Stabilising telephoto lenses

[leif_goodwin8]

I am interested in other peoples experiences stabilising telephoto

lenses. I have a 200mm AIS micro lens that rings like a bell with

exposures ~1/100 seconds. Anything slower is out of the question. My

tests indicate the problem is shutter vibration combined with the

light weight of the lens. My solution is to drape a bean bag over the

camera to damp the vibration. (I have tested placing it over the

lens, and that is not so good.) Sadly this blocks the flash and makes

the camera hard to handle. I think my tripod and ball head are hefty

enough (Uniloc + Slik 800 Pro) so I don't think that is the cause.

 

Anyone got there own solutions? I have seen brackets that attach to

the tripod head, and which have attachment points for the camera base

and the front of the lens. The Manfrotto 293 lens support is one of

these. Quite pricey so I can't buy one to see in case it does not

work. Anyone tried one of these or similar?

 

This is the sort of thing I want to photograph:

 

http://mysite.freeserve.com/ukfungi2/ClubTailedDragonfly.html

 

Incidentally I have searched the archives and have found some useful

info but not too much.

[Jeremy Stein]

What about using a sort of platform, like you can get to put on top of tripods for projectors, and then using a bean bag on that to hold the lens and camera. I have found that, with luck and practice, a bean bag is very stable and also lets you move the whole assembly quite easily. The only problem I have had is that sometimes it's hard to focus the lens with the bag rubbing on the focus ring, but for macro work, you usually set the magnification and then move the whole assembly to get focus.

[bobatkins]

If I remember right, Porters used to sell a "beanbag tripod head" though I don't see it in their current catalog. The idea of getting the beanbag under the camera rather than over it is a good one.

 

A beanbag is actually a better support than a tripod and head as long as you can position it right. I've used a beanbag on a car roof to shoot with 500mm and 600mm lenses and I can get sharp results at slower shutter speeds than with a Gitzo CF tripod and B1 head!

[ilkka_nissila]

I think the problem is with the tripod. Have you tried to use a normal tripod without a "benbo" column? I think with any kind of lateral "arm", you're bound to get vibrations. Compare a normal tripod and the Uniloc, just try to move the head with your hand and you'll see a huge difference in stability.

 

Do you use a cable release or do you support the lens with your hands as well? Does your camera have MLU? You might want to add a second support under the camera so that the arm isn't wobbling so much. I know that this doesn't help with following the subject ...

 

I use four different sizes of tripods, depending on how low to the ground I need to get. I experimented briefly with Manfrotto magic arms, and felt that they are absolutely horrible as camera supports. Lighting supports, I guess they're ok for that. Since you have the 200 mm Micro-Nikkor, I think you would do well to try a smallish (but not too light) normal tripod. With the long lens, you can probably still find a good angle for your shots. I made mine from a Manfrotto 190 with a saw! Works adequately.

 

Nice shot of the dragonfly. I wish I had the ability to take those.

[dan_fromm1]

Leif:

 

You mentioned that a beanbag draped over the camera blocks the flash. So you're shooting with flash.

 

How can vibration be a problem with flash? Or are you using fill flash for the main subject and relying on ambient light to expose the background?

 

Also, I have the same lens and handhold it when the tripod isn't ready to hand. Sometimes get sharper images than I deserve, but rarely shoot below 1/100 anyway, so perhaps I'm not in the right territory to have terrible problems. What body are you using?

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[dan_fromm1]

One other stupid question, now that I think of it. Are you attaching the camera body or the lens to the tripod? I mean, my 200/4 AIS MicroNikkor has a tripod mount.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[jess_lee]

First, Bob I'll trade you 5 beanbags for that Gitzo CF and B1 you can't use to make photos sharper than those shot off a bean bag.

 

Leif, a couple of things, 1. Use Mirror lockup with shutter speeds slower than 1/100th. 2. Use a cable release, if you don't have a cable release use the self timer. Those are most critical. Make sure your tripod is tight and your camera is tightly connected to the head.

If these things ar followed you shouldn't have soft photos do to vibration. Of course there can be focus issues that can cause soft images.

[frank uhlig]

If your lens has a collar, there goes one tripod. If your camera has an L bracket, there you put another one, and now just watch the baby be rock steady. Add bean bafs, lightly touching hands ... and all will be even steadier.

