Life with Shakes

MeAgain

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I'm on medication that makes me shake. I have not gotten a tack sharp image since I started this medication. I'm told I can't live without it. Am I looking at a life chained to a tripod and trigger? It's impossible to shoot an event solely on a tripod right? I'm fairly desperate and have no idea where to turn.
 
I apologize. It seems I posted this under the wrong forum.
 
Welcome aboard. (there, now it's fine)
Faster shutter / higher ISO / more or brighter light. What subjects do you normally shoot?
 
people. Unfortunately they tend to move. I was shooting at the beach today. Good sun, 1/300o f/5.o iso 200. I thought a faster shutter would help but not a single shot's is focus. The shots are usable but soft as hell
 
that sounded snarkey. My frustration is poking out. I need to tuck it back in. Thanks for the reply. I'm in the process of banging my head on my desk.
 
If you can get people to pose then the tripod is not as much of an issue. I often use my self timer (set to just 2 seconds) and the pre-mirror-up option (may not be available on all cameras). With people shots, you might want to make them to think you are going to take the shot two seconds after you pushed the button. Although I expect a remote release is a better option. Also, newer cameras are starting to come out with the ability to be controlled from the cell phone.

Also, a bean bag on a table or the windowsill of the car is easier to use than a tripod. I've used homemade ones, but saw some really nice bean bags at the local camera store a couple months ago.
 
Thank you for the suggestions. I'll look into them :)
 
Do your shakes minimize with pressure? Like if you had the camera strap around your neck, use live view to compose and focus and "brace" the camera with the tension of holding it out against the pull of the strap around your neck. Just a thought
 
A few thoughts:

1) Take the camera out with a normal (to you) lens on it and take some shots. What you want to do is vary the shutter speed (increase ISO as needed) and see how fast a shutter speed you do need for a clear sharp shot. That will give you a base-line - it gives you a speed you know you can work at.
This is something we honestly all should do but most of us learn it haphazard as we shoot as to what our own tolerances are and with different lenses.

2) Use shorter focal length lenses where possible as that will decrease the amount of apparent handshake blur.

3) Have you tried a monopod - that would at least help take some of the shake out of the shot and might help you a lot without being as much a burden nor slow down as a tripod.

4) Tripod shooting doesn't mean you have to go slow; practice and you might find it faster than you think. However you might also need to find a really well stocked shop to try out different sorts to find one that works.
Honestly if you only need it for support rather than standing free with the camera one of the ultra cheap lightweight ones might actually work. I know that I had one of those and it was super fast to deploy because all 3 legs are linked together and its so light you hardly notice it. On the flipside though it wasn't strong nor tough and it wouldn't really work with heavier gear - again its a try before you buy and see what works for you.

5) Check out some disabled photography groups/forums. I say that because nessessity is the mother of invention and it might be that others within such social groups might well have come up with some inventive ideas for how to deal with a problem like your own.
 
Do your shakes minimize with pressure? Like if you had the camera strap around your neck, use live view to compose and focus and "brace" the camera with the tension of holding it out against the pull of the strap around your neck. Just a thought

unfortunately no. It's not just my hands that shake but my entire body. I've purchased a monopod and weight seems to help. For some odd reason, the heavier the better so I'm considering a battery pack just for the weight.
 
A few thoughts:

1) Take the camera out with a normal (to you) lens on it and take some shots. What you want to do is vary the shutter speed (increase ISO as needed) and see how fast a shutter speed you do need for a clear sharp shot. That will give you a base-line - it gives you a speed you know you can work at.
This is something we honestly all should do but most of us learn it haphazard as we shoot as to what our own tolerances are and with different lenses.

2) Use shorter focal length lenses where possible as that will decrease the amount of apparent handshake blur.

3) Have you tried a monopod - that would at least help take some of the shake out of the shot and might help you a lot without being as much a burden nor slow down as a tripod.

4) Tripod shooting doesn't mean you have to go slow; practice and you might find it faster than you think. However you might also need to find a really well stocked shop to try out different sorts to find one that works.
Honestly if you only need it for support rather than standing free with the camera one of the ultra cheap lightweight ones might actually work. I know that I had one of those and it was super fast to deploy because all 3 legs are linked together and its so light you hardly notice it. On the flipside though it wasn't strong nor tough and it wouldn't really work with heavier gear - again its a try before you buy and see what works for you.

5) Check out some disabled photography groups/forums. I say that because nessessity is the mother of invention and it might be that others within such social groups might well have come up with some inventive ideas for how to deal with a problem like your own.
 
a few if these I've tried. At the beach I just did a shutter of 1/4000 (oops 1/3000). How the heck to you get blur at that speed? I nearly cried.

I'll look into a disabled photography groups/forums. I think that may be good information.

Thank you. This was very helpful
 
Maybe there's some option for using a tripod and then remote-releasing the camera with an electronic release, at least for static type situations.

Perhaps a VR lens, set to 'active'; If your degree of tremor is as high as I think, your hand-holding would probably fall into the frequency range/irregularity level that Nikon's "Active VR" might be able to cancel the tremor. Active VR was initially designed for shooting from moving platforms, like boats, helicopters, and moving vehicles, where the tremor is both irregular, occasionally pretty high, and also where the camera is moving quite a bit, but not in a regular,consistent way.
 
Sorry, want to resize but don't know how in the settings. I'm slacking at work so I can't resize. I had to download it from facebook, upload it to my website, then link it here. It's probrably pointless because the quality is so degraded. But the exif is 1/3000 f/5.o iso 200. With that seed even my 2yo nephew hould get a clear shot.


Deleted the image. It's pointless. There's no EXIF and the compression from Facebook was ridiculous.
 
Last edited:
Maybe there's some option for using a tripod and then remote-releasing the camera with an electronic release, at least for static type situations.

Perhaps a VR lens, set to 'active'; If your degree of tremor is as high as I think, your hand-holding would probably fall into the frequency range/irregularity level that Nikon's "Active VR" might be able to cancel the tremor. Active VR was initially designed for shooting from moving platforms, like boats, helicopters, and moving vehicles, where the tremor is both irregular, occasionally pretty high, and also where the camera is moving quite a bit, but not in a regular,consistent way.[/QUOT

what's a VR lens? My "good" lens has image stabilization. I used that lens at the beach yesterday
 

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