Advice please

jmsjabb

jmsjabb

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454
Name
James
Edit My Images
Yes
I have a 20D, with 18 -125 sigma, 50 Canon and 80 - 200 Tamron lens.
I can't seem to take steady shots as I seem to shake. I have tried using a mono pod while walking which helps, but I can't help thinking I am not enjoying it as much as I should due to the poor focused shots.
Would I be better selling the kit and buying a really good bigger than compact, smaller than DSLR cameras? This would be lighter and may shake less, and may have built in anti-shake.
Advise please.
 
Hi James

I suffer from shakey hands, try working on your stance, and brace the camera with the arms against you chest,

* Dont stab at the shutter button
* Assuming your RH hold the lens underneath, with your left hand
* Bring Your Elbows In To Your Side
* Hold Your Breath
* Add extra stability by leaning against a solid object

Dave

http://www.youtube.com/v/fkbnAyLrpY8?fs=1&hl=en_GB
 
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James, could you post some of your images up on here (with EXIF intact) for people to look at and maybe give you a few pointers before you get rid of your gear. It might be something simple, such as too slow a shutter speed for the conditions/subject?
 
Just Dave said:
* Hold Your Breath
Click to expand...

I find for me this can be counter productive.

What I try to do is breathe slowly and release the shutter just as I get to the end of my exhale and before I start to breathe in - or visa versa - doesn't really matter, but shoot at the natural break in your breathing cycle

I seem to remember shooter do something similar.

HTH

David
 
Perhaps you should consider IS lenses.

I also find that I have to have IS or high shutter speeds.

It also gets worse the longer the focal length of the lens.

I also find that the usual advice about the minimum shutter speed, eg for 200mm use 1/200 sec etc does not really apply to me - I need at least 1/500 sec without IS.

And even with it I still like to use a high shutter speed.

.
 
Sigma and Tamron, always had trouble with these.

Seriously though, what are you shooting and do you have any examples with exif data?
 
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Is it shots out of focus or maybe it could be camera shake? Depending on what aperture you are getting you should have few problems with depth of field for focussing. Maybe check what shutter speeds you have been shooting?

I was always told to take the focal length of the lens and make that the minimum shutter speed, you can get away with a little less but not much. I would guess that will be your probs esp. at 200mm

Not sure a smaller camera would help with the shaking part, as less weight may make it even worse?
 
Is it down to settings and technique?

Are you taking shots at low speed (under 1/50s or 1/200s with the long lens) handheld? This would be asking for trouble... Many people do that though.

How do you focus? Is it press and shoot? The better way is to separate focusing action to * button; focus separately with centre AF point, where and when you need it.

Lenses. Can I tempt you to nice glass? Canon 24-105mm f/4 L IS should make you happy for example.
 
petersmart said:
Perhaps you should consider IS lenses.

I also find that I have to have IS or high shutter speeds.

It also gets worse the longer the focal length of the lens.

I also find that the usual advice about the minimum shutter speed, eg for 200mm use 1/200 sec etc does not really apply to me - I need at least 1/500 sec without IS.

And even with it I still like to use a high shutter speed.

.
Click to expand...

Agree. IS was made for this, and will make a huge difference. Simple as.

Swap your zooms for IS versions. Canon makes several to chose from. 18-55 IS for £100 with 55-250 IS £180 are both cheap and light and optically pretty good - and exceptional value.

Or the new 18-135, or the very nice 15-85 (more expensive) or the fabulous 17-55 2.8 (much more expensive). All with IS. At the longer end, Canon 70-300 IS is the one to get for about £450 I think.
 
OK, these are 3 from the latest.
img3800ijfrlarge.jpg


http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/429/img3789ijfrlarge.jpg

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/4923/img3793ijfrlarge.jpg

Staff Edit : Images changed to clickable links. Pictures must not exceed current forum limits as per the rules. Please feel free to replace with fresh/resized images and remove this text :)

For the most part, I keep the Sigma on, which is 18 - 125 and use the 18 side most. If is F3.5 - 5.6.
 
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I have ALREADY said you use too slow shutter. 1st one is 1/40s!!!!! It can't and won't be right unless it had IS. The others are only marginally better. Increase your ISO or use tripod.

Sigma is also a soft lens, and wont get sharp results wide open. f8-f11 is probably the only way to get something slightly better.
 
