Tips/Tricks extension

Just to clarify, I am using a 300mm lens with a macro function, and then a magnifying glass. I have no idea what the new mm translation is, but its close. It was nearly impossible to hold my camera still enough. The slightest movement sent the image way off, and I mean WAY OFF! It took some practice to even get these, but I was happy. They are not great images by any means, it is something to continue experimenting with on new subjects. Ok just to give you a scale to the subject, in the first image, the top green ring is 1/4 of an inch, or 6.3mm for the rest of the world. HAHA!! Ok its 6.3mm to the world and 1/4in to us.

just curious - why would you try these handheld and not on a tripod?

Anytime I go over 100mm I usually start eyeballing the mono- or tri- pod, depending on the shutter speed I am after.

And that comes to a trick/tip.

Shooting hand held is my preference and I am still working on ways to make my shots more solid. One of these things is a tripod or a monopod. If you are serious about photography, well, if you don't have a tripod then you probably not that serious about taking photos.

I know that a lot of people love hand shooting, that is my favorite. But, when it comes to getting the clean shots, I prefer my tripod, a sandbag and my wireless shutter thingy (lol, brain farted on the name).

So, a really important tip, well more than a tip - a necessity. Get a tripod and a monopod. I prefer the monopod for my hand shooting situations where I want crisp images. The tripod for higher quality shots.

A lot of people complain about their image quality and they are not shooting with a tripod... get some stability, get on a tripod.

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Originally Posted by mindforge

Anytime I go over 100mm I usually start eyeballing the mono- or tri- pod, depending on the shutter speed I am after.

And that comes to a trick/tip.

Shooting hand held is my preference and I am still working on ways to make my shots more solid. One of these things is a tripod or a monopod. If you are serious about photography, well, if you don't have a tripod then you probably not that serious about taking photos.

I know that a lot of people love hand shooting, that is my favorite. But, when it comes to getting the clean shots, I prefer my tripod, a sandbag and my wireless shutter thingy (lol, brain farted on the name).

So, a really important tip, well more than a tip - a necessity. Get a tripod and a monopod. I prefer the monopod for my hand shooting situations where I want crisp images. The tripod for higher quality shots.

A lot of people complain about their image quality and they are not shooting with a tripod... get some stability, get on a tripod.

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Should a person have both? I have a tripod. Never used a monopod....

A monopod is more a convenience item. It's lighter than a tripod so therefore great for those long treks into nowhere. Unless you get one with a head attached though (I use a ball head) they can be a pain for shots above or below eye level. I use a tripod as a preference every time.

Here's a tip for those without a tripod and finding themselves in situation where they need to shoot at speeds just a bit too low for hand holding ... say around the 1/50 - 1/20 mark.
Shoot in burst mode. Line up your shot and shoot off about 6 shots. You'll find the 1st and last shots usually not that good due to your finger pressing and releasing the button creating shake. The shots in the middle though, often yield at least 1 shot that is clearer than the others.
After taking the shots you can zoom right in on your LCD screen and chimp though deleting the ones that don't look as sharp.

I did use a tripod. The box is set on the ground so i had to use one of those really small cheapo ones. I have about 6 tripods, all different sizes, but no monopod. This was more of an experiment than anything else anyways. Another tip that I have carried over from my firearm experiences, When taking a shot when you need to be still but lack a tripod or monopod, monitor your breathing. At the very end of your exhale, you are usually at more most still point. It is a technique military snipers have to use to master their skill. If you can time your shot to this, your shots will also be more crisp. Check it out, it works.