Prologue: In August 2005, I purchased a new Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D digital SLR with an anti-shake feature. See here.Pictures for publishing must be sharp–that’s a given. However, all photographers will enjoy their photographs more if they are sharp. Crisp photos simply look better in most cases. And only sharp pictures can be enlarged. (There are specific reasons to blur pictures for artistic effects or to show speed, but that's another story.)
What do I mean by “sharp”? Well this likely goes against some standard definition in the photographic industry, but by “sharp” I mean “not blurry” as the result of camera movement at the instant the picture was taken. I am not referring to “in focus” or “out of focus” when talking about sharpness. (Focusing and depth of field are other issues, and perhaps someday I’ll post something about these matters.)
So a sharp picture is simply one in which there was minimal (or imperceptible) camera vibration while the shutter was open. When shake is excessive the light from the images being photographed will microscopically “wash” across the film surface. Sort of a micro time exposure and the picture is then blurred.
For small prints a bit of blur may not not be that noticeable. They'll look okay. But for enlargements or crystal sharp 4 X 6-inch prints, then camera shake must be as close to nil as practical.
Film speed and sharpness. Before getting into reduction of camera shake we need to address shutter speed and film speed and their role in sharpness. When a camera is not totally secured (so it cannot "jiggle" at all) then the faster the shutter speed, the less blur and therefore the sharper the picture. So (usually) fast shutter speeds help reduce blur.
Films with high ISO numbers can be exposed at faster shutter speeds than films with lower ISO numbers. An ISO-200 film can be exposed in one half the time as an ISO-100 film. Say, 1/250 second instead of 1/125 second. (Therefore there is less blur in the image.) An ISO-400 film can be exposed in similar light at 1/500 second or four times fast than ISO-100. (Or it can be exposed at the 1/125 and the aperture will be small thus increasing the depth of field--possibly something desired.)
So we should all use fast films, right? Well no, not always- but they do have their place. Slower films are less "grainy” and the best choice for high quality photographs. Fast films are more “grainy” than slower films and images appear, well...more grainy. Think of graininess as the size of dots or pixels that make up an image. A fast film results pictures made of imperceptibly small dots and pictures from fast films appear slightly dotty.
So there is a trade off–speed versus image quality. The general “rule” is to use the slowest film you can get away with considering the conditions and equipment available. Perhaps you’ll be hiking in a village in northern China where you feel a tripod is too conspicuous–and perhaps may shots will be in low light. It’s clear you will want to select a faster film for these conditions.
There’s one powerful saying about film speeds that makes loads of sense. “A grainy picture is way better than a blurry picture.” Period.
Shutter speeds and hand holding. We’ll get into ways of steadying cameras (without a tripod) in a minute, but first another “rule” about shutter speeds and sharpness. I cannot stress enough the necessity of using a tripod when taking pictures, but the reality is they are not always practical. What then are the limits to hand holding a camera? What can you get way with for general-purpose photography?
You can take reasonably sharp pictures if you stick to the following guideline. When hand holding, the shutter speed should be approximately as fast as the “inverse” of the focal length of the lens being used–anything slower will likely result in a blurry picture. “What this means?” you ask. If the focal length of your zoom lense is set at, say, 85 mm, then the slowest shutter speed should be about 1/85 second. It’s a midway speed on older cameras-some can be set in between. But 1/60 second is too slow, so (with an older camera) you’d have to select 1/125 second shutter speed. Newer cameras have multiple steps between the traditional shutter speeds, so on my Minolta I would select 1/90 second. Got that?
Keeping the camera steady. A few hints. . .
1) Use a tripod whenever possible. But if you can’t, then do anything practical to reduce camera shake. Such as,
2) Hold the camera tight to your forehead while resting your back and head against a light pole or tree–one that’s not swaying in the wind. Or. . .
3) Stand beside the light pole or tree and hold the lens firmly against the side of it.
4) Use your car window or hood as a support for the lense or your elbows. A bean bag is useful for cradling the lens over a window. Always turn off a vehicle motor to avoid vibration. (A vehicle is a poor support if it’s windy.)
5) Perhaps you can squat on the ground and while holding the camera firmly, prop your elbows firmly on top of your knees. The antelope shot was taken while laying on my belly and using my elbows as a tripod.
6) At slower shutter speeds it is essential to gently depress the shutter button to avoid camera movement.Well that’s it in a nutshell. I've likely missed stuff. If you have comments or questions, please write.
All pictures and text Clive Schaupmeyer©2000
Clive Schaupmeyer
Coaldale, Alberta, Canada
Top of Page
Back to "Photo Tips" page
