Re: R lenses - ground glass screen, etc

[Jim Brick <jim@brick.org>]

At 06:09 PM 10/12/97 -0700, you wrote:
>
>Also, many of the slides I took last month in Kodiak with the SL have a
>camera shake problem. I used a 280 f4.8 Telyt, mounted on a Slik U8000
>tripod - somewhat small for the SL/280 combo, but I always strapped my
>camera bag over the tripod to weight things down. That approach worked
>perfectly for my M6 long exposures in dark, emerald green forests. Those
>slides are all very sharp. A couple of times with the SL, I could actually
>see the front of the lens shudder when the mirror went up.
>
>I've shot B&W with the Telyt handheld at 1/500th or faster and have gotten
>exceptionally sharp photos, so the lens does not seem to be the problem.
>Has anyone had camera shake problems with the SL? Is there a mirror
>movement or dampening mechanism on the SL that could be out of adjustment?
>Any way to retrofit an SL with mirror lockup?
>
>Gary Todoroff

Boy Gary... this one could take a long time. I went through this many many
years ago. I can tell you that unless you do everything correctly, every
time, the long lens shake gods will get you. Tripod or no tripod, if you
shoot a 280 (where did you get a 280 f/4.8? I have a 350 4.8. Is it a 280
2.8?) anyway, if you shoot a 280/350 at a shutter speed slower than 1/60th,
even if bolted to a tripod, you stand a chance of shake. About ten years
ago I invented a device called "Jim's Steady Hook". It mounts in the bottom
of the center post of virtually any tripod. It's a stainless hook that you
can hang a weight on. Your camera bag, a Steady Bag, a gallon jug of water,
a bucket of dirt or water, anything. I carry a folding camping bucket
(folds flat) and put rocks, dirt, water, whatever is available, in it when
shooting long lenses. You can see a reference to my Steady Hook in Galen
Rowell's book "Galen Rowell's Vision, The Art of Adventure Photography",
page 81. Your camera is connected to one end of the center post. The center
post is not actually part of the tripod. It is clamped in a single spot.
Depending on your tripod, there can be a resonant vibration frequency
through the center post. If you put a weight on the bottom of your center
post, all vibrations inherent in the length of your center post, will be
dampened. Putting a weight on the tripod itself is NOT the same. Your
center post is still hanging out there.

Next, I don't care which camera you have, a mirror hitting the top during
an exposure, WILL cause vibration. Vibration on different cameras will
occur at different times. My R3's and R4's were murder at 1/15 - 1/4. It
depends where the shutter is in relation to the mirror at any given moment.
At longer exposures (1/2 & greater) there's enough exposure around the
vibration to not be noticeable. I had to move to an R6 with mirror lock-up
(MLU) to eliminate the problem. I shoot a lot of Velvia + polarizer and
sometimes an extender. This equals 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/15 sec exposures most
of the time, if you want any depth of field. I simply CANNOT shoot long
lenses successfully without taking care of EACH and EVERY DETAIL. The two
major helpers are a weighted center post and MLU.

Next, if I shoot my 350 plus 2x extender (700mm) (and even sometimes
without the extender), also with my 70-180 APO, I use a monopod under the
camera. The lens mounts on the tripod. The camera hangs out the back. The
camera is heavy and a vibration frequency could easily match internal
camera mechanics (mirror, shutter, diaphragm mechanism, etc.) After
composing and getting ready to shoot, I extend a monopod (I use a Bogen as
the legs are easy to adjust) between the ground and the camera base. My
personal setup is, I have a Leitz small ball head on the monopod with a
Really Right Stuff (similar to Kirk) quick release platform. The bottom of
my R7's winder has a RRS quick release plate. I connect the plate to the
monopod (Leitz ball head is loose), adjust the monopod, then tighten up
everything. Sounds like a lot of trouble but once you get used to it, it's
really quick, and very very steady.

Sound like a lot of trouble... well I'll tell you, traveling back to
wherever you missed your shots due to camera/lens shake is more trouble.
And a whole lot more expensive.

A note. Art Wolfe uses a different technique. He's also usually shooting at
1/30th or better. He doesn't use a cable release when using long lenses. He
tightens up everything and puts pressure on the camera (pressure against
the tripod head) which basically kills any free standing vibration. He
releases the shutter with his finger, sort of gently leaning against the
camera & tripod. This accomplishes the same thing but I find at shutter
speeds below 1/30th, it doesn't work for me.

I can't continue now, gotta go to bed,

Jim