How to Tell the Difference between Camera Shake or Poor Focussing?
‘Darren I’m getting blur in almost all of my shots but I can’t work out why. I thought the camera had a focusing problem but one of my friends thinks I might be moving my shots when taking images and getting camera shake. Is there a way of telling which is which?’
That’s a good question and one that I’ve had a couple of times now - so perhaps it’s worth answering publicly here on the blog.
Without seeing the images it is impossible to know what the problem is in your particular case - but let me attempt to give you some tips for diagnosing your own problem.
Camera Shake
There are three main things to look for when looking for camera shake:
Full Image Blur - If you are suffering from camera shake you will almost certainly find that all of your image is blurred whether it is the main subject, your background or your foreground. Look closely and you’ll see that there are no sharp points in the image at all.
Double image - Another indication that you probably have camera shake is when you see an effect where there is almost two exposures of the same image. Particularly pay close attention to the edges of objects where you might see them twice. You can see a good example of this to the left.
Motion Blur - Camera shake is achieved when your camera is moving during the time of exposure. As a result you’ll often see a ‘blur’ that looks like your subject is moving - even when it might be a still life subject. Look for light streaks or lines when examining your image close up.
If you’re suffering from camera shake you might like to check out these tutorials:
Poor Focusing
In contrast to seeing a full image suffering from blur - often when you’re simply incorrectly focusing your camera you’ll find that the wrong part of the image is in focus.
Scan the full image and you’ll sometimes find that something in it is nice and sharp, even if it is your foreground or background.
Also - with poor focusing you will often find that the blur is smoother or softer where as in camera shake the blur can have a more jagged or harsh look.
If you are looking for more information on taking sharp images check out our tutorial on the topic.
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January 29th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
Good distinctions. My first disappointment with my first digital camera was the camera shake. It was a little pentax point-and-shoot and the shutter release took a lot more “oomf” than I was used to with my film camera. Result - blurred images. Even after I learned to hold my breath, keep steady, etc., I’d still have shake. Not the case at all with my dslr. Are some cameras more prone to wobbliness, do you think?
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:38 am
Well, there are a lot of (expensive) lenses that come with gyroscopy things that prevent this camera shake problem. Sony recently came out with this technology in the body of the camera, but I haven’t heard how it measures up with the more tradiational lens placement. (I’m just talking about DSLRs by the way, I haven’t reasearched this in other cameras.)
February 2nd, 2007 at 10:47 am
I know without a doubt when I make an exposure. It is poor focus. Anyone that wants top quality, sharp shots, Use a Tripod! I do not depend on this new technology.
February 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Small Camera or Big Camera ALWAYS use a support..Tripod..Monopod..Bean Bag or the fence post but ALWAYS use some type of Support
February 2nd, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I really did not mean to be dogmatic. I intended to stress the use of a good tripod. These “anti shake” devices may fail. You may not be able to return and retake that once in a life time shot. I guess this rubs off from my pre-digital days when I used a 4×5.
Charlie
February 10th, 2007 at 5:52 am
Thanks for the great tips! I have camera shake issues and have found myself unwilling to stick to tripod shots.
One thing that would help me would be more remote shutter release options. As a user of so-called pro-sumer grade camera’s, I continue to be shocked at how rare the option of a simple remote control for the shutter release is.
After decades of time spent perfecting remote controls for TV’s, one would think it would be pretty simple to create a better option than ‘using the timer’ as a workaround.
February 15th, 2007 at 1:58 am
A major problem with camera shake is the user’s intention to opt for the smallest physical size of camera, making it more difficult to hand-hold support. Resting the camera in the palm of the left hand (sorry lefties) and learning to smooth out the shutter release button will help. A small table top tripod might help to use as a “handle” and of course if ALL cameras had a cable release socket, electronic or mechanical, would help.