Here’s the latest of our cards. The last time I photographed strawberries in a bowl, I had the camera hand-held.
As a result, I didn’t like the lack of sharpness. This time I put the camera on a tripod and I prefer the shot.
I used the Nikon D5100 with 35mm F1.8 AF-S lens and I set the ISO to its base value of 100 ISO. The EXIF data tells me that I shot it at 1/1.6 of a second and f6.3. That’s a pretty long exposure and definitely in the danger zone for camera shake and tripod shake.
So here is a crop from the image:
And here is a closer crop:
The sharpness is a testament not just to the camera, but also to the Manfrotto tripod.
Tripods
On the subject of tripods, you may not be aware that a tripod can actually produce a worse shot than you might be able to make holding the camera in your hands.
That is because the mirror slap from SLR cameras (as the mirror moves up and down) can send a vibration down the legs of the tripod. A good tripod will ‘kill’ that vibration.
Of course, many higher-end SLRs have a mirror-up function that means that there is no mirror slap during the actual moment of the shot – but it is still good to get a tripod that is as solid as a rock.
The sharpness is stunning. I have a Manfrotto tripod with a nice, sort of, ‘joystick’ head on it.. It was really worth the investment.
Someone told me to turn off the VR when using a tripod…
Yes, I have heard that too – about turning off VR.