Slowest Shutter speed while shooting handheld? EOS1ds MKIII

Hello,

Since purchasing a new EOS-1ds MarkIII, I have noticed that my images are quite blurry when shooting handheld, at speeds that all other

cameras have had no problem with- 1/60th and 1/80th.

 

In fact, the only time I have gotten tack sharp images is when using strobes. Otherwise, they are at least a little bit soft.

 

So I am wondering what the slowest shutter speed is for shooting handheld with this camera, and if this is normal, or if there may be some

problem with the camera. Thanks!

it all depends on the lens....try a wide angle instead of a 600mm at these speed

Wouldn't it be fun to have a contest to see who can shoot a handheld telephoto lens with no image stabilizer and yet yield a clear image - just like the Olympic Games - with world records (measured by focal lengths) being set each time?

Shooting at 1/50 with a 50mm lens, one will have a higher percentage of "sharp" 100% crops with a 5D than a 1Ds3. I'll leave it to the physics experts to give the technical explanation.

I wonder if the massive resalution of this camera, means you are looking a little to close at the images you are producing with a critical eye. It could also have somthing to do with teh size and wait of your new cam.

 

Rich.

Hi John! Remember that rule of the thumb when shooting handheld (1/focal length). It goes something like this... Whatever lens you may be using, always pay attention with WHAT focal length of your lens you're currently using. Say for example, you have a 70-200 mm Lens & you're in the 180mm focal length, that only means that you should not(unless you have a very steady hands to prevent camera shake) shoot below 1/180th.

As Oliver said, but you should also factor in the crop factor of the body. Can't remember where I saw an explanation of this though... I find I can hand-hold a quite a bit slower than 1/(focal length) with my 5D, so I guess I am lucky.

What mixed bag is hidden behind the phrase "all other cameras"? Perhaps a Hassleblad 2 1/4" square (larger format), a Leica M6 (no mirror to add vibration)? Without points of reference the question is not answerable.

<i>Shooting at 1/50 with a 50mm lens, one will have a higher percentage of "sharp" 100% crops with a 5D than a 1Ds3. I'll leave it to the physics experts to give the technical explanation.</i><br><br>

I'm not a physics expert but EOS 1Ds Mark III is just heavier :)

I happily blast away with a 1Ds3 at slower shutter speeds (provided that I don't have moving elements in the frame)

with not too shabby results, with a variety of reasonable lenses (pretty much everything without IS below 85 mm plus

24-105

IS.) But keep in mind that pretty much anything below 1/150-1/100s handheld is a crap shot in terms of

sharpness, IS or not (forget the 1/focal length "rule" - it's nonsense for anything other than RF cameras and in any

event it was good only for 6x9 cm enlargements.)

<br>

Put the camera on a tripod and test the sharpness using Live View and AF and compare it to the results you are

getting handheld: chances are that this is pilot error.

<br>

I'm not sure whether or not 1Ds3 requires any special handling, a steady hand always helps a lot with any

camera, but for sure it makes pilot errors painfully obvious :-) <br><br>

 

<img src="http://d6d2h4gfvy8t8.cloudfront.net/7682313-lg.jpg" alt="1Ds3 handheld"/><br>

<b>1Ds3, ISO 200, f/8, 1/50s, 24-105/4 L IS @105mm handheld</b><br> Full frame, resized for web and slightly

sharpened after resizing.

i saw three different posts referring to the crop factor - the 1ds3 is full frame...same as the 5 so that is not an issue. it is heavier than anything you have likely shot before and that is an issue...

Aside from that - send it to canon, seems like you have a problem

If you think there is a problem with the camera that produces camera motion blur or similar you should try shooting from a tripod to make

sure that isn't the case. If the camera is fine on a tripod, it seems unlikely that there is something about the body itself that is causing

the issue.

