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Archive 2017 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur

  
 
rabbitmountain
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


After reading discussion in another topic, I did the following write up about how motion blur can be reduced by cleverly adding weight.

We're talking about camera shake induced motion blur. The driving force is the "shaking" of the camera by the hands of the photographer. As long as the photographer were to only move the camera up, down or sideways, there would be a minimal amount of blur. However, we photographers tend to rotate what's in our hands, without being aware of it. Small amounts, but still it's rotating all the time. Just put on a long lens, switch off any IS and look through the viewfinder. Your image will be dancing up and down, left and right.

Rotation - multiplied by the distance - gives us the motion blur. Because long lenses reach much farther, rotation blur will increase linearly by focal length. Anything that could help us reduce the rotation will reduce the rotation blur. When you add weight, like a battery grip, you add weight. Yes. But added weight by itself will not reduce any rotation. The keyword is Rotation inertia. Inertia is what counters movement. This is why cord dancers hold a bar in their hands. Rotating a wide bar is quite hard. The objective is to place as much weight as possible towards the ends.

Back to cameras. Attaching a battery grip adds weight off centre. This is especially effective with short and light lenses with a long FL. If we attach a 70-200/2.8 and zoom to 135mm, our rotation inertia (officially called "moment of inertia" - if my english is correct) is much larger because the lens is longer so we have more weight off-centre. Adding a battery grip will add more percentage to the stability of the camera + 135L than to the 70-200/2.8. For small kit lenses like a light and cheap 70-300, adding a grip is most effective.

Additionally, when adding a battery grip, the photographer has a more "fixed" grip than without. The more rigid the connection between arm and camera (i.e. the hand holding the camera), the more the rotation inertia of the combo will grow, because now also the arm of the photographer becomes part of the inertia. Lots of extra off-center weight.

As an experiment, one could attach a monopod to a camera, turn off IS, lower shutter speed and shoot away. The result will be that the monopod adds inertia in the up-down rotation of the lens and the tilt left/right rotation, but not the left-right rotation. Most of the blur will be stripes left-right. If you should fix a stick to the monopod pointing horizontally (perpendicular to the monopod in any direction) you just built your own home made Image Stabilizer. This is exactly the principle I applied while traveling, attaching my walking sticks to my camera.

So even if you don't intend to walk around with walking sticks on your camera, adding a grip and gripping it firmly (but not shaky) will maximize the stabilizing effect.

And always insert two batteries, even if you don't need them for power!

Ralph

Edited on Jan 02, 2017 at 04:39 PM · View previous versions



Jan 02, 2017 at 04:08 PM
NCAndy
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


I know that I'm much more steady holding my 1D bodies than my gripless 5Dx bodies with the same lens attached. Adding the grip to the 5Dx does help somewhat though not as much as the heaver 1D. As I age I see more hand shake in the viewfinder at times and a heavier system seems to nullify much of it. But I also rely more and more on IS to add the last bit of stability.


Jan 02, 2017 at 04:23 PM
ggreene
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


When I had my 10D and much later on my 7D2 they felt odd without a vertical grip. I would always have them on just for ergonomics and balance. Sadly, Canon has yet to come up with a vgrip that has the feel of a 1D series body.


Jan 02, 2017 at 04:26 PM
Tapeman
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


I often lay my left arm on top of my 500 when shooting from a monopod or tripod.
It is something I have seen pros doing at Formula 1 races and seems to help.



Jan 02, 2017 at 04:36 PM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


I've always suffered a lot more blurred images with my small mirrorless cameras than DSLRs. I figured there's not much to hold on to (2 or 3 fingers on grip) and they're so light they bob up and down much more easily.


Jan 02, 2017 at 05:02 PM
rabbitmountain
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


NCAndy wrote:
I know that I'm much more steady holding my 1D bodies than my gripless 5Dx bodies with the same lens attached. Adding the grip to the 5Dx does help somewhat though not as much as the heaver 1D. As I age I see more hand shake in the viewfinder at times and a heavier system seems to nullify much of it. But I also rely more and more on IS to add the last bit of stability.