[karl_lehmann]

Bob's right, a beanbag really is better - assuming you can position it before your subject disappears. MLU also makes a tremendous difference when you can use it. It should work fine with a static subject like a the resting dragonfly you're showing (unless its perch is swaying in the wind, in which case you'll almost always miss the focus).<P>

 

Another good method with a static subject is to use a much longer exposure - preferably multiple seconds. The vibrations will die out quickly at the beginning of the exposure so the longer the exposure the less they'll affect the image. Combine this with MLU for even better results.<P>As a last resort you can just overpower the ambient light with flash, but it's harder to get get a natural look this way (and usually requires multiple flash units). And if the background is too far away it will go black no matter what you do - not a natural look with a diurnal species!.<p>Karl Lehmann <a href="http://www.lostworldarts.com/new_page_3.htm">Lost World

Arts</a>

[leif_goodwin8]

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I should add that I use natural light without flash. I would like to use fill flash (-2 stops) but can't due to the bean bag. I think the Uniloc is as stable as a 'normal' tripod as I do not extend the centre column. It wobbles too much if I do. I have tried attaching the tripod to either camera or lens. The difference is slight but I prefer to attach to the lens as it feels more stable.

 

I will take some test photos (of a wall or similar) with the camera and lens on a bean bag. That is easy and cheap to do. I will also take some photos with the tripod with the legs at their minimum extension and some weights on the tripod to determine if the tripod really is the weak link.

 

I don't use MLU given that I have a Nikon F80 (N80).

 

The idea of making my own mount to fix to both camera and lens appeals. Should not be too hard.

 

Thanks again, Leif.

[alan_woolnough]

Hello Leif,

 

I cant really add much to the above replies, but on the odd occasion when i use my 500mm lens, for long distance static shots, and the situation doesnt allow the use of a bean bag, i mount the lens on the tripod and attatch a monopod to the camera body and adjust it to the ground. I find that this works very well, as it prevents up/down movement, although in windy weather it wont prevent sidewards movement.It is also a hell of a lot lighter than lugging two tripods around, and is extremely quick to set up.

 

All the best

[dan_fromm2]

Leif, if your camera is in good order the lens shouldn't move relative to it. You have a support problem.

 

Is it possible that your tripod head isn't well attached to the tripod? I ask because I've had all sorts of problems with Manfrotto tripods that were caused by the !@#@$! set screws in the top of the column coming just a little loose, allowing the head to move relative to the column.

 

And I've sworn to stop using my Bogen 3063 fluid head, sorry, can't recall the Manfrotto number, with long lenses because no matter how tight I clamp it the wretched thing is a tiny bit loose around the pan axis. The problem seems to be that the clamp that locks the pan can't be tightened quite enough. Not a problem with short lenses like your 200, but ...

 

What have you done to your Uni-Loc? I have a Benbo 3, very useful for working close to ground level, and when everything is clamped tight it is steady. Tippy, but steady.

 

Cheers,

 

Dan

[pvp]

All of the suggestions regarding equipment (tripods, heads, beanbags) are good, but you should also take a close look at your technique; long lenses require a bit different handling for optimum results. See Moose Peterson's web page for his thoughts on using long lenses:<p>

<A HREF="http://www.moose395.net/howto/longlens.html">http://www.moose395.net/howto/longlens.html</A>

[leif_goodwin8]

Hi Alan. A few years ago I took a series of test exposures to work out which techniques were good and which were bad. This is how I came to the bean bag trick. I did try Moose's suggestions but without success as I found that touching either the lens and camera was a bad idea. Hence I now use a cable release. I guess his techniques are for the really big lenses. (Which don't fit in my small pockets.) I suspect my lens is so small and light that it needs different technique. Anyway, I now have lots of good suggestions so I'll expose a film or two experimenting this weekend. Hopefully I will get a better idea of where the weak point is.

 

Thanks anyway. Leif.

[alex_lofquist]

That's also a sharp leaf, Leif.

 

Alex

[struan_gray]

I use a largeish Uniloc and a Benbo Trekker. On both of them,

the 'column' itself is quite resonant, and I get less vibration if I

extend the end the camera is sitting on by three to four inches.

Before I did this, the free end was resonant enough to pick up

vibrations, start wobbling and send those vibrations back to the

camera and lens. Shortening the free end a bit pushes the

vibrations up to frequencies where they are damped more

efficiently. A slight extension on the camera side does not make

it any less stable.

 

When you use the column, don't make the lengths on either side

of the central clamp round multiples or fractions of each other.

Equal lengths either side of the clamp is the worst, but any

simple ratio of lengths will allow vibrations to pass across the

central clamp more easily. Stick to <pi>, e and ø :-)

 

The other big killer on most camera mounts is the cork or rubber

spacers used to provide some friction between the head and the

camera or lens mounting. If you have such a spacer, get rid of it,

or replace it with a thinner one. Ideally you would have

metal-to-metal contact around a circular ring or at three points.