long shutter speeds

[Firegirl]

At what point (speed) would you recommend using a tripod? I'd like to improve on my lowlight photography. Oh, I do have a couple Canon IS lens...that helps some. Thanks.

[TxLerman]

Sherrie,

You question, as asked, is very hard to answer. It depends on your size & weight of your lens and your ability to hold the camera steady. I have heard some rules of thumb about using support when the shutterspeed approaches the inverse of your focal length. For example, if the lens is a 300mm, then use support at 1/300th of a second or slower.

I have taken slow shutter speed pictures (1/5th of a second or slower) and I always use a tripod and a remote release. I have a canon, so I also lock-up my mirror in advance after I set the focus, aperature and shutter speed to avoid any shake from the mirror movement.

I would suggest you experiment a bit and see what works for you.

David

[NathanJK]

My suggestion is that if you have the time, and you even THINK to yourself "maybe I should use my tripod" then do so. As long as its a static scene there is no good reason not to use it, you can only produce better pictures if you use it, not worse! Sometimes I'll handhold for one shot, just so I know I at least got A shot, then setup the tripod

[Bill]

Easy answer: When the picture suffers from camera motion, in your opinion, and you can get a better shot with a tripod-mounted camera.

Pictures have different end purposes. 30x40 prints, 4x6 prints, 100x150 pixel Web shots. A small Web shot could look great. A huge enlargement could be sorry.

An Impressionistic picture taken at 1/2 second could make a fine enlargement because it is all about the impression, anyway, not sharpness or high resolution.

If you are shooting at night and want to get a ribbon of automobile lights, a tripod allows you to contrast them with their rock-steady surroundings(buildings, street signs, etc) by shooting at very low shutter speeds.

To get you in a tripod frame of mind, ask yourself if there is a reason to take a shot handheld. If you do landscape, architectural, macro, or portraits, you may find that a fixed camera allows you to think and work very deliberately. Fast-paced work, such as photojournalism or candids are often hurt by the reduced flexibility of a tripod. For a mix of more stability than handheld and more flexibility than a tripod, try a monopod, the favorite of sports shooters.

Some people are worried about using high ISOs because of noise problems. Boost that ISO. Sharpness will trump noise many times. If you run out of ISO, underexpose and boost in software. Just do what you have to do to get the shot.

Tripod substitutes: Walls, cars, trucks, poles, signs, trees, bridges, fences, fire hydrants(wait, that might be needed by others), and the like.