Steady hands

[leews2001]

from wikipedia on sniper doctrines, i guess it helps?

"Snipers are trained to squeeze the trigger straight back with the ball of their finger, to avoid jerking the gun sideways. The most accurate position is prone, with a sandbag supporting the stock, and the stock's cheek-piece against the cheek. In the field, a bipod can be used instead. Sometimes a sling is wrapped around the weak arm (or both) to reduce stock movement. Some doctrines train a sniper to breathe deeply before shooting, then hold their lungs empty while they line up and take their shot. Some go further, teaching their snipers to shoot between heartbeats to minimize barrel motion."

 

[JLLJ]

Try also using flash. This will limit the shutter speed to 1/60 s or higher and usually not affected by hand shake. Only problem left is battery power, recycling time and distance from object that you are shooting (too dark if object too far).

 

[espn]

You forgot type of subject... you don't need flash for landscape.

Anywayz, just hold the camera nearer to you, you don't need to fully extend your arms in order to take a shot. I find about 20~25cm away from my view would be sufficient.

 

[theRBK]

get a friend, rest your camera on his or her shoulder, syncronise breathing, ask your friend to hold breath, press shutter release, image taken it works, really

 

[jsbn]

Try also using flash. This will limit the shutter speed to 1/60 s or higher and usually not affected by hand shake. Only problem left is battery power, recycling time and distance from object that you are shooting (too dark if object too far).

An additional tip. If the subject in question is near to the camera and a flash is to be used, use a slip of tissue and half fold it den cover the flash (DUN COVER THE LENS!) to cut down the intensity of the flash to prevent a 'white ghost face'.

This will appear strange to most people... or even offensive. And usually, explainations dun help much since most ppl wun understand that concept. ;p

 

[radi9red]

i think emphasizing and practicing on the "perfect squeeze" is mostly a lazy excuse for not carrying a tripod or finding a good mounting spots for your camera. your heartbeat can just stopped and you died whilst shooting at 1 sec exposure and still the picture is blurr..

So get that tripod of yours outdoors , i'm sure you didnt buy it just to place it at home.

 

[zoossh]

3 methodology in summary from above inputs from everyone

1. decrease shutter duration, increase shutter speed
- increase ISO to a level that the noise is still acceptable
- using flash to provide extra lighting
- use manual and accept an underexposed pictuer (if it suits the mood)

my opinion: my nikon D50 can't take very well at 800 and 1600. if possible, i keep it 200 or 400.

2. increase stability
- use a gd tripod
- use environmental elements to support the lens, your hand, your elbow etc.
- use your face to support the camera body against your orbit and nose ridge
- use your chest to support your elbow (use knee to support if kneeling)
- use by adopting a broad base (same for tripod)

my opinion: tripod and broad base are important. otherwise environmental elements are the best if they suits your ergonomics. i dun use the chest to support my elbow becos it make my arm awkward and i shake. thus i always keep my elbow at a natural flexed position winging slightly outwards. if i use a compact and look at the LCD, i also hold it flexed about 40-50cm from my face. using face to support the body is common becos we need to view thru it but somehow i prefer to have an anti-fog surface to my camera LCD

3. reduce shake/jerk
- use a VR (vibration reduction) lens
- reduce jerkiness by avoiding jerking hard on the shutter release
- reduce jerkiness by using continuous shoot mode (so that 2nd shot is less prone to jerk)
- reduce jerkiness by using delay mode (so that shot is less prone to jerk from pressing)
- reduce shaking by pressing in between breaths (or heartbeat as said above but our heartbeat is 60-100/min, can we be that fast and are we really able to feel our heartbeat without pressing our fingers on the chest?)

my opinion: VR! the rest dun really work effective for me. by using continuous shoot mode or delay mode, it prolonged the time i have to hold my camera and hold my breath, by then i will be shaking to catch my breath already. so VR!