Most of the time teeny amounts of camera shake don’t matter very much. This is heresy, but it’s true for most close-up shots. Camera shake is more critical for very sharp, very high resolution cameras like the D800e, because when you shake, it shows.
Where camera shake is absolutely critical is when you plan on making very large (or tightly cropped) prints of far distant objects, maybe in lousy light.
In these circumstances, even a hint of movement may ruin a shot, and you’ll never know it til you look at it at 100% size or start enlarging it.
Some ways to reduce camera shake:
- Use a tripod. Duh. But that isn’t enough.
- Use faster shutter speeds. Get them through higher ISO, not wider apertures (not an absolute rule; this depends on circumstances).
- Use the self-timer and put in 3 seconds delay between shutter press and actual shot. This lets the camera settle down.
- Use a remote shutter control and shutter pre-up.
- Focus on a specific point. Do not trust your camera’s infinity setting. (Relates to sharpness, not camera shake, but hey, it’s a freebie)
- Do not touch any part of the tripod during the exposure
- Do not walk around during the exposure. Do not even shift your weight!
- In any sort of breeze, hang a weight from the tripod to help stabilize it. Your camera bag will do for this; carry an S hook with you.
Below is a picture of Yellowstone Falls, shot from Inspiration Point. Great photo? Yes, up to 16×20, but at full size you can see the traces of camera shake.
22 megapixel medium format PhaseOne / Mamiya 645, tripod mount. Not good enough!
