Hand-Holding vs Tripod

The Setup

As a follow-up to my previous tripod post, I wanted take a look for myself at practical uses of a tripod versus regular hand holding, especially with the modern image stabilization systems available today.

The trigger for this post was a comment I read on one of the photography forums, the poster said that he would never consider shooting without a tripod, even in full daylight. This got me thinking, does a tripod really make a noticeable difference even when shooting at very high shutter speeds? I set off to find out.

But what do people usually use tripods for? I can think for a few, but I bet there are much more than what I know, I would like to hear from you in the comments if you know of more:

• Slow shutter speeds (landscapes, night shooting, long exposures, etc...).
• High magnification work, like macro and close-up shooting, any vibration will be greatly magnified.
• Telephoto work, similar to the above, with long focal lengths, shake and vibrations are magnified, usually used with a gimbal head, to give a degree of stability, but enable free and smooth motion.
• Fix camera position, when you want to tinker around with your subject or composition (product photography, portraits, etc...) and want the camera to stay still.
• Fix camera point of view, when taking multiple exposures of the same scene (HDR), or taking wide panorama shots, etc...
• Top view, some tripods provide a tilting center column,so you could get a top view camera position.
• Low angle shooting, some tripods can get very close to the ground for very low angle shooting, or you could use small tabletop tripods.
• High camera position, used for portraits.
• Video work, obviously, good video requires a stable camera and smooth motion, which can be achieved with a fluid video head.
• All sorts of other things, I use mine to carry flashes, hold reflectors, etc...

Left: tripod carrying flash. Middle: gorillapod holding reflector in place (reflector fixed from the top).

TEST METHODOLOGY

I decided to make it very simple, I white dotted piece of paper, then I drew some slanted crossing lines as you see below, then I used sticky pieces of paper to know which picture was taken with a tripod or handheld, IS on or off, and whether it was indoor or outdoor in sunlight.

As you already see, this is not really scientific, but it will give me the answers I want. On the computer, I checked all pictures at 100% and 200% to see any motion blur. Apart from the crossing lines, there are very tiny dots on the paper that can only be seen by pixel peeping.

My Scientific Test Chart

Since I was already doing this anyway, I decided to answer Mic's request about the effect of leaving image stabilization on while the camera is on a tripod, and despite having experience regarding this issue before, I tested it as well.

I wanted to compare different cameras with different image stabilization systems to get a little bit more information, so here's what I used:

• Olympus OM-D EM-5 with 12-50 kit lens (for 100mm & macro tests) and the 40-150R (for telephoto tests), the OM-D has IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization).
• Canon 60D with 55-250 IS (for telephoto tests), IS here comes from the lens.
• Sony RX100 (for 100mm tests), not sure if the IS is in the lens or the body, but I believe it is the former.

Now let me tell you what tests I performed, and what results I got. For all my testing, I shot at f/8 to get the sharpest results, and avoid any DOF issues.

TEST 1: INDOOR SHOOTING - IMAGE STABILIZATION TEST

For this test, I shot the test target handheld, both with IS on and off, and both at 100mm and 300mm equivalent focal lengths, we're talking 1/30 sec shutter speeds, I took a three shot burst with each combination (which is what I do in normal shooting), here's what I found:

• Sony @ 100mm - IS ON: 2 out of 3 shots came out sharp.
• Sony @ 100mm - IS OFF: 1 out of 3 shots came out sharp.


• OMD @ 100mm - IS ON: 3 out of 3 shots came out sharp.
• OMD @ 100mm - IS OFF: 0 out of 3 shots came out sharp.


• OMD @ 300mm - IS ON: 1 out of 3 shots came out sharp.
• OMD @ 300mm - IS OFF: 0 out of 3 shots came out sharp.


• 60D @ 300mm - IS ON: 1 out of 3 shots came out sharp.
• 60D @ 300mm - IS OFF: 0 out of 3 shots came out sharp.

But are the good shots come out as sharp as possible? Or are they just good compared to the blurry ones? Next I used the tripod for reference.

TEST 2: INDOOR SHOOTING - TRIPOD TEST

Same scenario as before, but with the camera mounted to the tripod instead, I tested with both IS on and off, the shutter speed was 1/30 sec:

• Sony @ 100mm - IS ON or OFF: little sharper than the handheld shot, IS didn't matter.


• OMD @ 100mm - IS ON: similar to the handheld shot.
• OMD @ 100mm - IS OFF: best result, better than the one with IS on.


• OMD @ 300mm - IS ON or OFF: much better than the handheld shots, but remember the success rate wasn't that good (1 out of 3) in the first place, IS didn't matter.

With such slow shutter speeds, the tripod makes a considerable difference, however, whether IS was turned on or off, didn't make an apparent difference except in one case.

