Whats your lowest handheld shutterspeed

**Rondec** · 04-05-2010, 04:40 AM

Just thought that I would bring this thread back out. This is a Daffodil shot at 0.5 seconds with the DA 35 (EXIF should be intact). I have to say that I think the SR on the K7 is a little more robust than that on the K20. Definitely wouldn't have gotten this shot with the K20.

RioRico · 04-05-2010, 09:13 AM

I am revisiting this low-shutter-speed thang in my own mind. I re-read that bit in Ansel Adam's THE CAMERA where he writes of testing a 50mm lens on a FF 35mm film cam. The ROT (rule of thumb) was that an adequate shutter speed would be 1/FL or 1/50 sec. AA notes that he didn't get a crisp shot until he hit 1/250 sec. If we assume that SR (shake reduction) gives a nominal 2-f-stop advantage, then that translates back to 1/60 sec. So the SR-ROT for a crisp shot would be 1/FL rounded to the next fastest speed. A handheld 28mm lens -- 1/30 or 1/45 sec. The kit lens at 18mm -- 1/20 or 1/30 sec. Et cetera.

That's for crispness. For drama, anything goes. Yeah, I've shot at 1/2 sec -- braced against a lamp-post whilst shooting an arrest at night. And it got printed (in a magazine that was interested in the arrestee). As always, any shot is better than no shot. But I find myself going into the Custom Menu on my K20D and setting the Program Line to whichever priority seems appropriate, and often that's High-Speed. Of course, for many effects I *want* a slow shutter -- and a tripod or solid rock or whatever. I'm just not going to trust myself not to spazz-out and blow a shot.

BillM · 04-05-2010, 09:47 AM

Hi All,
Being primarily a birder, and that time of the year upon us, been fooling around
with longer lenses of mine. Had M 400/5.6 this weekend and with that lens
on my K20d, all on top of a monopod. Shooting at 1/125 with SR enabled
SR seemed to be more of root cause of some bluring rather than a fix.
This is mentioned in K20 manual a number of times, so its no suprise to me.
rondec, you got some great shots there, assume you had SR disabled,
have you noticed K7's firmware respond in this manner,and introduce vibration
via SR. Havent had time go through this thread, is it safe to assume that
SR is disabled when using slow shutter speeds such as these.
Hope Im not going off topic but 2 subjects seem to have direct and linear
relationship to one another in terms of acceptable results.

**Rondec** · 04-06-2010, 04:27 AM

Originally posted by BillM

Hi All,
Being primarily a birder, and that time of the year upon us, been fooling around
with longer lenses of mine. Had M 400/5.6 this weekend and with that lens
on my K20d, all on top of a monopod. Shooting at 1/125 with SR enabled
SR seemed to be more of root cause of some bluring rather than a fix.
This is mentioned in K20 manual a number of times, so its no suprise to me.
rondec, you got some great shots there, assume you had SR disabled,
have you noticed K7's firmware respond in this manner,and introduce vibration
via SR. Havent had time go through this thread, is it safe to assume that
SR is disabled when using slow shutter speeds such as these.
Hope Im not going off topic but 2 subjects seem to have direct and linear
relationship to one another in terms of acceptable results.

No, I had the SR on. I know that there have been reports of SR adding blur to photos, etc, but I have not seen anything personally. I updated the firmware on the K7 soon after I got and some felt that that improved SR, but I don't know. All I can say is that I am a whole lot shakier without SR than with. I have a couple of times turned it off to put my camera on a tripod and forgotten to turn the
SR back on and I have a lot more blurry photos then.

phzy2003 · 04-07-2010, 10:07 PM

i think the lowest speed i used is 1/20 with kx

systemA · 04-07-2010, 10:08 PM

I'm not sure, but the K20d starts giving blinks at shutter speed 1/10th if the scene is underexposed. I can usually get decent results (maybe 7/10) at 1/15th second.

jct us101 · 04-07-2010, 10:09 PM

With the K100D and the K10D I never really was able to go below 1/40 second. Mostly because I probably have shakier hands than I realize. I think it was possible to get a few good ones at 1/6 of a second though, but I generally don't risk it.

ajuett · 04-07-2010, 10:27 PM

1/2 of a second, some keepers, I try to stay above 1/30s to almost gurantee a shot. If I go hiking I take a tripod to take the worry away. It gets suprisingly dark under tree canopies even in broad daylight

**Rondec** · 04-08-2010, 04:51 AM

I just got a DA 55-300 lens and was testing SR at 300mm. Pretty amazing really. I am able to consistently hand hold at 1/8 second at 300mm with SR on. Just a photo and a crop of that photo in my kitchen taken at 300 mm and 1/8 second.

I tried shooting at 1/6 second, but at 300mm all of the photos had some motion blur.

macTak · 04-08-2010, 09:31 AM

With my K100D, the best I've done is 0.3s at 33mm. I do find it hard (even at 18mm) to get anything sharp below about 1/10s.

