56 DIGITAL CAMERA^ APRIL 2020 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
Camera
College
The photographic rule of
thumb for taking sharp
shots without the aid of a tripod
is that the shutter speed should
be no slower than the effective
focal length of the lens. So,
a 200mm lens shouldn’t be
handheld at speeds slower than
1/200 second, and a 20mm lens
should give you sharp results at
speeds of 1/20 sec or faster.Obviously, your mileage may
vary when it comes to this rule.
Some lenses are too big and
bulky to be handheld for
any length of time, and the
conditions you’re shooting
in play a part, too.
Image stabilisation can
save the day, however. With
image stabilisation activated,
you may be able to take sharppictures with a 200mm lens at
speeds down to 1/13 sec, and
a 20mm lens at speeds as slow
as 0.8 sec – as long as the
subject isn’t moving, and
your handholding technique
is impeccable, of course!
Image stabilisation can be
broadly broken down into three
categories: in-lens, in-camera,
and electronic. The lens-basedsystem is usually referred to
as ‘optical’ image stabilisation,
and lenses that feature the
technology typically carry an
acronym, such as IS (Image
Stabiliser), OS (Optical
Stabiliser) or VR (Vibration
Reduction). Each lens
manufacturer uses their
own naming convention, but
the principle is the same:A telephoto lens was used to ‘compress’ the layers of this scene, but the shutter speed (1/160 sec) was too slow to use the
400mm lens handheld, resulting in extensive camera shake. Activating image stabilisation helped to steady the image, though.Marcus
HawkinsPhotographer and
writer Marcus is a
former editor of
Digital CameraThe complete guide to modern photography
STABILISATION OFF STABILISATION ON
What is image stabilisation all about?
The vibrations caused by a shaking camera can rob an image of its sharpness, but an image-stabilised
lens or camera can bring back the bite to your shot. Here we explore the different options on offer