From experience, I had very bad results shooting the moon with the 60D & 55-250 on a tripod when I forgot the IS on, and when I turned it off, images turned sharp, so there must be a truth to this issue, it might not be 100% repeatable with all subjects, lenses, exposure times, etc... But it is there, and whenever I exert the effort to use a tripod, I would better turn IS off as well.

For the record, I tested all the camera combinations mentioned above with long (one second) exposures on the tripod with both IS on and off, but didn't find a difference.

TEST 3: MACRO SHOOTING

For this test I used the macro mode of the 12-50 kit lens, which reaches 0.7x magnification @ 84mm, I wanted to see what I can do handheld at slow shutter speeds (1/30 sec). This time I fired a long series of shots, not just three shots, results go like this:

• Handheld - IS OFF: not a single shot came out sharp.
• Handheld - IS ON: 50% of the shots came out sharp, this was a surprise for me, I got much better results in the exact same room with the exact same lighting with my 5D3 and 100L Macro IS (f/8, ISO 1600 and 1/6th), as you can see here.
• Tripod - IS OFF: best results as expected.

TEST 4: OUTDOOR SHOOTING - TRIPOD TEST

Now we come to the most important question, does it make a difference shooting at high shutter speeds (read: daylight) handheld versus a tripod?

I tested the OMD and the 60D at 300mm, and skipped the shorter focal lengths since these results would cover them anyway. The OMD metered for 1/1000 sec, and the 60D metered for 1/2000 sec, so the 60D had the advantage of a higher shutter speed. Here are the results:

• OMD - Handheld - IS OFF or ON: all shots came out sharp.
• 60D - Handheld - IS ON: all shots came out sharp.
• 60D - Handheld - IS OFF: 2 out of 3 shots came out sharp.
• Tripod - Both Cameras - IS OFF: same results as the other sharp ones, and not any better, busted.

Are they always necessary?

CONCLUSION

So what to conclude from this? You can already make your own conclusions, and you might even have different opinions about the whole matter (I would like to hear them), but here's what I learned for myself, tripods have many more uses than just trying to get the sharpest shot possible, however when seeking the sharpest possible shot (especially when printed big):

• Always use a tripod at slow shutter speeds when possible, even if the shutter speed is faster than the 1/focal length rule, and turn IS off instead of risking the 1% chance that something will go wonky and create some motion blur.
• Always use a tripod when shooting macro for the best results.
• Don't bother with a tripod in daylight and fast shutter speeds.

I guess that's it, do you have any other useful insights?

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Going Crazy With Tripods

My Tabletop Tripod Trio

I love tripods, I go all soft and wobbly when I see attractive looking ones, so here is my story with tripods, including the bit I hinted about in my travel to Poland post.

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SLIK MINI PRO III TABLE-TOP TRIPOD

The first tripod I ever bought was my favorite Slik Mini Pro tripod shown below, it has a very nice ball head, it is very well made and sturdy, and can carry a much larger load than it looks capable of, this is my most used tripod, I use it for macros, for carrying flashes, and for low angle shots (both stills and video). It is very compact to take everywhere and fit any bag (It was the only accessory I took with me to Europe), and it also comes with a nice carrying pouch.

The little monster

Carrying the 60D + 85 1.8, it used to carry my 5D3 with the 100 Macro as well

And the carrying pouch

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JOBY GORILLAPOD SLR ZOOM

I bought this one on an impulse while I still had the 5D3, I always wanted to try this tripod, I bought it for several reasons:

• To put the camera very low to the ground.
• To attach a wireless flash in unique positions (tree branch, pole, etc...).
• Same for my Zoom H1 mic, I use it in different positions.

But I never intended to hang my 5D3 from a tree branch or a fence, that would scare me to death, however, I can trust it now with the much lighter Sony RX100 or even the OMD. Initially I bought it without the ball head, but later I regretted it because it severely limited the angles and positions I can get, so I bought the ball head, and I am happier now. One thing to note, despite this being touted as an SLR tripod, it could not hold my 5D3 and a 100 Macro lens in normal tripod positions, either flat on the ground or hanging from something.

The ball head is very smooth, it has a quick release plate with a bubble level, but the most annoying thing about either the ball head or the tripod itself, is the screw used to fix it to your camera, you'll need to use a coin to screw it. You can check my Macro Fun @ Home post to see how I used the tripod with the OMD for macro shooting.

Shooting macro with the GorillaPod

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YASHICA ST-7

This one I received as a gift with an old Yashica Electro GTN rangefinder film camera, I haven't used it yet in real world, only for fun, because it has short legs and it offers no advantages over my other tabletop tripods, except for the very compact size, and the nice carrying strap. I will post about it whenever I use it in a real world scenario.

