{"id":576,"date":"2007-09-18T23:13:33","date_gmt":"2007-09-18T14:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-09-18\/576"},"modified":"2007-09-18T23:13:33","modified_gmt":"2007-09-18T14:13:33","slug":"tripod-stability-tests-part-ii","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2007-09-18\/576","title":{"rendered":"Tripod Stability Tests, Part II"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p>I introduced my <a href=\"\/blog\/2007-09-17\/575\">tripod\nstability tests<\/a> in the previous post, and I'll continue in this post\nwith more details.<\/p>\n\n<p>Before I continue, <span class='nobr'>I must note<\/span> that there are some serious caveats that\nlimit how much one can really read into the result I'm about to present. <span class='nobr'>I\ndon't<\/span> list the caveats up front because no one will pay attention to them\nanyway <b>\/-:<\/b>, so <span class='nobr'>I detail<\/span> them <a href=\"#caveat\">later in this\npost<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p>In this post I'll focus on equipment setup. In another, I <a href=\"\/blog\/2007-09-21\/579\">focus more\non technique<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\">\n  #s576a { background-color:#595148; border: #3d3832 solid 2px }\n  #s576b { background-color:#43594b; border: #314036 solid 2px }\n  #s576c { background-color:#51503d; border: #454535 solid 2px }\n  #s576e { background-color:#312328; border: #150f11 solid 2px }\n  #s576d { background-color:#474359; border: #333140 solid 2px }\n\n  \/* 576 *\/\n  #post576 img { border: none }\n  #post576 .h  { font-weight:bold; font-size:120%; margin-top:30px; margin-bottom:5px }\n  #post576 .h + p { margin-top:5px }\n  #post576 .h2  { font-weight:bold; font-size:105%; margin-top:10px; margin-bottom:2px }\n  #post576 .h2 + p { margin-top:2px }\n  #post576 div.set { height:400px; color:white; text-align:left; background-color:black; margin: 10px auto; width:621px; position: relative; z-index: 1; padding-bottom: 10px }\n  #post576 div.set > div { width:621px; height:400px; position:absolute; left:0; top:0; display:none }\n  #post576 .x1 { padding-left:10px; background-color:black; position:absolute;width:611px; left:0; bottom:0 }\n  #post576 .x2 { text-align:right;padding-right:10px; position:absolute;width:611px; right:0;bottom:0 }\n  #post576 div.set span { padding: 2px 8px; border: gray 1px solid; margin: 0px 5px }\n  #post576 div.group { padding:10px; margin:10px auto }\n  #post576 div.group center { font-weight: bold }\n  #post576 ol.cav li { margin-bottom: 8px }\n<\/style>\n\n<p class='h'>Equipment Tests: Basics<\/p>\n\n<p>To test the effects of changing equipment, <span class='nobr'>I used a<\/span> photo-taking\ntechnique that <span class='nobr'>I hoped<\/span> would give me the best results: <span class='nobr'>I used<\/span> <span class='nobr'>a remote<\/span>\nrelease so that <span class='nobr'>I didn't<\/span> actually touch the camera, and <span class='nobr'>I used<\/span> <a\nclass='quiet' href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mirror_lock-up\">mirror\nlock up<\/a> to raise the camera's mirror, and let it sit for at least 10\nseconds before actually tripping the shutter, so as to allow any vibration\nfrom the mirror movement to fade away. <span class='nobr'>It's extra<\/span> work, but should give the\nbest results possible for any given setup.<\/p>\n\n<p>Here are the results of using that technique with the pro-caliber\n<b>Gitzo 3540XLS<\/b> carbon-fiber legs (<a class='quiet'\nhref=\"\/blog\/2007-08-17\/547\">described here<\/a>) set up in\nvarious ways, with one final &#8220;crappy tripod&#8221; example using the cheap,\nflimsy tripod described <a href=\"\/blog\/2007-09-17\/575\"\nclass='quiet'>yesterday<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\n function OnMouse576(group_id,num)\n {\n   var group = document.getElementById(group_id);\n   var set   = group.firstChild;\n   while (set.tagName != \"DIV\") set = set.nextSibling;\n   var imgs = set.childNodes;\n\n   var i;\n   var imgNum = 0;\n   for (i = 0; i < imgs.length; i++)\n   {\n       var obj = imgs[i];\n       if (obj.tagName == \"DIV\")\n       {\n           imgNum++;\n           if (imgNum == num)\n               obj.style.display = 'block';\n           else\n               obj.style.display = 'none';\n      }\n   }\n\n   var center = group.firstChild;\n   while (set.tagName != \"CENTER\") set = set.nextSibling;\n\n   var spans = set.childNodes;\n\n   var i;\n   var spanNum = 0;\n   for (i = 0; i < spans.length; i++)\n   {\n       var obj = spans[i];\n       if (obj.tagName == \"SPAN\")\n       {\n           spanNum++;\n           if (spanNum == num) {\n               obj.style.border          = 'solid 3px #FF4040';\n               obj.style.backgroundColor = '#808080';\n               obj.style.color           = 'white';\n               obj.style.padding         = '3px';\n           } else {\n               obj.style.backgroundColor = '';\n               obj.style.border          = 'solid 1px gray';\n               obj.style.padding         = '5px';\n               obj.style.color           = '';\n           }\n      }\n   }\n\n }\n<\/script>\n\n<div id='s576a' class='group'>\n <center>Equipment Basics (Best Technique)<\/center>\n <div class='set'>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-LMup__6415-crop.