Shake Reduction

geekette · 06-03-2011, 03:45 PM

Would appreciate some feedback from pro/experienced photographers who shoot with Pentax: Do you use shake reduction or not? I can't help but think it might add blurriness on some occasions or make the picture look worse.

Kim C · 06-03-2011, 04:13 PM

Not a pro but my answer is it depends on the situation

Normally no. No so much for blurriness but more for noise. However, if a picture would be blurry without it because I can't hold the camera steady enough, then the noise is better

Kim

**Ash** · 06-03-2011, 04:14 PM

Simple answer from me is yes. I have it on all the time except for when the camera is mounted on the tripod or similar solid surface, or I am intentionally dragging the shutter on a handheld exposure, such as for an impressionism. SR works, and I can see its effect on test images with and without SR. If you're not convinced try it yourself.

http://www.pentaximaging.com/pdf/All_Bodies_Shake_Reduction_012208.pdf
Falk Lumo: Pentax shake reduction revisited

**MJL** · 06-03-2011, 04:36 PM

Like all automatic systems, OS takes response time and in some occasions get the opposition result, because it doesn't analysis the situation. But I always have it on and choose the best photos afterward.

benhai · 06-03-2011, 04:41 PM

The lesson I learned here is that SR take a little time to establish. After you half press the shutter you have to look for the little hand to appear and stable. Don't know why it can't work immediately. If you know to wait for the little hand then you can tell if SR really works. To me, SR does work very well on K-7.

**Ash** · 06-03-2011, 04:52 PM

The SR hand indicator is almost instantaneous on the K-5. It did take a while to light up on the K10D/K20D, but it's vastlly improved since then.

geekette · 06-03-2011, 05:12 PM

Originally posted by benhai

The lesson I learned here is that SR take a little time to establish. After you half press the shutter you have to look for the little hand to appear and stable. Don't know why it can't work immediately. If you know to wait for the little hand then you can tell if SR really works. To me, SR does work very well on K-7.

To be honest I don't ever look at anything but the image through the viewfinder lol. I guess I'll keep an eye out for that hand now thanks.

EDIT: Well I lied, I also look at the "in focus" indicator a lot

conradj · 06-03-2011, 06:03 PM

i've found that the SR on my K-7 works for low shutter speeds, 1/40s and slower. i do some shooting once a month at a poetry reading where i shoot the Samyang 85mm wide open at f1.4, ISO800-1250 and shutter between 1/10s-1/20s, with the camera mounted on a monopod. The SR helps a lot, all the blurry shots are either subject motion or because i can't see well enough to focus in that dimness.

above 1/80s to around 1/250s i find i can get a bit higher percentage of clear shots if i turn SR off than with it on. i guess i have one of those K-7's that have SR problems in that shutter speed range. Almost never get a blur-free shot at 1/100s if i leave the SR on.

i also find that the AF on my camera doesn't work well at all for wide angle lenses on distant subjects, and can almost always focus better by eye shooting with lenses up to 35mm when i point them at something distant, like across a wide street.

Of course, it may be that i'm just a naturally shaky guy.

Brooke Meyer · 06-03-2011, 06:37 PM

Originally posted by geekette

Would appreciate some feedback from pro/experienced photographers who shoot with Pentax: Do you use shake reduction or not? I can't help but think it might add blurriness on some occasions or make the picture look worse.

It works very well.

hcc · 06-03-2011, 07:59 PM

I am not a pro, but I shoot a lot of dynamic scenes. That is, I never use a tripod. I use always the SR. As pointed by Ash, the SR takes 1-2 s to get stabilised and you do need to wait for SR confirmation for the best results. This is important.

I shoot from 1/10s to 1/80000s, and I always leave SR on. I am aware of the point raised by conradj and another Pentaxian (Falconeye). My understanding of Falconeye's theory is that SR might be detrimental for a range of shutter speeds. In my case, with my K-7, I cannot see distinctively any negative effects of the SR at high shutter speeds.

Food for thoughts...

