Long lens technique
Long lens photography is not as easy as it may look like. This
is caused by the vibrations of the lens itself. These vibrations
are caused by
the shutter and by the mirror hitting against the prism. This has
a major impact on picture quality. There are, however ways to
eliminate
vibrations. Below I would like to describe a few ways to do so.
1. A sturdy support is absolutely essential when shooting with such lenses
as
300mm f2.8, 400mm f2.8, 500mm f4.0, 600mm f4.0, 800mm f5.6.
These lenses weigh a minimum of 3,5 kg which gives a total mass of at
least 5 kg with the body. So it's very important to have a solid tripod with
a solid head. If possible try to avoid full expansion of the tripod legs in
order to keep the balance point as low as possible. This will improve the
stability of the set. An extended tripod is susceptible to wind and anything
that will cause it to shake. If a tripod is not available try to find an
alternative. A bean-bag will work very well.
2. As I mentioned the shutter starts vibrations that travel as a wave to the
front element and come back through the lens and cause the film plane or
sensor to vibrate. By placing the palm of your hand on the lens, above the
tripod collar, you can eliminate these vibrations. The weight of the hand is
just enough and no pressure should be applied.
3. In addition, place
your eye against the eyecup, again without too much pressure.
This action will further eliminate any other
vibrations.
4. Rest your finger against the shutter release button at all times when
working with the camera and just
gently press it to take the picture.
Applying delicate pressure to the
shutter release will make a difference
in the final result.
5. Additional factors that will decrease vibrations and increase the
quality of your pictures may be;
mirror lock-up (if your camera allows
it), using the self-timer or
cable release. A combination of these
can also be used. Some
lenses have a image stabilization system IS
(Canon), VR (Nikon), which also
add to the quality of the final result.
6. Last but not least is practice. Knowing the theory unfortunately
does not guarantee anything. Don't get
intimidated by bad results which
will come in the beginning.