Thanks daugirdas, this is what I need to know. All shots shot in P mode. Would IS help in these shots? Should I consider swapping the sigma for a IS lens?
I would however want to stick more or less with 18 - 125.
 
daugirdas said:
I have ALREADY said you use too slow shutter. 1st one is 1/40s!!!!! It can't and won't be right unless it had IS. The others are only marginally better. Increase your ISO or use tripod.

Sigma is also a soft lens, and wont get sharp results wide open. f8-f11 is probably the only way to get something slightly better.
Click to expand...

I agree you need to increase the ISO, shutter speed and use f8. If you can also reduce the focal length by getting a bit closer to the subject.
 
jmsjabb said:
I have a 20D, with 18 -125 sigma, 50 Canon and 80 - 200 Tamron lens.
I can't seem to take steady shots as I seem to shake. I have tried using a mono pod while walking which helps, but I can't help thinking I am not enjoying it as much as I should due to the poor focused shots.
Would I be better selling the kit and buying a really good bigger than compact, smaller than DSLR cameras? This would be lighter and may shake less, and may have built in anti-shake.
Advise please.
Click to expand...

Camera shake is a problem for a lot of people.
Sometimes it is just poor technique
but more likely shaky hands.
I can still use a chisel as well as the next man but my hands shake like fun.

Last year my consultant put me on daily dose of Half Beta Prograne which controls 90% of my what they call essential tremor (shaking, that is age related but has no known cause)

I only use IS lenses now.

Using a lighter camera will probably result in even shakier shots.
 
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The strap looks good but obtrusive. I think I am heading to trade the Sigma for a Canon 18 - 85 IS. Anyone have an opinion on this move?
Terry, Sounds similar. If I have a screwdriver, I usually have to steady the tip into the screw with my left hand while holding the driver with my right.
 
This looks so like my photography. I've learnt a lot from the amazing help on this forum, and whilst I still can't get mine right (I always get something wrong :bang:), at least I can usually spot why now!

So looking at your photos, :

on the 2nd shot, additional to the major problem of lowish shutter speed, it appears to me that maybe the bottom corners are more sharp, ie the nearer objects. Makes me wonder if the focus lock has been taken on the nearest focus points which are outer focus points (eg tree to left or water at bottom) leaving the main central body of the photo to drift out of the depth of field. Are you selecting your focus point or leaving all focus points active for the camera to decide?

the 3rd shot seems to get softer as you get deeper into the shot so maybe a close focus combined with big aperture is involved (it could be intentional if you want the flower bed in focus and the rest of the background to soften out) - but did you do any sharpenning? - just a little bit more sharpenning and its an acceptable holiday shot of the flower bed and lion, it won't win prizes or be commercially viable, but plenty good enough as a holiday shot for friends and family.


All your shots are on iso 100. I'd venture that you try to keep it on iso 100 for quality (to avoid grain/noise), then you find you are fighting for light and having to risk marginal shutter speeds when you run out of aperture - its what I've always done :confused:

try setting iso to 200, 400 etc (I'm not sure what higher isos the 20D has available), take some repeated identical test shots using each iso, compare results and then set the camera at the highest iso that you are comfortable with the results. Then take the camera out for a day and try that. Ideally you should be adjusting iso to suit the shots, but I never remember (well it was fixed for the roll when it was film).


----------------------------------------------------------------
please note: my comments are strictly non-committal and should be disregarded in every aspect as they are total nonsense and I know nothing.
 
jmsjabb said:
For the most part, I keep the Sigma on, which is 18 - 125 and use the 18 side most. If is F3.5 - 5.6.
Click to expand...

As others have said, I think there are as many technique problems in there as there are problems caused by shaking. You probably ought to try and solve those first, rather than investing money.
 
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The Sigma 18-125 is an IS lens anyway isnt it? (Well, OS anyway).
I have the same lens, and its rarely off the camera.
 
Agree with Wookie - the main problem with all these images is focus, which is clearly on the foreground. Are you using manual focus? Any autofocus system in any mode will eat images like that 100% every time, unless you're doing something very wrong.

The other thing is the shutter speed is too low, because you're using ISO100. Bump that up to ISO400 which is no problem on a 20D. Enable noise reduction in the menu.

Does your Sigma lens have OS (Sigma's equivalent of Canon's IS)? My comments above about IS still stand - it is an amazing invention and almost essential for anyone with less than steady hands.
 
Dave and Hoppy. The sigma is NOT OS or IS, hence some of my problems.
Some great advice Wookie, thanks.
I need to spend more "me" time with the different settings inc ISO, and go from there.
 
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