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"iRef_LMup__6415_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, no ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-Ball-LMup__6422-crop.jpg\" width=\"603\" height=\"376\"\nid=\"iRef_Ball_LMup__6422_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-NoCol-LMup__6443-crop.jpg\" width=\"601\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"i3sec_NoCol_LMup__6443_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/4sec-NoCol-LMup__6432-crop.jpg\" width=\"601\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"i4sec_NoCol_LMup__6432_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>all leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Velbon-LMup__6475.jpg\" width=\"621\" height=\"388\"\nid=\"iVelbon_LMup__6475\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>crappy tripod<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <center>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576a\", 1)'>Ref<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576a\", 2)'>+ Ballhead<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576a\", 3)'>+ 3 Legs<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576a\", 4)'>+ 4 Legs<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576a\", 5)'>Crappy Tripod<\/span>\n <\/center>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Description<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n\n<li><p>The &#8220;<b>Ref<\/b>&#8221; image above will be the first image presented in all the\nsets, and is what <span class='nobr'>I would<\/span> consider <span class='nobr'>a reference<\/span> image &mdash; the best <span class='nobr'>I\ncould<\/span> produce with <span class='nobr'>a one<\/span>-second exposure. <span class='nobr'>It uses the<\/span> tripod legs without\nany of the sections extended, and without any center column, ballhead, or\nother movable camera mount. <span class='nobr'>It's a fairly<\/span> impractical setup for real-world\nuse due to the lack of <span class='nobr'>a movable<\/span> mount, but since that lack removes much\npotential for instability, it should be ideal as <span class='nobr'>a reference<\/span> setup.<\/p><\/li>\n\n<li><p>The &#8220;<b>+ Ballhead<\/b>&#8221; version adds <span class='nobr'>a pro<\/span>-caliber ballhead (the Really\nRight Stuff BH-55, with the Really Right Stuff PLC-1 quick-release clamp,\nalso <a class='quiet'\nhref=\"\/blog\/2007-08-17\/547\">described here<\/a>).<\/p><\/li>\n\n<li><p>For the &#8220;<b>+ 3 Legs<\/b>&#8221; version, <span class='nobr'>I extended<\/span> three of the four leg\nsections, resulting in <span class='nobr'>a camera<\/span> about eye height for me. (I'm 6'4&#8220;)<\/p><\/li>\n\n<li><p>For the &#8221;<b>+ 4 Legs<\/b>\" version, <span class='nobr'>I extended<\/span> all the leg sections. This\nwas much taller than <span class='nobr'>I could<\/span> normally use, with the camera almost touching\nthe 8-foot ceiling in my living-room.<\/p><\/li>\n\n<li><p>And again, as an opposite reference, there's the &#8220;<b>Crappy Tripod<\/b>&#8221; version.<\/p><\/li>\n\n<\/ul>\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Analysis<\/p>\n\n<p>The two extremes, &#8220;Ref&#8221; and &#8220;Crappy Tripod&#8221; are certainly different, but\nthe Crappy Tripod one is not <i>that<\/i> bad, indicating that good\ntechnique can make up for <span class='nobr'>a lot.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p>Oddly, the quality seems to get <span class='nobr'>a bit<\/span> <i>better<\/i> when moving from\n&#8220;+Ballhead&#8221; to &#8220;+3 Legs&#8221; (that is, by lengthening\nsome of the tripod legs), which is counter-intuitive. This is an excellent\nexample of one of the <a href=\"#caveat\">caveats<\/a> that <span class='nobr'>I point<\/span> out later:\n<span class='nobr'>I was<\/span> perhaps <span class='nobr'>a bit<\/span> more sloppy in my tests that <span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have been, and\nbecause <span class='nobr'>I took<\/span> only one image at each setup rather than taking several, <span class='nobr'>I lose a<\/span> bit to <span class='nobr'>a wider<\/span> margin of error. <span class='nobr'>The difference<\/span> between these two\npictures is pretty small, and so falls into that margin of error, <span class='nobr'>I\nthink.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><b>All in all, there's little practical difference from the &#8220;Ref&#8221;\nthrough &#8220;+4 Legs&#8221;, which leads me to conclude that good technique and good\nequipment under ideal circumstances can lead to good results. Under ideal\ncircumstances, you don't lose much stability even when raising the camera\nup 8 feet on quality legs and <span class='nobr'>a quality<\/span> ballhead.