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Category: Troubleshooting Other Photo Equipment

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How Much Vibrations Affects Blurred


The mirror of my Canon AE1 makes a sort of “clang” when the shutter is released, producing a slight, almost imperceptible vibration of the body. I’m a bit worried as that could produce a slightly, uncontrollable blurred effect in my photos (even thought I hardly have found it in practice, to be honest). My worry is: why should I use fixed focal length lenses of good quality if sharpness is lost by vibrations?
So the questions are: How much does mirror’s lifting really affects blurred? Is there any way to lock up the mirror with this camera?
Thankyou very much.


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September 22, 2003

 

doug Nelson
  In my own case, lack of sharpness is more often caused by a combination of using too slow a shutter and lack of proper camera support. I don't believe this stuff about the slowest hand-hold shutter speed being the reciprocal of the lens focal length. My attempts to hold a 28 at 1/30 were not consistently successful. If the photo were important to me, I should have done the geezer fuddy-duddy drill and set up a tripod. For me, that reciprocal factor should be reduced by a shutter speed faster, for example, a minimum of 125 sec for a 50-mm lens.

If those factors are controlled, mirror slap MAY make a difference between about 1/60 and 1/4 second. At those speeds, you'd use a monopod or tripod, I'd think. I doubt if the AE-1 suffers any more than any other SLR is this regard. If you want mirror lock-up, find an FTb on an auction site for less than $75.


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September 22, 2003

 

Bob Cammarata
  I agree with Doug, that "mirror slap" is most prevalent between 1/60 and 1/4 second. Many experts conclude that at 1/15 second, the camera "moves" during the entire exposure....even when tri-pod mounted.
Whenever I shoot during this critical range, and even beyond, I engage the timer mechanism on my tripod mounted camera...which locks up the mirror before the shutter opens.
On exposure times of 1 second or more, this process is not necessary since the added time allows the image to be literally "painted" onto the film and makes whatever movement that did occur indescernable.


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September 23, 2003

 

Barbara
  Are you sure about what you are hearing? The old canon's are notorious for shutter problems. If that is what you hear and you see motion, the shutter may be hanging open....


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September 24, 2003

 
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