Camera Shake with Sigma 70-300mm DG Apo

[Nogbad]

Hi wondered if anyon can give me any tips. I was out yesterday trying to get some experience and photo's with the above lens. Went to Abberton to the back of the reservoir on the causeway. Good views of a Smew which was on the water. Tried various settings and then used the lens with a x2 teleconverter to give more magnifcation. I was using a bean bag and seemed to be getting some passable shots.

Once at home and downloaded obviously there was some camera shake, on some more than others. It isn't always practical to use a tripod and feel a bit
let down either with the lens or my own inability to get a decent shot.

I am hoping to buy the new Tamron 500mm zoom in a few months and dont want to feel I've wasted my money. Especially if I cant get some decent shots with the Sigma.

Any tips would be useful.

Nogbad

[flash]

Well it isn't IS but for me it took a bit of practice hand holding the sigma especially on bird shots until I was able to get used to the weight and have no camera shake. I imagine with the telecoverter it is just even more so that you have to be steady. What kind of teleconverter are you talking about?

[Adey Baker]

I think you're asking too much of your set-up, especially if you're just gaining experience.

Putting a 2x converter onto the back of a lens with a maximum aperture of F5.6 (at the 300mm end, where you'll be using it most, presumably), is giving you a 600mm F11 lens which will need a sturdy support in order give you a chance of sharp shots. You'll also probably need to stop the lens down a couple more stops in order to get the best quality available with this set-up. Not a recipe for a high percentage of successful shots, even for an experienced user, I would think.

[Nogbad]

Its a Jessops own brand of teleconverter. From what Adey says sounds like it may be more difficult than I first Imagened to get some decent shots.

Thanks for your comments guys.

Nogbad

[ClassyShots]

Remember, if you are handholding with no support rule of thumb is 1/100 for every 100mm. Even if you have it on a tripod you are going to get some shake unless you are using some type of remote release (cable or switch).

[yelvertoft]

Hello Nogbad,

All of what has been said already is relevant, I think you may be a little optimistic with your ideas of what can be achieved. Knowing the Abberton causeway, I wonder how far away your subject was? A zoom lens will bring things closer, but there are limits. If your subject distance is short the optics won't be "on the limit" so much with regards to what they have to resolve. Another thing is the amount of light available. It was sunny in the causeway on Sunday afternoon with a nice sharp light, this will help. If it was dull at the time you took your pictures they won't have the same "snap", regardless of the settings and equipment used.

The lens is being used at full zoom which will probably make the images a bit on the soft side, adding a 2x telecon will make things softer still, the max effective aperture will be small but presumably the actual aperture on the lens was wide open. This again will not lend itself to the sharpest of shots. Add in the camera shake you will get at shutter sheeds of less than say 1/750th by the time you've accounted for the digital crop factor and it's not surprising things haven't worked out as you expected.

Have a look on Andy Bright's digiscoping site, there's lots of advice regarding the use of teleconvertors on there.

Duncan.

Originally Posted by Nogbad

Hi wondered if anyon can give me any tips. I was out yesterday trying to get some experience and photo's with the above lens. Went to Abberton to the back of the reservoir on the causeway. Good views of a Smew which was on the water. Tried various settings and then used the lens with a x2 teleconverter to give more magnifcation. I was using a bean bag and seemed to be getting some passable shots.

Once at home and downloaded obviously there was some camera shake, on some more than others. It isn't always practical to use a tripod and feel a bit
let down either with the lens or my own inability to get a decent shot.

I am hoping to buy the new Tamron 500mm zoom in a few months and dont want to feel I've wasted my money. Especially if I cant get some decent shots with the Sigma.

Any tips would be useful.

Nogbad