 

Are you inspecting images at 100% in order to make your comparison to "all other cameras?" If so, keep in mind that you are looking at

a smaller segment of the overall image of 1DsM3 images compared to other FF bodies since the photosites are closer together. (If this

is the issue, your prints should look equally sharp with this body even though the 100% magnification may reveal existing blur a bit

more.)

 

Dan

You have a $8,000 1ds mk3 and you ask that question?

 

Somebody please shoot me! ;-)

Regarding the crop factor effecting handholding ability, I would think the crop bodies are making the effective focal lengths longer, and as always the narrower field of view makes it more difficult to handhold.

Robert turner - so if I was a new photograpaher and came into shed loads of money, would I not be allowed to purchase a 1DIII as it is only reverved for experienced photographers? I've yet to see that condition on all the websites selling this camera. There are plenty of rich old men at camera clubs sporting the very top of the range gear, many of them inexperienced photographers. What you say is nonsense.

@ david - i hear what you are saying but I kind of agree that you shouldn't drive a F1 race car if you don't know how....no matter how much cash you have.

Please, driving an F1 race car is a poor and incorrect analogy. It's like some people on this forum comparing the expertise of photography to brain surgery. They don't compare. One requires vastly more knowledge than the other. A camera is a camera. If you know how to set the aperture, ISO and shutter speed according to the scene, i.e. exposure, and press the shutter release button you can do okay. Composition and the moment the photograph is taken is another story with the skills required being unrelated to the camera body. This goes for any camera, even my old Leica III from 1936 (obviously not set the ISO because it is film....), all the way to my 5D. All the super dooper cameras offer are all sorts of nice and high performance features which in many cases come by default, such as inherent very low high ISO noise, high resolution, high frame rate. A person who understands a lowly 350D inside out would need a couple of hours max to familiarize themselves with a 1DsIII. For me going from my 350D to a 5D took me about 10 minutes - a quick look through the menus and a good old feel and I was ready to go.

I use 24-70L with slow shutter like 1/15~1/10s handheld and I have no problems at all.

"If you know how to set the aperture, ISO and shutter speed according to the scene, i.e. exposure, and press the shutter

release button you can do okay."

 

Maybe. But no better than OK.

 

Dan

Mine 1/2 handhold...

David B - Hey man, I totally agree with your comment. I have a 71 year old acquaintance who is dating a 19 year old supermodel - he doesn't know what to do with her most of the time either...:-)

Use the rule 1/(focal length of lens).

 

I have steady hands so I generally shoot as low as 1/8 or 1/4th. Ive gotten sharp shots at 1 second. If you have a heavy camera you can generally go longer, my F4 is like a brick so it stays steady for longer.

It is not the camera, it is your hands!

 

if you see a difference between this and your previous camera, it is likely that due to a difference in weight and form factor, your hand are not as stable as before. I believe that with practice you can get the same level of stability as your previous cameras.

General rule of thumb with a Full Frame 35: reciprocal of the focal length. Multiply by the crop factor. Thus to do it reliable shoot a 50mm lens at 1/80.

 

Of course, if you don't there will still be shots that come out fine.

 

Your grip has a lot to do with it, as does your foot position.

I have been shooting for about 10 years now. I have shot 35 mm, 4x5 and own a rollei and a hasselblad, which I

took all over the world with me. I am not as experienced with digital, but don't act like you know me because of a simple question.

 

I am trying to figure out if other eos1ds mk3 users have a similar problem. I have never experienced this with my previous canon eos,

any other digital camera. I have a very steady hand, and I can shoot with the hassleblad at 1/60 just fine. Ive shot 35mm at 1/60th for

years without a problem. So I doubt it is me shaking this camera more. It is either something inherent to the design of the camera, or

there is smoething wrong with it or the lens. The images i get from this camera at 1/80th are noticable soft, even when looking at the

whole image, at 20% zoom in photoshop. I didn't even know how sharp this camera was until I did a series of headshots with flash only,

and was able to zoom into see the pores and individual hairs, and it still had plenty of detail.

 

Thanks for all the tips. I didn't know about the focal length rule.