Hi Andy, the laws of physics only apply if all conditions are met. Theoretically, a gripped 5D3 with two batteries should be equal to a 1series body. But probably the joint is not 100% rigid, that is the only factor that can make a difference. Or pixel count: comparing a 1Dx to a 5Ds is not equal.

Always be sure to fix the screw very tightly.

Edited on Jan 02, 2017 at 05:31 PM · View previous versions



Jan 02, 2017 at 05:03 PM
M. Best
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


Huh. Interesting. I know IS lenses can help but I'd never have guessed that a heavier body could help reduce shake. Maybe I should look at getting either a gripped 5D4 or a 1Dx.


Jan 02, 2017 at 05:04 PM
NCAndy
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


rabbitmountain wrote:
Hi Andy, the laws of physics only apply if all conditions are met. Theoretically, a gripped 5D3 with two batteries should be equal to a 1series body. But probably the joint is not 100% rigid, that is the only factor that can make a difference. Or pixel count: comparing a 1Dx to a 5Ds is not equal.


The 1Dx is still heavier than a 5D3/4 gripped with two batteries, at least it feels heavier. I didn't consider pixel count of the cameras though, I was just thinking about what I see in the viewfinder. A higher density sensor will show shake more readily than a lower density sensor of course.



Jan 02, 2017 at 05:24 PM
NCAndy
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


M. Best wrote:
Huh. Interesting. I know IS lenses can help but I'd never have guessed that a heavier body could help reduce shake. Maybe I should look at getting either a gripped 5D4 or a 1Dx.


One of the fixes people use with the Sony A7r shutter vibration issue is to add a grip and battery. The extra mass does help reduce shutter vibrations in the critical affected ss range. Others have added extra mass screwed into the camera body tripod mount.



Jan 02, 2017 at 05:29 PM
rabbitmountain
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


M. Best wrote:
Huh. Interesting. I know IS lenses can help but I'd never have guessed that a heavier body could help reduce shake. Maybe I should look at getting either a gripped 5D4 or a 1Dx.


Hi Mike, I would say there are more deciding factors for choosing between bodies. The point of my post is you can turn any body into a more stable one by using a grip and firmly holding it in your hands. Don't they have grips for the canon 6D? Recent lenses with IS/VR are of course very good at reducing camera shake. The particular topic I mentioned was about a 135L.



Jan 02, 2017 at 05:30 PM
rabbitmountain
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


NCAndy wrote:
One of the fixes people use with the Sony A7r shutter vibration issue is to add a grip and battery. The extra mass does help reduce shutter vibrations in the critical affected ss range. Others have added extra mass screwed into the camera body tripod mount.


Shutter release will cause the camera body to shift in the opposite direction thus creating a rotation relative to the lens which is not driven by the shutter force, especially with longer and heavier lenses. Adding weight to the body can be very effective, as is shooting from a monopod.



Jan 02, 2017 at 05:38 PM
Ferrophot
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


Adding some inertia is fine, but if weight is a problem just increase shutter speed. Doubling the speed halves the blur.


Jan 02, 2017 at 05:38 PM
rabbitmountain
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


Sometimes light levels are so low you have to choose between higher ISO or longer shutter speed or wider aperture (with insufficient DoF). My walking stick approach was for my 5D + 16-35/2.8ii and landscapes. During day hikes there are no tripods. This was the only feasible solution with the weight I already had on me. Landscapes at ISO 800 don't cut it


Jan 02, 2017 at 05:45 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


Anyone who shot with a Pentax 6x7 will have no doubt that mass adds to stability. Not uncommon to handhold at 1/30th with a normal lens with that camera. And it's a huge mirror belly flopping up and down in there.


Jan 02, 2017 at 06:39 PM
molson
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


I dunno... I've gained quite a bit of weight since retiring, and my photos still look as shaky as ever...


Jan 03, 2017 at 11:06 AM
Mickey
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Why adding weight reduces motion blur


I know as I get older I splash less with a heavy coffee cup than with a light one. Interesting discussion but seems kind of common sense. 😀


Jan 03, 2017 at 12:03 PM





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