andy,

 

A tripod should be "a rock". That is: Solid & not moving.

 

If you hang a weight from the place where the 3 legs come together & let that weight drop until it solidly contacts what the tripod is on, then there might technically be a little less weight pulling down but everything is less likely to move.

 

A large ball head is usually better in the field. Especially if things are moving or changing.

 

Wait (when possible) a minute or more AFTER everything is adjusted & set. Including focussing. Before you gently release the shutter.

 

Also:

 

Consider a small, solid, table tripod w/ soft, non-marking slippers to use w/ your large ball head, cable release & rigid lens hood. The lens hood is more for protection from inadvertant damage/impact than for flare prevention.

 

There is no end of insides of door frames, rocks, walls, trees, cars w/ engines turned off, even tables & more that a small solid tripod (like the Leitz/Leica tabletop) is useful on. The more you use it the more different places & types of places you find to use it.

 

Against my chest it gives me 2 stops.

 

Think of F8 @ 1 sec on a small tripod against a wall instead of F2 @ 1/15th hand held. Sometimes an entirely different picture.

 

I pretty much leave a full sized tripod @ home.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Jaybob]

A cable released M6 on sturdy tripod should produce no blur, whatever the shutter speed is. Shutter speeds dont produce blur, subject motion or tripod motion produces blur.

 

If tripodded, I'm a fan of the use of the mirror lock up combined with the 12 second self timer on my Nikon cameras.

[pico]

A cable released M6 on sturdy tripod should produce no blur, whatever the shutter speed is. [...]

 

Scientific testing has shown that to be incorrect. It really depends upon how closely you scrutinize the outcome.

[tobey bilek]

tripod strength + weight, head, extending the center column, shutter speed, cable release, mirror slap, ground softness, all play interrelated and additive results when taking pics.

 

I have also seen tests that show hanging weight is of little value.

 

In general, avoid 1/4 to 1/30 sec speeds , use mirror lock up for slr or Exposure delay on the Nikon, E9 on mine, light weight pods are close to worthless, use a cable or electric release.

 

I you use a really good steady pod such as Ries or studex model Gitzo forget all the restrictions & just make pics, you will be fine. Problem is you will not like to carry it.

 

For long exposures of 1/2 sec or more, use B and a card or your hat in front of the lens to time the exposure . The camera never moves except from wind or earth moving from traffic.

[pico]

This might seem trivial, but small things matter. Many new cable releases are just junk. They are too stiff and/or too short. Such releases can actually move the camera enough to be troublesome.

 

Because I had the bad habit of losing cable releases all the time, I finally bought a whole mess of them to keep spares in the bags, cars, on the bicycle, and at home. I was lucky to find new-old-stock, old-fashion, long thin cables with the fabric covering. Wonderful items. Recommended.

 

Note that there are at least two different cable heads - the screw part - get the right one and be happy or fumble along with a misfit.

[Peter H]

When using my lightweight aluminium tripod I always carry a butcher's hook and a plastic carrier-bag which can be filled with something heavy (e.g. stones, sand, camera bag etc.) and hung from the tripod to greatly improve stability.

 

I do the same; stones, M8s, that sort of thing...