0

This mode is an 8x multiplier. So a 500mm lens looks like 4000mm. The only problem is the wind. How do you keep the camera completely still on a heavy tripod and light winds?

Mark Robin
  • 89
  • 7
  • 2
    Mod note: while video questions are off-topic here, I'm going to leave this one because the vast majority of the recommendations apply equally to shooting photos. – Philip Kendall Apr 25 '22 at 09:36
  • Curious are Timelapse questions allowed? It is a series of images a second apart in some cases, in a video file format.

    Has anyone else tried the mode in the title with a long lens? A t2i is required. Are there any other camera brands with this feature? Which models?

     – Mark Robin Apr 25 '22 at 11:32
  • There's never been a "bright line" as to what is a "photography question" and what is a "video question"; timelapse questions have always been somewhere on that boundary and will be treated on a case-by-case basis. Questions only about a video crop mode are certainly off-topic though. – Philip Kendall Apr 25 '22 at 11:38
  • 1
    Does this answer your question? How do I keep my tripod mounted camera steady in strong winds? – Saaru Lindestøkke Apr 29 '22 at 12:31
  • Some new ideas there thank you. The difference is I’m in video mode. The vibrations appear different they are not just blur. Harder to remove in post than stopping up front. Even the lightest breeze has an effect at 8000mm. It seems that stopping the light breeze completely with an obstacle is the best idea so far, in my testing. – Mark Robin Apr 29 '22 at 14:14

2 Answers2

6
  • Keep the tripod legs as short as possible.
  • Use a heavy tripod (you already mentioned you are using a beefy tripod). If it costs under USD 150, it isn't beefy. The tripod head also needs to be beefy. Plastic tripod heads aren't stiff enough.
  • Balance your camera/lens. Many long lenses have a tripod collar which balances the weight. With a catadioptric lens, you don't have that option.
  • Block the wind. Trees, walls, cars, ... all make good wind blocks.
  • Tie a weight to the tripod. Many tripods have a hook or ring on the bottom of the center column for this purpose. The weight must touch the ground so the wind doesn't move the weight. Lots of tutorials on the Internet on using weights (sand bags) on tripods for stabilization.
  • You can perform stabilization in post processing. For free and not easy to use, FFMPEG. There are many video editors with stabilization features.
  • With a long lens, heat waves can look like a stability issue. Be sure you aren't experiencing this.
qrk
  • 3,006
  • 4
  • 13
  • Some cat lenses do have a tripod collar. At least one (soviet design) also has changeable aperture. // Gimbal heads help with balancing the camera and lens. – xiota Apr 26 '22 at 08:05
  • My cat lens does Tamron SP 500 – Mark Robin Apr 26 '22 at 23:31
  • I have tried all of these suggestions which do work in normal circumstances. But not beyond 4000mm. Post processing image stabilization does not fix this kind of movement because sometimes it is extreme even in light wind. – Mark Robin Apr 26 '22 at 23:34
2

A few more tips/ideas:

  • Use tent stakes and bungee cords to pull each leg straight down at the knee.
  • Jam a monopod taught under the lens of the already-tripoded camera. A square of mousepad foam or a bean bag can help.
  • Don't use a tripod, but a tree and bungee straps and beanbags.
  • If you don't have beanbags, fill a sock halfway with rice and tie the ankle.
  • Put the tripod inside a tent, which blocks the wind. Ice fishing shelters and duck blinds work too and don't have floors, if you want to tent stake the legs.
dandavis
  • 412
  • 2
  • 5