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p>Note that the results shown above don't indicate anything about\nless-than-ideal conditions (e.g. wind, trucks rumbling by) or technique\n(not using <span class='nobr'>a remote<\/span> shutter release, for example). <span class='nobr'>The next set<\/span> of tests attempts\nto address half of that.<\/p>\n\n\n<p>This set has the same equipment configurations, but the picture-taking\ntechnique changed from using <span class='nobr'>a remote<\/span> shutter release, to my pressing the\ncamera's shutter-release button by hand. <span class='nobr'>For these<\/span> tests, <span class='nobr'>I did the<\/span>\npressing very carefully, controlling my breathing and trying to be as soft\nand gentle as possible....<\/p>\n\n\n<div id='s576c' class='group'>\n <center>Equipment Basics (Less-good Technique)<\/center>\n <div class='set'>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-LMup__6415-crop.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"iRef_LMup__6415_cropx2\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, no ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-Hand__6418-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"iRef_Hand__6418_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, no ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-Ball-Hand__6425-crop.jpg\" width=\"602\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"iRef_Ball_Hand__6425_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-NoCol-Hand__6446-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i3sec_NoCol_Hand__6446_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/4sec-NoCol-Hand__6435-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i4sec_NoCol_Hand__6435_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>all leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Velbon-Hand__6478.jpg\" width=\"621\" height=\"388\"\nid=\"iVelbon_Hand__6478\"\/><div class='x1'>crappy tripod<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <center>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 1)'>Ref<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 2)'>+ hand release<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 3)'>+ Ballhead<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 4)'>+ 3 Legs<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 5)'>+ 4 Legs<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576c\", 6)'>Crappy Tripod<\/span>\n <\/center>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Analysis<\/p>\n\n<p>The value of a quality tripod makes itself clear in the &#8220;crappy tripod&#8221;\nversion, which shows <span class='nobr'>a lot<\/span> of movement despite my having been very careful.<\/p>\n\n<p>Relatively speaking, the others look much better and are all in the\nrealm of usable. Still, they've all lost noticeable sharpness from the\nreference image.<\/p>\n\n<p>Oddly, the same counter-intuitive difference in the move from\n&#8220;<b>+Ballhead<\/b>&#8221; to &#8220;<b>+3 Legs<\/b>&#8221; is also present here. <span class='nobr'>I can think<\/span> of\nthree possible explanations:<\/p>\n\n<ol style='margin-top:3px'>\n  <li>The &#8220;margin for error&#8221; just coincidentally manifested itself in the same spot.\n       (Time to play the lottery!)<\/li>\n  <li>Something was wrong when <span class='nobr'>I did<\/span> the &#8220;<b>+Ballhead<\/b>&#8221; tests.\n       (Maybe my refrigerator running full tilt?)<\/li>\n<li>These results accurately reflect reality, and for some reason, stability is\n     increased when extending the legs. (Seems highly unlikely, but who\nknows?)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p>That aside, the results make a lot of sense, getting progressively worse\nas you move across. <span class='nobr'>The conclusion<\/span> supports common sense: <b>good technique\nbecome more and more important as your equipment gets taller \/ more complex\n\/ lower quality<\/b>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class='h'>Equipment Tests: Center Column<\/p>\n\n<p>A center column can be really convenient, allowing you to make quick and\nfine-grained adjustments of camera height. Without <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column, you\nhave to futz with the length of the tripod legs to change he height, which\nbelieve me, is not fun. However, it's clear that adding an extra movable\ncomponent to the support system will weaken it, but does it really matter\nenough to, well, matter?<\/p>\n\n<p>I did some tests with my tripod at its three-leg-section setup, first\nwithout <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column, then with the center column installed but\ncompletely down, and then at various heights.<\/p>\n\n<div id='s576b' class='group'>\n <center>Equipment Tests: Center Column (Best Technique)<\/center>\n <div class='set'>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-LMup__6415-crop.