Laurentiu Cristofor · 06-03-2011, 08:35 PM

Originally posted by Kim C

No so much for blurriness but more for noise. However, if a picture would be blurry without it because I can't hold the camera steady enough, then the noise is better

Noise? What noise?

m42man · 06-03-2011, 10:28 PM

I was puzzled too. If anything, having SR switched off will lead to higher noise, because you may need to go to a higher ISO in order to achieve an adequate shutter speed.

I think tests have shown that SR can give you up to 4 stops of improvement in blurriness. This is wonderful for fairly static subjects, as it means you could shoot at 1/8 sec instead of 1/125 sec. Or ISO 200 instead of ISO 3200. Or it's like having an f1.0 lens instead of f4 (without the DOF penalty).

Even if it's "only" 3 stops of SR, you're gaining a fabulous amount. It's far from a gimmick, and in-body SR is one of the main reasons I went for Pentax in the first place.

Having said that, you should turn it off if you're tripod-mounted, or if you're doing macro work, or maybe if you're tracking a fast-moving object. But I think every other situation benefits (greatly) from having SR switched on.

yusuf · 06-04-2011, 02:52 AM

SR is always ON for me. I don't even turn it off when on tripod simply because I tend to forget when camera is not on tripod. Instead, I use timer/remote which itself turns it off automatically

Laurentiu Cristofor · 06-04-2011, 03:54 AM

BTW, to answer the OP question, I always keep SR on and I only turn it off when I use a tripod. It's really useful.

geekette · 06-04-2011, 07:56 AM

Originally posted by yusuf

SR is always ON for me. I don't even turn it off when on tripod simply because I tend to forget when camera is not on tripod. Instead, I use timer/remote which itself turns it off automatically

Which timer/remote do you use, if you don't mind?

06-03-2011, 03:45 PM	#1
geekette Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 528	Shake Reduction Would appreciate some feedback from pro/experienced photographers who shoot with Pentax: Do you use shake reduction or not? I can't help but think it might add blurriness on some occasions or make the picture look worse.

06-03-2011, 04:36 PM	#4
MJL Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: The Canadian WetCoast Photos: Albums Posts: 384	Shot first Like all automatic systems, OS takes response time and in some occasions get the opposition result, because it doesn't analysis the situation. But I always have it on and choose the best photos afterward.

06-03-2011, 06:03 PM	#8
conradj Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Photos: Albums Posts: 188	i've found that the SR on my K-7 works for low shutter speeds, 1/40s and slower. i do some shooting once a month at a poetry reading where i shoot the Samyang 85mm wide open at f1.4, ISO800-1250 and shutter between 1/10s-1/20s, with the camera mounted on a monopod. The SR helps a lot, all the blurry shots are either subject motion or because i can't see well enough to focus in that dimness. above 1/80s to around 1/250s i find i can get a bit higher percentage of clear shots if i turn SR off than with it on. i guess i have one of those K-7's that have SR problems in that shutter speed range. Almost never get a blur-free shot at 1/100s if i leave the SR on. i also find that the AF on my camera doesn't work well at all for wide angle lenses on distant subjects, and can almost always focus better by eye shooting with lenses up to 35mm when i point them at something distant, like across a wide street. Of course, it may be that i'm just a naturally shaky guy. Last edited by conradj; 06-03-2011 at 06:17 PM.

06-03-2011, 06:37 PM	#9
Brooke Meyer Guest	Why would you think that? Originally posted by geekette Would appreciate some feedback from pro/experienced photographers who shoot with Pentax: Do you use shake reduction or not? I can't help but think it might add blurriness on some occasions or make the picture look worse. It works very well. Last edited by Brooke Meyer; 08-31-2011 at 11:07 PM.

