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Author Topic: Fine Points of Using A Tripod  (Read 20119 times)

marcmccalmont

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #20 on: March 04, 2008, 02:09:19 pm »

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Regarding those "other factors", as they say - "it all depends.........". For example sometimes you can miss the shot while futzing with the tripod. There are less exreme examples as well. Sometimes one can be a prisoner of "best practice" without ever knowing what one is really sacrificing with "second-best practice". But as I said, I'm not really arguing against Motherhood - I'm just trying to elicit an exploration of more exactly what the trade-offs really are. Marc's demo is interesting in this respect - but it raises a number of interesting questions, like why the differences in processing between the two images - does that do anything to the comparison, the fact that much of the background is out of focus anyhow, whether the bushes in the foreground were being moved by even the slightest breeze in either image, etc. But it's a start to a comparative analysis which perhaps could benefit from nailing several variables a bit tighter. When this dismal weather in Toronto gives me a comfortable afternoon with the right lighting to work on my favorite testing site, I should try my hand at some of this and see what I come-up with. Sometimes we learn surprising things when we "bother" to test our assumptions!
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=179071\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I'm pretty sure I kept all the factors the same between the 2 shots. The only difference was time the latter, was taken about 45 minutes after the first so the light was different, but the settings in the camera and C1V4 were the same. It took time to look at my initial shots and then assemble the vibration isolation device.
Marc.
PS I do get some frame to frame variance with the p30/C1 combination that I have not figured out yet. Perhaps C1 has some intelligence built in and out smarts you by making decisions without your knowledge?
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Marc McCalmont

Mark D Segal

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #21 on: March 04, 2008, 02:44:08 pm »

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Perhaps C1 has some intelligence built in and out smarts you by making decisions without your knowledge?
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You just gotta tell it who's the boss!  
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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Don Libby

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #22 on: March 04, 2008, 05:34:12 pm »

I use a tripod and shutter release combination close to 99% of the time, I also use a bubble level as well.  I find that while I’m setting up the gear I’m also setting up the image in my head checking the right angles and composition all in an attempt to capture both what I see and feel about the subject.  All this makes me slow down getting a better image.  I often take 5 to 10 minutes setting up to take one image.


don

theophilus

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2008, 11:05:24 pm »

When Canon adds a level to the viewfinder I won't need the tripod quite as much, but I just have a bad time getting my landscape shots level when handheld.
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Goodlistener

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #24 on: March 08, 2008, 09:40:25 am »

Fred, maybe its compulsive, maybe its meticulous attention to detail, maybe its hard work and earning your results. I suspect its about results.

And Yes, your PPO workflow is a subject of interest.
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DarkPenguin

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #25 on: March 08, 2008, 02:07:10 pm »

As an aside the advent of live view is also a nice thing to help one slow down.  Even if you only use it to double check your framing (damned non 100% viewfinders) before clicking the shutter.  It gives you that last moment to decide if that is really what you wanted.
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Mark D Segal

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #26 on: March 08, 2008, 02:25:37 pm »

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As an aside the advent of live view is also a nice thing to help one slow down.  Even if you only use it to double check your framing (damned non 100% viewfinders) before clicking the shutter.  It gives you that last moment to decide if that is really what you wanted.
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The value of all this depends on the kind of photography one is doing and the conditions of capture. Like just about everything else in this field, it depends...........
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Mark D Segal (formerly MarkDS)
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DarkPenguin

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #27 on: March 08, 2008, 02:34:35 pm »

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The value of all this depends on the kind of photography one is doing and the conditions of capture. Like just about everything else in this field, it depends...........
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Clearly.
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Glenn NK

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #28 on: March 08, 2008, 04:24:27 pm »

The attached gets quite technical and can be a bit much to read, but after perusing it, I find I use my tripod for almost anything critical.

It takes some of the subjectivity away from this topic with controlled test results.

http://markins.com/charlie/report4e6.pdf
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elf

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #29 on: March 08, 2008, 10:42:33 pm »

Marc: Can you share what you're using for a vibration-isolation device?
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marcmccalmont

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #30 on: March 09, 2008, 12:08:08 am »

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Marc: Can you share what you're using for a vibration-isolation device?
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I have in the past used vibration isolation in the design of loudspeakers (vibration isolation feet, constrained layer damping, modal analysis)  so I used some of those materials to isolate the tripod from the head (a friend machined two plates to join the tripod-vibration isolators-ball head like a motor mount. not sure how much it helps (some I think) or if there is any commercial value so I'm hesitant to say too much. I'm glad you asked though it shows that people might be interested in a small prototype run. If some one could help in designing a valid test it would help.
Marc
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Marc McCalmont

bill t.

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #31 on: March 13, 2008, 11:50:23 pm »

When working with tripods, it useful to watch the reflections of bright objects behind you on the surface of your TFT screen.  This is an extremely sensitive indicator of vibration in the whole setup, not just from mirrors but also from wind and nearby traffic.

I use this technique for shooting panos along with mirror lockup, it never fails me and was a real lifesaver recently when shooting with a longish lens from a bridge carrying rush hour traffic.
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David Sutton

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Fine Points of Using A Tripod
« Reply #32 on: March 14, 2008, 03:06:40 am »

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Mirror lock up, can any one recall the critical shutter-speeds when this is really vital? Is it around 1/15s - 1/60s???

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I was doing some indoor shots yesterday with a canon 40D and 24-105 lens and using mirror lockup and a cable release at 1 sec. Disturbed to find some horizontal blurring in all photos (though only visible at greater than 1:1 viewing). Completely cured by putting 6 encyclopaedias in the stone bag and a 2kg bean bag on top of the camera. As this is definitely not gear I intend to include in my backpack    it will be interesting to experiment with other cures. David
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