Very compact, Yashica on the bottom, Slik on the top

Maximum height

Yashica Oldies

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MANFROTTO 294A3 KIT

This is the first normal sized tripod I bought, prior to it, I used my father's video tripod from the 80's, it was a solid tripod, but it was very heavy, used twisty knobs to release the tripod legs, and it had a non-removable two axis head (the one with two arms, one for pan, the other for tilt).

We don't have good tripod brands sold in Egypt, every once in a while, some local dealer imports a few tripods and sells them. I used this chance and got myself the nice Manfrotto 294 Aluminum tripod kit, which consisted 3 section aluminum legs with quick release, and the 496RC2 ball head with a quick release plate.

The tripod is actually very nice, it can carry up to 5 kg of weight, it reaches a respectable height, it has a ball head with variable friction, a quick release plate, quick release 3-section legs with 2 opening positions, it has two velvet-feeling handles on two of the legs (for when it's cold to touch the metal legs), it is quite compact and light (2.25 kg), and the center column can be reversed for low angle shooting.

All in all, it is an excellent tripod, and I didn't look further, maybe once in a while I would read about a carbon fiber tripod or see a video about a pistol grip and consider that, but then decide against it since it will be a headache to import a tripod to Egypt (remember, these tripods are not sold in Egypt). All I did was buy a cheap tripod bag to make carrying it easier, but I didn't like the bag because it was way too large, and the smaller one would not fit the tripod through the zipper.

A handsome looking tripod, room light, 60D + 85 1.8 wide-open

Reversible column, excuse the picture quality, shot with my old Galaxy S2 in low light

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MANFROTTO 190CX PRO3 CARBON FIBER

When I went to Poland earlier, I visited the FotoPlus shop in Krakow, it is known for having good prices. I checked the tripod section, and found a carbon fiber one that was very light and impressed me, after I went back to the hotel, I researched the Manfrotto tripods, and I found that the 190 and 055 series, were the best, they are almost identical features wise, except that the 055 series is much larger, heavier, can carry larger weight (8 kg vs 5 kg for the 190) and can go taller, otherwise the 190 series is just as good.

So I went to facebook, and posted my 294A3 tripod for sale (we have very active used photography equipment sale groups in Egypt), and I immediately got a few interests, so I considered it sold and went next day to buy the 190CXPRO3, when it came to the head, ultimately I wanted to get a fluid video head, but I knew they were expensive and large, dismissed, next I wanted a pistol ball head, and I found a good one, but turns out it is too big and large, beats the purpose of having a light carbon fiber tripod in the first place, so I went with the same 496RC2 ball head I had before, it is just the right size and weight, and it can carry up to 5 kg of weight, I needed no more. Additionally, I bought a much nicer Manfrotto tripod bag, it fit the tripod perfectly.

The advantages of my new tripod over the old one can be summarized like this:

• Much lighter and easier to carry, especially with the new bag.
• 4 positions for the legs, up to 89 degrees, almost perpendicular, which enables the tripod to go flat on the ground.
• Center column can turn 90 degrees to get parallel to the ground, useful for shooting top view.
• Bubble level.

I am pretty pleased with my newest purchase, and I believe it will last me a very long time indeed, my old tripod have been sold to a new happy owner, now I leave you with some pictures.

Manfrotto 190CX Pro3

Carbon Fiber

Flexible leg positions

Tiltable center column

Manfrotto 496RC2 Ball Head

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A Couple Of Yashica Oldies

Yashica Electro 35 GTN + Yashica ST-7

 
How many of you know the above camera? Have you seen such a tripod before? Hit the jump for a flash back in time.
 
The first camera I have ever used, and learned to take photos with, was my father's Yashica Electro 35 GSN, it is not the one shown above, but it is identical in almost everything, and the top part has a silver color instead of black as the one in the picture, which is a GTN by the way.
 

Aperture, Distance Scale, DOF scale, WB, Self Timer & Bulb Mode

 
It was (past tense used to indicate it was decommissioned ~ 10 years ago) a 35mm film range finder, it has a fixed 45mm f/1.7 lens, and to focus, you look through the viewfinder where you see two images of the same scene but slightly shifted horizontally, you move the focus ring until the two images of the object you want to focus on coincide on top of each other, only then can you trip the shutter.
 

Film Speed

 
We used it with color Kodak film, I think it was ASA 400 film, you had a dial to select the film speed (aka sensitivity, or ISO in digital). The camera was mostly automatic, you pick the required aperture and it will select a shutter speed between 1/500 sec up to 30 sec depending on the light conditions, there are two lights that tells you if the shot was going to be over or under exposed, which meant the camera couldn't select a shutter speed suitable enough, and you had to take action. I remember my father taught me to use f/16 aperture when shooting in sunlight, and down to f/1.7 indoors, middle apertures were used in between both extreme lighting conditions.
 

