is this camera shake???

bnkrecords · May 2, 2007

Sorry if it is in the wrong forum, please move if so...

so alot of my pictures have been coming out like this. is this me moving the camera? I have these current settings from what I know of..

Nikon D200
ISO is auto
WB is auto

within the shooting menu, the settings are
high iso NR is on Normal
Iso sensitivitiy is 100

LaFoto · May 2, 2007

Hmmm. No. It does not look like camera shake to me.
But the focus is wrong. It is too short, it is somewhere before the boy (where there is nothing). How did you focus? Did you let the camera focus for you? If all photos came out like this with the focus set on AUTO, it seems like you are having a problem with the camera (my guess).

A pity!

Big Mike · May 2, 2007

Looks like possible camera shake to me.

You have to give us more info; What was the shutter speed, aperture, lens used etc. The shutter speed especially is important.

bnkrecords · May 2, 2007

Big Mike said:
Looks like possible camera shake to me.

You have to give us more info; What was the shutter speed, aperture, lens used etc. The shutter speed especially is important.

im still learning all that stuff, so everything is on auto with the camera.

that was a bad example pic, here is another.

darich · May 2, 2007

My first impression is camera shake too.

The second one is definitely camera shake

bnkrecords · May 2, 2007

right now im using a Nikon AF-s Nikkor 18-135mm 1:3.5 - 5.6G ED Lense...

is this a bad lense?

Sw1tchFX · May 2, 2007

bnkrecords said:
im still learning all that stuff, so everything is on auto with the camera.

that was a bad example pic, here is another.

Now that is DEFIANTLY camera shake. As far as the first one, it looks more out of focus. If we had some EXIF data on the aperture and shutter speed, than it would make diagnostics all that easier and we'd be able to make a real decision off of that.

bnkrecords · May 2, 2007

Sw1tchFX said:
Now that is DEFIANTLY camera shake. As far as the first one, it looks more out of focus. If we had some EXIF data on the aperture and shutter speed, than it would make diagnostics all that easier and we'd be able to make a real decision off of that.

i wouldnt begin to know how to tell you, im still very new to this camera and the world of photography.... ill look and see if i can find it..

Ps, Switch, do you got a myspace page?

Big Mike · May 2, 2007

im still learning all that stuff, so everything is on auto with the camera.

That's OK...but you should still have that info for the photos you have taken...which can help us (and you) determine where your problem is.

right now im using a Nikon AF-s Nikkor 18-135mm 1:3.5 - 5.6G ED Lense...
is this a bad lense?

It's not a bad lens...it's just a little 'slow'. By that I mean that the maximum aperture is not very big. (F3.5 to F5.6) (lower number is a bigger aperture).

You have to watch your shutter speed when shooting. The rule of thumb is that you want the shutter speed to be faster than the focal length. So if you have your lens at it's max zoom (135mm), you will want to use a shutter speed of 1/135 or faster...the faster the better.

The problem is that you are dependant on the light avaliable. If it's too dark, you just can't get an exposure at those faster shutter speeds. However, there are things you can do to help.

On auto, your camera is probably using the maximum aperture already...that what you need to do. A lens with a bigger aperture would be the best solution....something like F2.8 or even better, F1.8 or F1.4. With your lens, what you can do to take the ISO off of auto and set it manually. As you turn the ISO up, you can use a faster shutter speed. There is a trade off though...the higher the ISO, the more noise you will see in the image. Try it out and see the results that you get. Quite often, it's better to have a sharp image that is a bit noisy...than to have a blurry image.

Since this is probably camera shake...you can cure that by using a tripod and remote release...or to a lesser extent by using a monopod (or just anything to hold the camera steadier than freely in your hands.

Also, note that blurriness can also be caused by subject movement...so if your daughter is moving...you will need a faster shutter speed to freeze the action...which may be impossible when the light is not good.

usayit · May 2, 2007

I wouldn't say any lens is "Bad" (unless defective). Camera shake is more of a function of the photographer holding the camera rather than the lens itself. My guess is that at 135mm focal length, max aperture of f5.6, and an ISO of 100 caused the camera to pick a relatively slow shutterspeed. Too slow to be shot handheld.

Ways to improve..
* Shoot at shorter focal lengths although it is not always possible. Rule of thumb is that slowest shutter you can handhold is 1/focal length.
* Faster lens. f5.6 at 135mm is pretty slow. This is often the best way to get better results... but one problem.. cost $$$$. Reason why sports photographers have thousands invested in glass.
* Tripod/monopod. Tripod or monopod will help steady the camera and reduce camera shake.
* Increase ISO: You shot at 100. Try shooting at ISO 400. This should allow you to shoot at faster shutter setting and maintain a proper exposure.

bnkrecords · May 2, 2007

usayit said:
cost $$$$. Reason why sports photographers have thousands invested in glass.

so if money wasnt a problem, can anyone provide links to some excellent lenses i should consider?

Robbie · May 2, 2007

It's cheaper to crank up your ISO than to get a new lense !

LaFoto · May 2, 2007

The second photo is camera shake along with motion blur together, that much is quite sure --- as to the second. But I am still not quite so sure about the first (the one that shows right here in the thread). It looks like too short a focus to me!
Seems like you took these photos in fading light, and since the camera was on AUTO, it compensated for the fading light with longer shutter speeds, a thing you never realised, but the photos show. When subjects move and the shutter is open for long, you will see that movement, and the same applies to the movement you give your camera at the time.

But the blur is not as streaky in the first as it is in the second :scratch: ... I cannot see the movement, the shaking.

Big Mike · May 2, 2007

This would be a great lens for your purposes
70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor

Here is a link to Nikon's lenses. Remember that a lower F number is a bigger aperture (better).
You could also look into other manufacturers like Tamron or Sigma.