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01-09-2014, 11:44 PM   #1
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Shake Resistance for Action Shots?

Is it advisable to use shake resistance when taking hand-held action shots, such as birds in flight and sports shots?

01-10-2014, 12:20 AM   #2
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I think you mean Shake reduction? Yes but it also depends what lens you use. For instance I prefer the OS of the sigma 150-500 and if I use the sigma 100-300 F4 with 1.4 TC SR is completely turned off (the TC is not recognised by the body and therefore the SR system cannot apply proper focal length.)
01-10-2014, 12:30 AM   #3
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For birds and sports I'm aiming for a minimum shutter speed of 1/750, preferably 1/1500 and I don't think anti-shake provides much benefit, even when using a 400mm lens. I disable it on my Canon lens-based IS setups and on Pentax.

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01-10-2014, 01:52 AM   #4
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I had problems getting sharp motor sport pictures, and when I started checking the exif data I discovered that for the majority of shots the SR had not stabilised. Presumably the panning movement as I was following the shot prevented it from stabilising. Now I turn it off for action shots (and use slightly higher shutter speeds), and get much better results.
At high shutter speeds I can't see much advantage to using SR.


Last edited by percy; 01-10-2014 at 02:38 PM.
01-10-2014, 02:26 AM   #5
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When shooting wildlife at 300mm I switch off SR and try to stay at 1/800th or faster, but it depends on the situation. I usually activate SR if I need slower shutter speeds.

I would very much liked to have a physical SR switch like there was on the K10D.
01-10-2014, 04:48 AM   #6
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So SR is meant to compensate for low shutter speeds (relative to the lens focal length) and for relatively still photography (without panning), to minimize the shaking that happens due to hand-holding the camera.
If you are using a tripod, doing panning, or if you want blurred subjects, or are using a high shutter speed or flashes, then you probably don't need/want SR.
I think most camera brands will even advise in the manual that you should turn off SR (in lens or in body) for maximum sharpness. I only enable SR when it is getting dark and I don't want to raise the ISO or open the aperture.
01-10-2014, 05:24 AM   #7
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I used to leave SR on at all times except when using a tripod, but I noticed sharper photos with it off during panning, so now I leave it off for BIF and sports. As others have said, shutter speed is high enough that you don't need to worry about shake anyway.

01-10-2014, 07:25 AM   #8
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I set up a "fast shot" user mode with the SR off - and all in-camera processing off, and default to high-speed continuous shot. It seems to produce better results, I just need to remember to turn it on and keep the shutter speed high enough.
01-10-2014, 08:03 AM   #9
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One of my User modes is for Bird In Flight, no SR, AF-C, TAv mode, Expandable AF.
01-10-2014, 08:46 AM   #10
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Ah, yes, dedicated positions for user modes on the mode wheel is one of the things they did right on the K-3. And the menu diving stops me from using them on the K-5.
01-12-2014, 12:00 AM   #11
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Original Poster
Thanks for the input guys!

I switched off SR when I spent the day shooting an athletics meeting in Durban yesterday, with my shutter speed set at 1/1000 sec, and I was very pleased with the results.

You can see some of the pics I took in this thread.
01-12-2014, 12:00 PM   #12
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SR can be used and at times can help but there are some things to keep in mind. As other have pointed out if the shutter speed is high enough then SR will not matter much if any. If you are moving the camera a lot (not a slow pan but quick here and there stuff) the SR can't compensate for this. The biggest mistake I see is people want to use a little slower shutter speed with a longer lens. For this SR can help a lot. The problem comes in it that it take a second for the SR to stabilize and come on. In the excitement of the moment they don't wait for SR to come on and take the photo anyway. Later when the go back they have a blurry photo and EXIF informs them that SR was not on. To get around this you have to anticipate the action. This is true for any good action photography. If it is sports you have to understand the game so you can be pointed at the right place. So to use SR you point the camera at about the place the action is going to occur and half push the shutter button like a per-focus. This gets the SR on and ready.


DAZ
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