SR while panning...not for me.

blwnhr · 05-08-2008, 03:52 PM

There has been a lot of talk about using Shake Reduction whilst panning and whether to have it on or off. I have always said SR does not work for me whilst panning, it ALWAYS results in blurry images. Normally these are the first to be deleted, but I remembered to keep one!

I consider myself pretty good at the panning thing. Well, while shooting the drift last weekend I decided to do the experiment, a panning shot with SR on. This is the result.

K10D, Sigma 50-500 (Bigma) @ 83mm, 1/160, f/13, ISO-200.

100% crop of the front wheel section.

Now, 1/160 is not a low shutter speed in my world. Normally at focal lengths below 150mm I shoot at 1/125-1/60, this compounds the problem greatly.

For those who didn't see the other thread, here's what it looks like when it works.

K10D, Sigma 18-125 @ 125, 1/125, f/16, 1/200.

Aegon · 05-08-2008, 04:05 PM

The K10D manual says to disable SR while panning. Makes sense to me.

That white car looks like it is ready to spin!

pentkon52 · 05-08-2008, 04:11 PM

Originally posted by Aegon

The K10D manual says to disable SR while panning. Makes sense to me.

That white car looks like it is ready to spin!

Yes it does, as well as the manual for my Nikon 70-200 Vr F2.8.

:-)

Dave

Arpe · 05-08-2008, 05:16 PM

Does the SR show whether or not it was enabled in the exif?

blwnhr · 05-08-2008, 05:22 PM

I'm using Vista and it doesn't mention anywhere.

Romoman · 05-08-2008, 08:01 PM

I've found the same thing - SR always ruins panning shots.

Ole · 05-08-2008, 08:59 PM

Yes, SR status is included in the EXIF.

KrisK10D · 05-09-2008, 12:42 AM

I can't find Ole. Can you tell me where or if it's not there because I use Firefox?

Manual also says to turn SR off when the camera is on a stable platform (tripod, sandbag etc.).

falconeye · 05-09-2008, 02:14 AM

This forum's wisdom is that SR autodetects when the camera is panning and only does SR in one direction then.

So, when SR fails to detect the pan it will certainly ruin the image.

We would need some experience reports here when the SR actually does correctly determine a horizontal pan
- what (minimal) horizontal panning speed?
- what (maximum) vertical panning speed?
- how long (is it panning time or turning angle?) before the SR switches into panning mode?

If it doesn't detect the pan, SR will cause the image to "jump" and must ruin it. Also, one should only pan strictly horizontally, i.e., only turn around the z-axis thru the camera body.

Update:
You can actually hear it.
With a K20D, set focus length to a high number like 800mm (with no lens or manual lens). The test works with any length, but at 800mm, it is most impressive. Now switch LiveView on. You will hear some bad noise from the SR at the slightest move of the body (much worse than at 50mm

).
No noise at a constant pan, though.
If you shake the camera during the pan: noise again.

Actually, I got the impression that it still does try to do SR in both directions, but with the panning rotation set as the new normal (it is other vendors known to switch to 1D SR -- maybe Pentax does even better?). This would mean that pans should have a stunning quality.

To test it out, one would have to go to a kid's carousel (merry-go-round) and shot the opposite side (the gyro sensors measure angular velocity, so the test would be valid). Any other testing propositions?

Gimbal · 05-09-2008, 04:13 AM

Considering that it takes about one second for the SR indicator to light up, my guess is that the sampling buffer (don’t have the correct English words here) is roughly one second long. And thus a steady pan longer then one second would probably work fine as the initial acceleration would be shifted out.

Aegon · 05-09-2008, 04:36 AM

This topic baffles me.

(1) The official source, Pentax, says "don't use SR when panning."
(2) Shots taken with SR while panning are worse than shots taken without SR.
(3) It makes logical sense not to use SR when panning.

Yet there are brave souls who still want to use SR while panning.

reeftool · 05-09-2008, 06:31 AM

I have tried it with SR on and SR off with a Sigma 70-300 quite a bit recently to see what works and the SR off seems to get me better pictures. I have quite a few shots like blwnhr's to prove it.

rfortson · 05-09-2008, 09:31 AM

Originally posted by Aegon

This topic baffles me.

(1) The official source, Pentax, says "don't use SR when panning."
(2) Shots taken with SR while panning are worse than shots taken without SR.
(3) It makes logical sense not to use SR when panning.

Yet there are brave souls who still want to use SR while panning.

Hmmm...count me as one of the "brave souls". This is what I've managed to snag with panning and SR on:

I'm satisfied.

Aegon · 05-09-2008, 09:40 AM

Nice Photos. The rodeo stuff looks to be fast, which isn't exactly panning. The runners are coming toward the lens, also not panning.