04-05-2010, 09:47 AM	#93
BillM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Ferguson, Mo. Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,348	Low-Shutter speed Hi All, Being primarily a birder, and that time of the year upon us, been fooling around with longer lenses of mine. Had M 400/5.6 this weekend and with that lens on my K20d, all on top of a monopod. Shooting at 1/125 with SR enabled SR seemed to be more of root cause of some bluring rather than a fix. This is mentioned in K20 manual a number of times, so its no suprise to me. rondec, you got some great shots there, assume you had SR disabled, have you noticed K7's firmware respond in this manner,and introduce vibration via SR. Havent had time go through this thread, is it safe to assume that SR is disabled when using slow shutter speeds such as these. Hope Im not going off topic but 2 subjects seem to have direct and linear relationship to one another in terms of acceptable results.

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04-05-2010, 04:40 AM	#91
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Just thought that I would bring this thread back out. This is a Daffodil shot at 0.5 seconds with the DA 35 (EXIF should be intact). I have to say that I think the SR on the K7 is a little more robust than that on the K20. Definitely wouldn't have gotten this shot with the K20.

04-05-2010, 09:13 AM	#92
RioRico Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Limbo, California Posts: 11,263	I am revisiting this low-shutter-speed thang in my own mind. I re-read that bit in Ansel Adam's THE CAMERA where he writes of testing a 50mm lens on a FF 35mm film cam. The ROT (rule of thumb) was that an adequate shutter speed would be 1/FL or 1/50 sec. AA notes that he didn't get a crisp shot until he hit 1/250 sec. If we assume that SR (shake reduction) gives a nominal 2-f-stop advantage, then that translates back to 1/60 sec. So the SR-ROT for a crisp shot would be 1/FL rounded to the next fastest speed. A handheld 28mm lens -- 1/30 or 1/45 sec. The kit lens at 18mm -- 1/20 or 1/30 sec. Et cetera. That's for crispness. For drama, anything goes. Yeah, I've shot at 1/2 sec -- braced against a lamp-post whilst shooting an arrest at night. And it got printed (in a magazine that was interested in the arrestee). As always, any shot is better than no shot. But I find myself going into the Custom Menu on my K20D and setting the Program Line to whichever priority seems appropriate, and often that's High-Speed. Of course, for many effects I want a slow shutter -- and a tripod or solid rock or whatever. I'm just not going to trust myself not to spazz-out and blow a shot.

04-06-2010, 04:27 AM	#94
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	Originally posted by BillM Hi All, Being primarily a birder, and that time of the year upon us, been fooling around with longer lenses of mine. Had M 400/5.6 this weekend and with that lens on my K20d, all on top of a monopod. Shooting at 1/125 with SR enabled SR seemed to be more of root cause of some bluring rather than a fix. This is mentioned in K20 manual a number of times, so its no suprise to me. rondec, you got some great shots there, assume you had SR disabled, have you noticed K7's firmware respond in this manner,and introduce vibration via SR. Havent had time go through this thread, is it safe to assume that SR is disabled when using slow shutter speeds such as these. Hope Im not going off topic but 2 subjects seem to have direct and linear relationship to one another in terms of acceptable results. No, I had the SR on. I know that there have been reports of SR adding blur to photos, etc, but I have not seen anything personally. I updated the firmware on the K7 soon after I got and some felt that that improved SR, but I don't know. All I can say is that I am a whole lot shakier without SR than with. I have a couple of times turned it off to put my camera on a tripod and forgotten to turn the SR back on and I have a lot more blurry photos then.

04-07-2010, 10:07 PM	#95
phzy2003 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Gold Coast, Australia Photos: Gallery Posts: 167	i think the lowest speed i used is 1/20 with kx

04-07-2010, 10:08 PM	#96
systemA Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: New York, NY Posts: 385	I'm not sure, but the K20d starts giving blinks at shutter speed 1/10th if the scene is underexposed. I can usually get decent results (maybe 7/10) at 1/15th second.

04-07-2010, 10:09 PM	#97
jct us101 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Posts: 3,793	With the K100D and the K10D I never really was able to go below 1/40 second. Mostly because I probably have shakier hands than I realize. I think it was possible to get a few good ones at 1/6 of a second though, but I generally don't risk it.

04-07-2010, 10:27 PM	#98
ajuett Inactive Account Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Vancouver, Canada Posts: 1,100	1/2 of a second, some keepers, I try to stay above 1/30s to almost gurantee a shot. If I go hiking I take a tripod to take the worry away. It gets suprisingly dark under tree canopies even in broad daylight

04-08-2010, 04:51 AM	#99
Rondec Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Gladys, Virginia Photos: Gallery Posts: 27,653	I just got a DA 55-300 lens and was testing SR at 300mm. Pretty amazing really. I am able to consistently hand hold at 1/8 second at 300mm with SR on. Just a photo and a crop of that photo in my kitchen taken at 300 mm and 1/8 second. I tried shooting at 1/6 second, but at 300mm all of the photos had some motion blur.

04-08-2010, 09:31 AM	#100
macTak Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Photos: Gallery Posts: 759	With my K100D, the best I've done is 0.3s at 33mm. I do find it hard (even at 18mm) to get anything sharp below about 1/10s.