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"iRef_LMup__6415_cropx3\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, no ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-NoCol-LMup__6443-crop.jpg\" width=\"601\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"i3sec_NoCol_LMup__6443_cropx2\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-0cm-LMup__6451-crop.jpg\" width=\"603\" height=\"380\"\nid=\"i3sec_0cm_LMup__6451_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 0cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-10cm-LMup__6459-crop.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"378\"\nid=\"i3sec_10cm_LMup__6459_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 10cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-32cm-LMup__6467-crop.jpg\" width=\"602\" height=\"376\"\nid=\"i3sec_32cm_LMup__6467_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 32cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <center>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576b\", 1)'>Ref<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576b\", 2)'>No Column<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576b\", 3)'>Column Down<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576b\", 4)'>10cm Up<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576b\", 5)'>32cm Up<\/span>\n <\/center>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Description<\/p>\n\n<ol>\n  <li><b>Ref<\/b> &mdash; standard reference image<\/li>\n  <li><b>No Column<\/b> &mdash; three of four leg sections extended, ballhead installed, but no center column.<\/li>\n  <li><b>Column Down<\/b> &mdash; like above, but with <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column installed and positioned all the way down (its most stable).<\/li>\n  <li><b>10cm Up<\/b> &mdash; like above, but with the column extended 10cm (about 4 inches), <span class='nobr'>a likely<\/span> height to use it at.<\/li>\n  <li><b>32cm Up<\/b> &mdash; the center column extended to its maximum of over <span class='nobr'>a foot,<\/span> its most unstable. This is an extreme height to use\n         <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column at.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Analysis<\/p>\n\n<p>All the configurations yield images that are in the realm of being\nusable, but there's <span class='nobr'>a clear<\/span> penalty to raising the center column. Simply\nhaving the column installed seems to yield no penalty unless you actually\nraise it up.<\/p>\n\n<p>Surprisingly, raising it just <span class='nobr'>a bit<\/span> seemed to have the same impact as\nraising it all the way.<\/p>\n\n<p><b>With good technique, you can install and use <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column if you need to, but there's indeed\nsome small penalty to actually using the column.<\/b><\/p>\n\n<p>Like so many things in photography and life, it becomes <span class='nobr'>a balance<\/span> of\nconvenience <i>vs.<\/i> quality.<\/p>\n\n<p>As before, let's see the results now when using <span class='nobr'>a less<\/span>-good technique\n(carefully releasing the shutter by hand, rather than using <span class='nobr'>a remote<\/span>\nshutter release)....<\/p>\n\n\n<div id='s576d' class='group'>\n <center>Equipment Tests: Center Column (Less-good Technique)<\/center>\n <div class='set'>\n   <div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/Ref-LMup__6415-crop.jpg\" width=\"600\" height=\"377\"\nid=\"iRef_LMup__6415_cropx4\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>no leg sections, no center column, no ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>remote mirror-up (10 seconds)<\/div><\/div>\n\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-NoCol-Hand__6446-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i3sec_NoCol_Hand__6446_cropx2\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, no center column, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-0cm-Hand__6454-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i3sec_0cm_Hand__6454_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 0cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-10cm-Hand__6462-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i3sec_10cm_Hand__6462_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 10cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n<div><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/i\/tri\/3sec-32cm-Hand__6470-crop.jpg\" width=\"608\" height=\"379\"\nid=\"i3sec_32cm_Hand__6470_crop\"\nnoindex=\"1\"\/><div class='x1'>3 of 4 leg sections, center column at 32cm, ballhead<\/div><div class='x2'>shutter release by hand (careful)<\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n <center>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576d\", 1)'>Ref<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576d\", 2)'>No Column<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576d\", 3)'>Column Down<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576d\", 4)'>10cm Up<\/span>\n  <span onmouseover='OnMouse576(\"s576d\", 5)'>32cm Up<\/span>\n <\/center>\n<\/div>\n\n<p class='h2'>Test Analysis<\/p>\n\n<p>The results parallel those in the previous set, but the poor technique\namplifies the differences. <span class='nobr'>It now seems<\/span> apparent that there's <span class='nobr'>a small<\/span>\npenalty for just having the column installed. Still, <span class='nobr'>I must reiterate<\/span> that\nwith <span class='nobr'>a difference<\/span> as small as we're seeing here, and the long list of <a\nhref=\"#caveat\">caveats<\/a> yet to be discussed, it's not reasonable to\ndraw any conclusions.