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Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
Many of my pictures are suffer from "handshaking" during low-light shots. I just wonder how others would fight with it (f there is no option to open lens wider or make faster shutter speed or use IS). What means do you use to prevent shaking of the camera? Tripods, monopods, some minor devices, some photographer's body poses that are stable (which ones?), gym excersises to improve hands stability (which ones)?
I am thinking that I may buy a monopod (I wonder how security may look at that). Also, maybe someone remember, there were some advices how one can stand with camera to prevent shaking?
Re: Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
Well, I realise this isn't a helpful answer, but I basically do not do much to prevent handshake. About 90% of the concerts I shoot are such that the preformer is so energetic that stopping motion will be important and thus the hand shake will not be a problem (If I can't stop motion, hand shake does not matter either).
This doesn't of course apply to tele shots, where I use image stabilization, but then, I could do without tele shots (they come out as a bit flat and ull, more often than not). Oh, by the way, I do use the pillars of Lutakko (there are a few holding the roof up) to stabilize myself if I use tele. I just lean to them the way it feels the best.
Didn't you own the 50/1.8? Do you encounter a lot of situations where f1.8 and ISO1600 is not enough? I know there are situations when that does not suffice (shutterspeeds are constantly below 1/80 s), but it's rather seldom.
Anyhow, mostly I'd see mono- and tripods as too restrictive for most of the concerts I shoot (but then, we do shoot on different venues, so where you shoot it might be possible to use 'pods...). Before consider buying anything that you can use to hit another person like with a baseball bat, you probably should ask the venue(s) you most often shoot if it is ok to bring such a thing in.
There also is a invention called "string pod", I've never used it but apparently it works well. Do a loop to a string, put your lens through the loop, step on the other end of the string and lift the camra so that the string between your foot and the camera is tensioned. The tension will stabilize the camera.
You can also attach the other end of the string to a tripod plate (the one that you screw on to camera), if you think that's better than putting the lens through the loop.
Here's one link about string pods: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wiskerke/artikelen/string.html
Also, learn how to stabilize the camera against your head (the idea is that if you gently push it against your face, your camera will shake as much as your face :)). And note the technique you use for pushing the trigger. Squeeeeeeze it, dont "hit" it. If you are able to (it depends on the camera model) try if you can use the first joint of your trigger finger to push the trigger button, rather thatn the tip of the finger.
The book "Concert Photography" happens to deal with this problem also (i don't have it handy right now).
http://www.bjorklid.net/
http://www.huumakuva.net/
Re: Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
Kalle, thanks for the answer and your thoughts!
Yes, I posess 50/1.4, but sort of afraid to use high ISO, especially 1600. It's so noisy on my camera. Althrough, underlit ISO 400-500 is no good, so perhaps I should hesistate less (fortunately recent UDO concert was lit quite well). I will bear in mind all the precautions you tell me. :)
One wonder, is it any good to shoot at aperture 1.8 - isn't DOF pretty shallow then? TOO shallow?
Askar Ibragimov - middeneaht.deviantart.com
Re: Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
Better noise then an unusable image due to shake.
DoF can be rather shallow at 1.8, but I don't think it's too shallow on a 1.5 crop body. Give it a try. Be sure to focus on the eyes.
I use a monopod. Helps a lot, specially with the 80-200L (which isn't IS)
1/30 is possible at 200mm (sometimes ;))
Just got myself an L-plate, and ordered an Arca style QR plate, so 'portrait' images with other lenses should become an option as well.
(I have no (ball)head on the monopod, so could only shoot landscape orientation when using lenses without a tripod ring)
Apart from that, I agree with Kalle that proper technique also goes a long way. (be easy on the shutter button)
Re: Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
another tipp is to make use of the serial image funktion on your camera. In challenging situations I use up to 8 shots to get one that is not blurred. with a fast camera you can reduce the chances of hand shake as well as motion blur from the artist. I can get away with 1/20th on my 80-200 using the serial mode. Just get prepared to go through a lot of shots.
cheers
Stefan Schaufelberger
Fotografie
Switzerland
Re: Monopods, tripods and other means to maintain stability?
I have excellent light 90% + of the time as well as ability to use huge tripod with big glass, but I think there are several devices available to help stabilize the camera. Steve Parr (of San Diego) uses a gadget that looks like a rifle stock. I tend to always have the camera firmly against my face and my left elbow against my belly and move my upper body as a unit. If you can lean on something solid but not a speaker it can help. In fact, leaning against something solid with your body while standing can help. If you can't get it with a 50mm f/1.4 then almost nothing will help as Kalle says the performer will be moving more than that.
Dwight McCann