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06-03-2011, 04:13 PM	#2
Kim C Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Lincoln, UK Photos: Gallery Posts: 229	Not a pro but my answer is it depends on the situation Normally no. No so much for blurriness but more for noise. However, if a picture would be blurry without it because I can't hold the camera steady enough, then the noise is better Kim

06-03-2011, 04:14 PM	#3
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	Simple answer from me is yes. I have it on all the time except for when the camera is mounted on the tripod or similar solid surface, or I am intentionally dragging the shutter on a handheld exposure, such as for an impressionism. SR works, and I can see its effect on test images with and without SR. If you're not convinced try it yourself. http://www.pentaximaging.com/pdf/All_Bodies_Shake_Reduction_012208.pdf Falk Lumo: Pentax shake reduction revisited

06-03-2011, 04:41 PM	#5
benhai Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: California Photos: Albums Posts: 248	The lesson I learned here is that SR take a little time to establish. After you half press the shutter you have to look for the little hand to appear and stable. Don't know why it can't work immediately. If you know to wait for the little hand then you can tell if SR really works. To me, SR does work very well on K-7.

06-03-2011, 04:52 PM	#6
Ash Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Toowoomba, Queensland Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 23,920	The SR hand indicator is almost instantaneous on the K-5. It did take a while to light up on the K10D/K20D, but it's vastlly improved since then.

06-03-2011, 05:12 PM	#7
geekette Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 528 Original Poster	Originally posted by benhai The lesson I learned here is that SR take a little time to establish. After you half press the shutter you have to look for the little hand to appear and stable. Don't know why it can't work immediately. If you know to wait for the little hand then you can tell if SR really works. To me, SR does work very well on K-7. To be honest I don't ever look at anything but the image through the viewfinder lol. I guess I'll keep an eye out for that hand now thanks. EDIT: Well I lied, I also look at the "in focus" indicator a lot

06-03-2011, 07:59 PM	#10
hcc Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,002	I am not a pro, but I shoot a lot of dynamic scenes. That is, I never use a tripod. I use always the SR. As pointed by Ash, the SR takes 1-2 s to get stabilised and you do need to wait for SR confirmation for the best results. This is important. I shoot from 1/10s to 1/80000s, and I always leave SR on. I am aware of the point raised by conradj and another Pentaxian (Falconeye). My understanding of Falconeye's theory is that SR might be detrimental for a range of shutter speeds. In my case, with my K-7, I cannot see distinctively any negative effects of the SR at high shutter speeds. Food for thoughts...

06-03-2011, 08:35 PM	#11
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	Originally posted by Kim C No so much for blurriness but more for noise. However, if a picture would be blurry without it because I can't hold the camera steady enough, then the noise is better Noise? What noise?

06-03-2011, 10:28 PM	#12
m42man Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Southern England Posts: 623	I was puzzled too. If anything, having SR switched off will lead to higher noise, because you may need to go to a higher ISO in order to achieve an adequate shutter speed. I think tests have shown that SR can give you up to 4 stops of improvement in blurriness. This is wonderful for fairly static subjects, as it means you could shoot at 1/8 sec instead of 1/125 sec. Or ISO 200 instead of ISO 3200. Or it's like having an f1.0 lens instead of f4 (without the DOF penalty). Even if it's "only" 3 stops of SR, you're gaining a fabulous amount. It's far from a gimmick, and in-body SR is one of the main reasons I went for Pentax in the first place. Having said that, you should turn it off if you're tripod-mounted, or if you're doing macro work, or maybe if you're tracking a fast-moving object. But I think every other situation benefits (greatly) from having SR switched on.

06-04-2011, 02:52 AM	#13
yusuf Pentaxian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Palo Alto, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,497	SR is always ON for me. I don't even turn it off when on tripod simply because I tend to forget when camera is not on tripod. Instead, I use timer/remote which itself turns it off automatically

06-04-2011, 03:54 AM	#14
Laurentiu Cristofor Banned Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: WA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,055	BTW, to answer the OP question, I always keep SR on and I only turn it off when I use a tripod. It's really useful.

06-04-2011, 07:56 AM	#15
geekette Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Texas Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 528 Original Poster	Originally posted by yusuf SR is always ON for me. I don't even turn it off when on tripod simply because I tend to forget when camera is not on tripod. Instead, I use timer/remote which itself turns it off automatically Which timer/remote do you use, if you don't mind?