Blurry even with tripod??

[basselal]

I’m posting this from work so I don’t have any photo examples to include.

I just got back from a long weekend in L.A. I took tons of photos (the initial count was about 3000. A lot of those will be deleted since they are repeated versions of the same photo experimenting with setting and other stuff). I took a lot of photos with a tripod and fairly long exposures. I was really disappointed to see that a lot of those turned out to be still blurry when viewed on my computer screen.

Now I know some of the issues that might have caused this (focus, large aperture/small shallow field, slight wind and a cheap tripod?) but I want to ask if there are other things that I might have missed. My tripod is not the expensive professional fiber glass but it is not the cheapest either and it was not particularly windy (well, maybe a bit on Mulholland drive and Griffith Observatory).

Any tips??

[t blanchard]

Did you have a cable release or use your self-timer? Sometimes even the vibration of your hand depressing the shutter button can cause some blur on long exposures (with a tripod).

[basselal]

Originally Posted by t blanchard

Did you have a cable release or use your self-timer? Sometimes even the vibration of your hand depressing the shutter button can cause some blur on long exposures (with a tripod).

Yes.. I used a remot shutter release. I forgot to say that in the original post.

[Mslanh01]

You might also want to go into your camera settings and turn mirror lock up on if you can. In some cases, when the shutter is pressed, the motion of the mirror swinging out of the way could cause some camera movement.

[basselal]

Originally Posted by Mslanh01

You might also want to go into your camera settings and turn mirror lock up on if you can. In some cases, when the shutter is pressed, the motion of the mirror swinging out of the way could cause some camera movement.

You know, even though it does not directly say that, but your post reminded me of something.

I just recently bought the 17-55 2.8 IS lense. This is the first IS lense I own. Before this trip I only used hand held and always had the IS on. Maybe I should have turned it off when I'm using a tripod??

Like I said, not previous experience with IS..... so do you think this is the problem??

That would be really dissapointing if I caused the blurr while I was trying to avoid it at all cost.

[AgBeard]

I agree that IS could be a problem & that it should be turned OFF for tripod work. Mirror 'slap' can also be a problem - so locking the mirror is a good idea.

[Saralonde]

I have the same lens and turn off the IS when it is on a tripod. Maybe someone will correct me on this, but I think the only reason for turning it off is to save battery power.

[wulf]

Yes - I believe that the rule is you should switch IR off when using a tripod. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but better learnt after one trip than after several!

Wulf

[basselal]

Originally Posted by wulf

Yes - I believe that the rule is you should switch IR off when using a tripod. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but better learnt after one trip than after several!

Wulf

Thanks all!... Of course it is better learned now than later.

[basselal]

Originally Posted by Saralonde

I have the same lens and turn off the IS when it is on a tripod. Maybe someone will correct me on this, but I think the only reason for turning it off is to save battery power.

I read somewhere that newer IS lenses have a tripod mode while older ones don't and this is why you should turn it off on those models. I'm not sure if that lense is one of the older ones. Do you know??