In 2016, Olympus Camera made some buzz in the photo world when they claimed that their new camera was capable of an impressive 6.5 stops of stabilization and that the limiting factor was in fact the rotation of the Earth. This was rather surprising given the slow and steady improvement since the first such stabilization […]
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Real World Wind Test With GFX
In the previous post, I used a torque gauge to measure the amount of torque generated on a camera and lens under windy conditions. From this, we then directly calculated the amount of tripod stiffness necessary to hold the camera steady. While this is great, it is still a theoretical calculation made after many borderline […]
Read MoreImage Stabilization on a Tripod Under Ideal Conditions
A great amount of digital ink has been spilled debating whether or not image stabilization mechanisms should be turned off while the camera is on a tripod. There is good reason for skepticism of stabilization while the camera is stationary. The sensors used to detect camera motion are not perfect; they contain some level of […]
Read MoreFuji GFX 50s Shutter Shock with 110mm F/2
Previously, I described testing the shutter shock of a camera using an MTF chart. In that test, the Fuji X-T2 didn’t show a lot of shutter shock. Here, I am hoping that the larger shutter of the Fuji GFX 50s will make the effect more obvious. I am using the Fuji 110mm F/2. As can […]
Read MoreShutter Shock Methodology Demonstrated with the Fuji X-T2
Shutter shock is an issue that has plagued early models of mirrorless cameras. Unlike in a DSLRs, the shutter must wind to cover the sensor very quickly, then release. This additional movement causes mirrorless cameras to be more susceptible to the shutter action. DSLR cameras are not immune, and have their own host of problems […]
Read MoreOptimizing Ball Head Choice Part III: Searching for Generalization
In Part II of this series, we saw that each tripod has an optimal range of ball head sizes that complement the performance of the legs. While legs are typically less stiff than heads, a head that is too small will materially diminish the stiffness performance of the system. On the other hand, a head […]
Read MoreCalculating the Stiffness of a Complete Tripod + Head
Tripod legs and heads are typically sold separately. Even when they are not, they almost always connect at the tripod apex via a 3/8″ screw thread. The logic here is sound. Photographers and videographers use different sets of gear in different scenarios and therefore need to be able to mix and match equipment. The stiffness […]
Read MoreCarbon Fiber vs. Aluminum Tripods
Today, tripods are made predominantly from two materials, carbon fiber and aluminum. Those looking to invest in a set of tripod legs will often have to choose between the two. This could have been a short post. Carbon fiber is clearly the better material from an engineering and design perspective. The why and how much […]
Read MoreTripod Stiffness vs. Leg Angle
In testing tripods, I have noticed some patterns in their performance with respect to design. Some of these are obvious, such as tripods with skinny legs tend to perform worse than those with fat ones. Less obvious is the tripod performance with respect to the angle with which the legs splay outwards. It seems that […]
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Approximating Tripod Stiffness vs Height
In a previous series of posts, I have laid out the models used for fitting stiffness vs height data, tested the Manfrotto MT055 tripods, tested a bunch of tripods, and compared the stiffness vs height for some very similar Really Right Stuff tripods. In these posts we learned that we could not fit the stiffness […]
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