Self Timer

 
See that silver lever with the red dot? That's the self timer, you move it counter clockwise until it locks in place (it uses a spring mechanism), and when you trip the shutter, it returns to it's original position slowly, you have around 10 seconds before the camera takes a picture.
 
One of my step mother's friends gave the camera and the tripod shown here to my daughter to play with, it was the first time for me to see that tripod, it was quite interesting, a unique design which I never saw before, let's have a few looks first, I will compare it to my Slik Mini-Tripod with a ball head, which I adore, especially that it can carry up to 3kg of weight.
 

Yashica ST-7 is really tiny

 

Unscrew the bottom, spread the legs, and screw it back

 

Legs expanded

 

Made in Germany

 

Ball head, a nice surprise

 

Compared to my Slik tripod with only the legs opened

 

Slik's maximum height

 

Maximum height, with maximum legs length

 

How would you focus like that without a rear live view screen? We're quite spoiled.

 
The tripod was a very nice surprise, it is tiny when closed (a mini monopod), it has a ball head, a nice hand strap, and it is very sturdy, and all the mechanical bits are too smooth. The one who came up with this design is a genius. Of course I doubt it will carry a heavy DSLR with a heavy lens with such short legs, but it is more than adequate for small cameras and my soon-to-be-acquired Olympus OM-D EM-5.
 
All of the tripod pictures were taken with the 5D Mark III and the 100 Macro L, I was too lazy to use any lighting equipment, so I just used available overhead room lights, all exposures were completely hand held (not even resting my hands on a table), f/8, ISO 1600 and 1/6th of a second, now that's more than 4 stops of image stabilization, and in some of the shots I was at macro shooting distances, the 100L is really the perfect lens.

Posted with Blogsy

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Shooting In The Desert - My First Time

 

A couple of years ago I noticed that one my friends started posting lots of "Dunes" pictures, they usually consisted of a car or two, a few guys and lots of sand. I wondered what they did in these trips and where did they go to, so he offered me to join him in one of the trips and I jumped at the opportunity. I wanted to enjoy the adventure and take better-than-camera-phone pictures, hit the jump for the full pictorial.

 

 

This is my friend's car, a 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser, fully prepped and modified for such treks, in this picture we have just left the asphalt and were reducing the tire pressure to get a larger footprint and avoid getting stuck in the soft sand.

Camera wise, I chose my 15-85mm lens and skipped everything else for two reasons, knowing that it will be windy, I was not keen to change lenses when there's a chance I might get dust on the sensor (never cleaned it, and hope to never need to), the other reason being the flexibility of the zoom, I knew I will be mostly shooting landscapes with a large DoF, and this lens provided a 24mm equivalent field of view, so the small aperture didn't put me off, I spent most of the time between f/8 and f11, and when I needed to zoom or get a close-up, it also served me well.

 

 

Of course with such environments a CPL is a very useful accessory, it really helped enrich the blue hues of the sky and darken the sand's color. The other accessories I took with me were a Manfrotto tripod + a remote shutter release /intervalometer for the night shots (review coming later), a couple of speedlights, the Lumiquest SBIII and a lens cleaning kit.

 

 

 

 

 

We spent the night behind the rocks you see in the picture above, it provided a good shelter from the wind. Once we settled in and setup our tents, it was almost sunset time, I took a few pictures of the beautiful violet sky hues like the picture at the top of the post, and the one below.

 

 

Once it got dark, I setup my tripod and started taking photos, the most difficult thing was focusing on far away objects in almost complete darkness. During the below shots, I learned that I don't have the patience for long exposures, I hope I can rectify this in the future.

 

 

 

 

In the photo above I wanted to light the rock to give it a more interesting look, so I setup the camera on the tripod, adjusted the exposure, and asked my friend to release the shutter when I signalled him.

The rock was quite far from the camera, so I left one speedlite with my friend and I took the other, and we agreed that I will signal him with a flash and he will release the shutter, then I will start using my speedlite's test button to light the rock, I had no idea how much light is enough, so I set my flash to full power and kept firing it during the exposure.

As you can see, I didn't really succeed (can you see me to the right of the rock?), and due to the failure of our signaling system and my lack of patience, the above shot was the only one I got. I slept very early that day and resumed shooting the next morning with the sunrise.

 

 

 

 

 

I enjoyed that trip very much, and would not hesitate to repeat it anytime. I was also happy with the IS performance of my lens, I took loads of nice shots from inside the car while we were jumping around.

 

 

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