Here is a sample panning shot, 1/15 second, not particularly good but you've got to start somewhere:

KungKrille · 05-09-2008, 03:36 PM

Poor animals

05-08-2008, 03:52 PM	#1
blwnhr Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 663	SR while panning...not for me. There has been a lot of talk about using Shake Reduction whilst panning and whether to have it on or off. I have always said SR does not work for me whilst panning, it ALWAYS results in blurry images. Normally these are the first to be deleted, but I remembered to keep one! I consider myself pretty good at the panning thing. Well, while shooting the drift last weekend I decided to do the experiment, a panning shot with SR on. This is the result. K10D, Sigma 50-500 (Bigma) @ 83mm, 1/160, f/13, ISO-200. 100% crop of the front wheel section. Now, 1/160 is not a low shutter speed in my world. Normally at focal lengths below 150mm I shoot at 1/125-1/60, this compounds the problem greatly. For those who didn't see the other thread, here's what it looks like when it works. K10D, Sigma 18-125 @ 125, 1/125, f/16, 1/200.

05-09-2008, 02:14 AM	#9
falconeye Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Munich, Alps, Germany Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,871	This forum's wisdom is that SR autodetects when the camera is panning and only does SR in one direction then. So, when SR fails to detect the pan it will certainly ruin the image. We would need some experience reports here when the SR actually does correctly determine a horizontal pan - what (minimal) horizontal panning speed? - what (maximum) vertical panning speed? - how long (is it panning time or turning angle?) before the SR switches into panning mode? If it doesn't detect the pan, SR will cause the image to "jump" and must ruin it. Also, one should only pan strictly horizontally, i.e., only turn around the z-axis thru the camera body. Update: You can actually hear it. With a K20D, set focus length to a high number like 800mm (with no lens or manual lens). The test works with any length, but at 800mm, it is most impressive. Now switch LiveView on. You will hear some bad noise from the SR at the slightest move of the body (much worse than at 50mm ). No noise at a constant pan, though. If you shake the camera during the pan: noise again. Actually, I got the impression that it still does try to do SR in both directions, but with the panning rotation set as the new normal (it is other vendors known to switch to 1D SR -- maybe Pentax does even better?). This would mean that pans should have a stunning quality. To test it out, one would have to go to a kid's carousel (merry-go-round) and shot the opposite side (the gyro sensors measure angular velocity, so the test would be valid). Any other testing propositions? Last edited by falconeye; 05-09-2008 at 02:29 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Sports First attempt at panning!	mrfixit240	Post Your Photos!	3	04-24-2010 09:55 AM
Machinery My take on panning	kolista2	Post Your Photos!	3	12-12-2009 03:23 PM
Panning	Pedro Ernesto Guerra Azevedo	Post Your Photos!	18	08-12-2009 06:59 AM
First go at panning	Mechan1k	Post Your Photos!	6	08-28-2007 06:22 AM
Panning.	Amund	Post Your Photos!	10	02-07-2007 09:21 PM

05-08-2008, 04:05 PM	#2
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	The K10D manual says to disable SR while panning. Makes sense to me. That white car looks like it is ready to spin!

05-08-2008, 04:11 PM	#3
pentkon52 Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: York Region Canada Posts: 641	Originally posted by Aegon The K10D manual says to disable SR while panning. Makes sense to me. That white car looks like it is ready to spin! Yes it does, as well as the manual for my Nikon 70-200 Vr F2.8. :-) Dave

05-08-2008, 05:16 PM	#4
Arpe Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New Zealand Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,452	Does the SR show whether or not it was enabled in the exif?

05-08-2008, 05:22 PM	#5
blwnhr Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Tasmania, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 663 Original Poster	I'm using Vista and it doesn't mention anywhere.

05-08-2008, 08:01 PM	#6
Romoman Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Manchester, NH Posts: 126	I've found the same thing - SR always ruins panning shots.

05-08-2008, 08:59 PM	#7
Ole Administrator Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Copenhagen, Denmark Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,409	Yes, SR status is included in the EXIF.

05-09-2008, 12:42 AM	#8
KrisK10D Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sydney, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,274	I can't find Ole. Can you tell me where or if it's not there because I use Firefox? Manual also says to turn SR off when the camera is on a stable platform (tripod, sandbag etc.).

05-09-2008, 04:13 AM	#10
Gimbal Pentaxian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Sweden Posts: 2,106	Considering that it takes about one second for the SR indicator to light up, my guess is that the sampling buffer (don’t have the correct English words here) is roughly one second long. And thus a steady pan longer then one second would probably work fine as the initial acceleration would be shifted out.

05-09-2008, 04:36 AM	#11
Aegon Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Portland, OR Posts: 1,416	This topic baffles me. (1) The official source, Pentax, says "don't use SR when panning." (2) Shots taken with SR while panning are worse than shots taken without SR. (3) It makes logical sense not to use SR when panning. Yet there are brave souls who still want to use SR while panning.

05-09-2008, 06:31 AM	#12
reeftool Pentaxian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Upstate New York Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,555	I have tried it with SR on and SR off with a Sigma 70-300 quite a bit recently to see what works and the SR off seems to get me better pictures. I have quite a few shots like blwnhr's to prove it.

05-09-2008, 09:31 AM	#13
rfortson Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Houston TX Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,129	Originally posted by Aegon This topic baffles me. (1) The official source, Pentax, says "don't use SR when panning." (2) Shots taken with SR while panning are worse than shots taken without SR. (3) It makes logical sense not to use SR when panning. Yet there are brave souls who still want to use SR while panning. Hmmm...count me as one of the "brave souls". This is what I've managed to snag with panning and SR on: I'm satisfied.

05-09-2008, 03:36 PM	#15
KungKrille Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Linköping, Sweden Posts: 60	Poor animals