Originally posted by Zygonyx philbaum, it is nice stuff, but using 1/500s speed will never necessitate a tripod !
Unless you're using a 600mm lens!
The rule of thumb being 1/fl for acceptably sharp images, this one could have been shot at 1/100th of a second, easily.
Furthermore, it's not a "given" that your images will be motion-blurred if you handhold. I frequently shoot well beyond the 1/fl rule and get sharp images; there's a technique to it.
Feet shoulder width apart, elbows in tight, camera pressed against your forehead or whatever portion of your hard cranial anatomy that touches it when you hold it normally. Take two deep breaths; on the second one, breathe out halfway, pause,
squeeze the shutter, wait a heartbeat or two. Then do it again, twice. I usually can get a sharp image at 1/4 sec with my 50mm lens once out of four tries this way, at 1/8th one out of three times, at 1/15 three out of five times.
I shoot macro the same way (it's not strictly focal length; it's magnification that matters) quite often.
But if you shot this at ISO3200, f8, 1/500, 65mm, you probably could have gone ISO800, f8, 1/125, 65mm and gotten better IQ.