What is slowest shutter speed while hand held camera?

13 years 5 months ago #5026 by April77
Is there a rule of thumb when hand holding your camera? I have made the move to starting to shoot more in manual mode rather than the automatic settings. Yes I'm a newbie in photography. I've noticed that I can shoot around 1/30 and I start losing some clarity. Either way I think I might need to get a tripod.

April


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13 years 5 months ago #5029 by Screamin Scott
The rule back in film days was 1/focal length. Thus a 200mm lens requires a 1/200th shutter speed (it will actually be 1/250th on the camea as there is no 1/200th) If you brace well & don't hold your breath, you can get another stop. With "crop" sensor cameras this changes. A 200mm lens has the FOV of a 300mm lens on a Nikon 1.5x crop camera & thus you would need a shutter speed of 1/300. A 100mm setting would need a shutter speed of 1/150th (you could likely get by with the 1/125th)...Hope this helps! And yes, a good tripod works wonders...

Scott Ditzel Photography

www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/

Photo Comments
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13 years 5 months ago #5031 by Tennis Guy

Screamin Scott wrote: The rule back in film days was 1/focal length. Thus a 200mm lens requires a 1/200th shutter speed (it will actually be 1/250th on the camea as there is no 1/200th) If you brace well & don't hold your breath, you can get another stop. With "crop" sensor cameras this changes. A 200mm lens has the FOV of a 300mm lens on a Nikon 1.5x crop camera & thus you would need a shutter speed of 1/300. A 100mm setting would need a shutter speed of 1/150th (you could likely get by with the 1/125th)...Hope this helps! And yes, a good tripod works wonders...


I agree, very good post


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13 years 5 months ago #5032 by Dan Dangerfield
Anything under 1/100 I will shoot with tripod. Depends also on your lens, do you have VR (vibration reduction)?


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13 years 5 months ago #5091 by April77
Ok understood. Thanks ;)

Speaking of tripods, any recommendations? I've been looking around and have found so many brands, wood ones, aluminum ones, carbon fiber ones... geessssss! What is the difference from wood, aluminum or carbon fiber? I understand the material of course, but why one over the other?


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13 years 5 months ago #5108 by James L

April77 wrote: Ok understood. Thanks ;)

Speaking of tripods, any recommendations? I've been looking around and have found so many brands, wood ones, aluminum ones, carbon fiber ones... geessssss! What is the difference from wood, aluminum or carbon fiber? I understand the material of course, but why one over the other?


Vanguard and Manfrotto make a good carbon fiber tripod


Photo Comments
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13 years 5 months ago #5261 by FunnyGuy
Depends on what lens I'm using. Generally I won't hand hold when I get below 1/100 sec.


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13 years 5 months ago #5307 by VictorS

FunnyGuy wrote: Depends on what lens I'm using. Generally I won't hand hold when I get below 1/100 sec.


I'm with you, anything less than 1/100 use a tripod


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13 years 4 months ago #5883 by Jimmy
I find that the rule screamin scott gave still holds true today...


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