<\/p>\n\n<p>I can't say the same while looking at the &#8220;<b>10 cm Up<\/b>&#8221; and &#8220;<b>32\ncm Up<\/b>&#8221; frames, which show (relatively speaking) considerable shake.<\/p>\n\n<p>The conclusions here parallel those from before, and basically show the\nimportance of using <span class='nobr'>a remote<\/span> shutter release with <span class='nobr'>a tripod,<\/span> or at least not\nusing <span class='nobr'>a center<\/span> column unless you really need to.... at least not with long exposures\nwith <span class='nobr'>a long<\/span> zoom lens.<\/p>\n\n<p>That last &#8220;at least...&#8221; phrase is important to highlight: the blurring\neffects of camera shake (whether due to poor technique or inferior\nequipment) decrease as you use <span class='nobr'>a faster<\/span> shutter speed and\/or less zoom.\nThese tests of one-second exposure at 200mm zoom may well be common in\nlandscape photography (an area <span class='nobr'>I have<\/span> little experience in), but are\nunrealistically harsh for many common situations where <span class='nobr'>a one<\/span>-second\nexposure would result in blur from subject movement that far exceeded that\nfrom the tripod or technique.<\/p>\n\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\nOnMouse576('s576a', 1);;\nOnMouse576('s576b', 1);;\nOnMouse576('s576c', 1);;\nOnMouse576('s576d', 1);;\n<\/script>\n\n<p class='h'><a name='caveat'>Caveats<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p>So, here are some things that may conspire to make any conclusions I've\ncome up with worthless....<\/p>\n\n<ol class='cav'>\n  <li><span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have taken multiple shots in each situation and then picked the best or average result,\n       thereby reducing the chance of <span class='nobr'>a one<\/span>-time mistake making its way into the results.<\/li>\n\n  <li><span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have been more careful to ensure my camera was level, so that <span class='nobr'>I wouldn't<\/span> have had to make\n      minor rotations in the results to get them to look comparable. This\n      greatly increases the margin for error in comparing mostly-sharp\n      results.<\/li>\n\n  <li><span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have been more careful to ensure that the lens was always at the full 200mm. <span class='nobr'>At one point<\/span> along the\n      way <span class='nobr'>I noticed<\/span> that it was <span class='nobr'>a touch<\/span> below 200mm (190mm?). <span class='nobr'>I hadn't<\/span> moved so much that the Exif data registered\n      anything but &#8220;200mm&#8221;, but <span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have been more careful\n      nevertheless.<\/li>\n\n  <li>Since the target was 50+ feet away, <span class='nobr'>I didn't<\/span> pay strict attention to the exact point <span class='nobr'>I set<\/span> up the tripod, but in\n       thinking about it now, <span class='nobr'>a difference<\/span> of just one foot would result in a 2% change in the size of the target, which\n       perhaps has <span class='nobr'>a real<\/span> effect on how we interpret the results. <span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have kept the camera-to-target distance constant (which includes adjusting for the changes in camera level that come with\n       different tripod setups).<\/li>\n\n  <li>I'm just testing with my own personal equipment, using techniques\n      that <span class='nobr'>I happen<\/span> to know. <span class='nobr'>The results<\/span> may not apply at all\n      to your equipment or technique.<\/li>\n\n  <li>It may well be that the relative effects of changes across different\n      setups is completely different at different shutter speeds. There's no way to know without testing, and <span class='nobr'>I haven't<\/span> done that (yet?).<\/li>\n\n  <li>My ballhead is equipped with <span class='nobr'>a Really<\/span> Right Stuff PLC-1 panoramic quick-release clamp, which may have completely different\n      properties from the more common solid quick-release clamp that <span class='nobr'>I used<\/span>\n      with the non-ballhead &#8220;Ref&#8221; images. <span class='nobr'>I really<\/span> should have taken PLC-1\n     out of the mix and used <span class='nobr'>a solid<\/span> quick-release clamp for all the tests\n     (unless <span class='nobr'>I specifically<\/span> wanted to test the effect of adding the PLC-1 to the\n     list).