Used to think steady hands were all that mattered for sharp photos, turns out I was wrong

I was always the guy who bragged about holding my camera still, thought that was the secret. Then my buddy Dave let me borrow his tripod last weekend for a night shoot downtown near the riverwalk. I set it up, took the same shot handheld and on the tripod, and the difference was huge - the tripod shot was way sharper even at a fast shutter speed. Now I'm wondering, do most of you use tripods for everything or just low light situations?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.wade14d ago

The 1/60th rule of thumb is actually a starting point, not a hard rule. You can get sharp shots handheld at slower speeds if you brace yourself right, but tripods still win every time for critical sharpness. I use one for night shots and long exposures, but also for macro work where any tiny shake shows up. For daytime street stuff I shoot handheld mostly, but for landscapes or anything with fine detail I bring the tripod. The real benefit comes from using mirror lock up or a remote release with the tripod, that eliminates even more vibration. Your buddy Dave knew what he was doing, tripods are a game changer once you get used to luggin one around.

jessel3514d ago

Man, you hit the nail on the head @mitchell.wade... the mirror lock up thing is something people sleep on way too much. I noticed a huge difference in sharpness once I started using a remote shutter too, even with a solid tripod under me. The real trick is finding a lightweight carbon fiber tripod so you don't hate carrying it everywhere, but it still makes a worlds difference for landscapes and macro. I never leave home without mine now, especially for long exposures at dusk... that's where it really pays off.