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04-02-2013, 12:56 AM   #1
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SR

i have a k20D and had never used the Shake Reduction (SR) feature. However, on a recent photo outing I had to shoot hand held in very low light and did not want to bump up the ISO beyond 1600. Just for the heck of it I switthed on the SR feature and the results were amazing. The photos were sharp inspite of being shot at low shutter speeds. SR must have made the difference.

My question is that is there any down side to using SR? More so because it is an optional feature to switched on manually. In other words is there any harm to keep this feature permanently switched on?

mj

04-02-2013, 01:20 AM   #2
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I leave SR always stay on except when I mount the camera on tripod .
04-02-2013, 02:06 AM   #3
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It can cause jitter when the camera is stationary, apparently, so if mounting to a tripod it is best to disable it (with my K-r, switching to remote drive disables it anyway). It certainly is useful for hand held shooting, though. But I'm not sure about it draining more battery or any such. It may do.
04-02-2013, 02:33 AM   #4
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Mine was always switched on from day one, remember to wait that for the slight delay until you see the hand in the viewfinder so you know it's operational in situations where SR is going to be critical in saving the day.

Also as others have already said, turn it off when using a tripod, or use the timed delay functions which also do that for you.

04-02-2013, 03:20 AM   #5
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QuoteOriginally posted by mmjoshi Quote
My question is that is there any down side to using SR? More so because it is an optional feature to switched on manually. In other words is there any harm to keep this feature permanently switched on?

mj
With SR on the photosensor is moved by electronics triggered by the motion detectors. ALL electronics generate a certain amount of background noise. So there will always be some movement of the photosensor with SR on. When the camera is stable on a tripod, the SR is switched off, to remove the remaining low level movement. In other words when using the tripod, your picture will be that much sharper with SR off, then with it on. However, the difference may be that small it is of no consequences to you.

Last edited by fb_penpho; 04-02-2013 at 03:28 AM. Reason: further explanation
04-02-2013, 04:38 AM   #6
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QuoteOriginally posted by mmjoshi Quote
My question is that is there any down side to using SR?
The SR function is the third most tasking electrical component on a digital camera which features SR; the other two - the monitor, and the built in flash. If one would turn off all three then imagine how much longer the battery would last?

The only real down side to using SR besides battery tasking; is an item which should be amended to all present (add it in the pdf versions)instruction books and any future cameras which have it... That if one were to use SR on board an item such as a small private plane, a motorcycle (particularly a Harley - known for the engine configuration and vibration) or a watercraft; then one might end up damaging any type of stabilization feature; SR or optical.
04-02-2013, 06:37 AM   #7
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Thanks for the replies guys! Looks like there is no adverse effect on the image if the SR is on. I was more concerned about the IQ with SR on. Judging by the replies it seems best to use SR only when absolutely necessary. For me that would be typically low light situations where I do not want to bump up the ISO too much from my preferred ISO 100 setting. I rarely do fast action photography. For low light situations I normally use a tripod and would certainly switch off the SR function.

mj

04-02-2013, 06:57 AM   #8
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I took some indoor family shots on Sunday with the k-01 and 18~55mm without flash, early morning natural light through the windows
hand held
iso 6400 1/40 f/5.6 at 33mm
slow shutter NR=auto
and SR=on.
The shots were barely sharp enough. There could be a few reasons and I am wondering what was the main cause.
04-02-2013, 07:11 AM   #9
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Probably at 1/40" SR could not compensate enough for camera shake
04-02-2013, 07:43 AM   #10
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QuoteOriginally posted by mmjoshi Quote
Judging by the replies it seems best to use SR only when absolutely necessary.
Not so. SR can buy you 2-3 stops, particularly if you learn to use it well. Mine is always turned on except when mounted to the tripod. I have shot at 1/8s handheld with an 85mm lens. I would suggest that you do a comparison test of your own. You will be happy with the results. Here is a good example of a shot that could not have been done without SR:


1/15s, hand held, not braced against anything, and breathing hard from running down the path to get the shot...'nuff said? No, it is not as crisp as a tripod shot of the same subject, but the light was fading and the tripod was out of the question.

The comments above regarding battery drain and damage from vibration are bogus when applied to in-body SR. The SR, after all is only engaged for a very short time period when actually taking a photo. If battery consumption is a concern, turning off the rear LCD and not using the flash are your best defenses. As for vibration...that is just plain silly. I would be more concerned about my dental fillings shaking loose on a Harley or the screws backing out than damage to the SR system. Reasonable precautions against vibration should be adequate and would apply to any camera, not just those with SR.


Steve

Last edited by stevebrot; 04-02-2013 at 07:51 AM.
04-02-2013, 07:47 AM   #11
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QuoteOriginally posted by Ken T Quote
Probably at 1/40" SR could not compensate enough for camera shake
It depends on how you hold your K-01. Braced against your face, 1/40s should work fine. At arm's length, not so fine. Too bad the K-01 does not have an auxiliary optical finder to support the first usage.


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04-02-2013, 07:54 AM   #12
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QuoteOriginally posted by mmjoshi Quote
For low light situations I normally use a tripod and would certainly switch off the SR function.
Use the 2 second delay feature. Doing so switches off the SR and also flips the mirror up to minimize vibration from mirror slap.
04-02-2013, 07:57 AM   #13
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
The SR, after all is only engaged for a very short time period when actually taking a photo.
On the k-01, SR is active in live view time unless it is set off to save power (Custom>3>Shake Reduction Options >Mode1)
04-02-2013, 08:00 AM   #14
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
It depends on how you hold your K-01. Braced against your face, 1/40s should work fine. At arm's length, not so fine. Too bad the K-01 does not have an auxiliary optical finder to support the first usage.
That's the one thing I really miss when using a camera without a viewfinder: the face brace. It's a huge advantage for low-light pictures.

I can confirm that SR on a tripod is a huge no-no. I tried to do a long-exposure timelapse once and forgot to turn SR off. Every other picture was blurry, even though no one touched the camera for half an hour, and it was on a very sturdy Manfrotto tripod. You could see from the pictures that the sensor was wavering up and down all by itself.

Otherwise, SR is great. I leave it on at all times when the camera is hand-held.
04-02-2013, 08:23 AM   #15
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I believe that with SR off, power is still required to keep the sensor still. The sensor is floating (the Pentax clonk that has new owners thinking their camera is broken), so it needs to hold it in place. SR should not be used on a tripod as the vibration frequency (the natural frequency of the tripod) is much higher than the vibration from a normal person's shaking hand. Simplistically the sensor reacts too slowly so it does a bad job of compensating.

I suspect that SR only works in the 1/5th to 1/60th second range (or there abouts). Slower than 1/5th second means the camera movement is too great and faster than 1/60th means the SR is too slow to operate. (awaits to be shot down in flames.....)
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