<\/li>\n\n  <li>None of the tests measured &#8220;3rd-party vibration,&#8221; such as that from people walking by, trucks driving by, wind, etc. <span class='nobr'>It may well<\/span> be that the relative merits among the various situations tested would change considerably when outside forces\n      are added to the mix.\n\n             <!--TECH-->\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent\" style=\"border: 2px solid #FF8080;\n            float: right;\n            padding: 0 1em 1em 1em;\n            margin: 10px 0 1em 1em;\n            display: inline;\">\n<p style='white-space: nowrap'><b>My Tech-Related Photography Posts<\/b><\/p>\n<ul style='margin:0; font-size:80%'>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/lightroom-goodies\/ipad-howto2'>My Lightroom-to-iPad Workflow<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/lightroom-goodies\/'>Lightroom Goodies<\/a> (lots of plugins)<\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/photo-tech\/color-spaces-page1\/'>Digital Image Color Spaces<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/other-writings\/online-exif-image-data-viewer\/'>Online Exif (Image Data) Viewer<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/photo-tech\/focus-chart\/'>Jeffrey's Autofocus Test Chart<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/photo-tech\/calendar\/'>Photoshop Calendar-Template-Building Script<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/lightroom-goodies\/ipad-howto'>How to Prepare Photos for an iPad<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/photo-tech\/nef-compression\/'>A Qualitative Analysis of NEF Compression<\/a><\/li>\n  <li><a href='\/blog\/2007-08-24\/554'>Tripod Stability Tests<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style='font-size:85%; margin:10px 0 0 0'><a href=\"\/blog\/photo-tech\/\">more<\/a>...<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<!--\/TECH-->\n\n\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n  <li>It could be that my house is not <span class='nobr'>a very<\/span> good platform upon which to\n      conduct tests. <span class='nobr'>I think<\/span> it should be fine because it's <span class='nobr'>a modern<\/span> post-<a\n      href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Kobe_earthquake\">Kobe<\/a>\n      condo built with an abundance of concrete and steel, and the flooring\n      itself has a <i>lot<\/i> of vibration-dampening built in (that we added as\n      an option while it was being built, as an added measure against the sound of\n      Anthony's running feet bothering the downstairs neighbors). <span class='nobr'>But for all<\/span> <span class='nobr'>I know,<\/span>\n      vibration from the fridge or washing machine or birds flying outside make their way to my floor and tripod,\n       and perhaps that happened while <span class='nobr'>I was<\/span> conducting the tests? <span class='nobr'>I don't<\/span> know.<\/li>\n\n  <li><span class='nobr'>I should<\/span> have taken more steps to try to increase sharpness, such as\n      hanging <span class='nobr'>a weight<\/span> from the center column when one was being used.\n\n       Another area for improvement would be to have moved from <span class='nobr'>a 200mm<\/span> zoom to a <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prime_lens\" class='quiet'>prime<\/a>.\n      (Re-doing these tests will be the perfect reason to go out and get <span class='nobr'>a\n       new<\/span> lens; if someone would like to\n       contribute <a href=\"http:\/\/www.adorama.com\/NK6004AFVRU.html\">this fine lens<\/a> to the effort, <span class='nobr'>I would<\/span> be most appreciative <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/blog\/wp-includes\/images\/smilies\/icon_smile.gif\" width=\"15\" height=\"15\"\nclass=\"raw\"\nid=\"ismile\"\/>).<\/li>\n\n  <li>When it comes down to it, <span class='nobr'>I'm not an<\/span> expert on any of this stuff, so\nperhaps there are fundamental flaws in my tests or my interpretation of the\nresults.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I introduced my tripod stability tests in the previous post, and I'll continue in this post with more details.<\/p> <p>Before I continue, I must note that there are some serious caveats that limit how much one can really read into the result I'm about to present. I don't list the caveats up front because no one will pay attention to them anyway <b>\/-:<\/b>, so I detail them later in this post.<\/p> <p>In this post I'll focus on equipment setup. In another, I focus more on technique.<\/p> <p class='h'>Equipment Tests: Basics<\/p> <p>To test the effects of changing equipment, I used a [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/576\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}