This weekend I spent some time on the streets of Edinburgh. On my Nikon D200, I had what I believe is the perfect walk-around lens, the Nikon 18-200mm VR f3.5-5.6. So I was all set, or so I thought.
I don’t do a lot of candid photography. Most of my images are taken at a much slower pace. I’ll setup and compose the image, usually on a tripod and I’ll take time to consider what camera settings I need for depth of field etc.
Well the setup I used this weekend had two wonderful pieces of technology that conspired against me.
Firstly Auto-ISO. This is one of my favourite features on the D200. Basically you fire in a maximum ISO setting that you are comfortable with, and then a minimum shutter speed. The camera will then automatically raise the ISO settings whenever it needs to, based on available light. It’s a great time saver, ensuring you are always using the lowest ISO possible at any given time.
Secondly VR - Vibration Reduction. The VR on my 18-200 is stunning - I’ve got sharp handheld shots at a 1/5th of a second. At 1/30th even on the 200mm telephoto end of the lens, images are nice and sharp. 1/60th is almost guaranteed.
So I was all set - switch on the Auto-ISO to max out at 800 ISO, set the minimum speed to 1/60th and leave the camera on Aperture priority so I could set my depth of field dependent on the situation. I was sorted. Or so I thought.
Candid street photography is fast - or rather the subject is fast - it tends to be moving. However, even the greatest Vibration Reduction system in the world won’t give you a sharp image of someone walking at a brisk pace down the street. Of the 100 or so shots I took, I had to immediately bin at least 30% for that very reason. How stupid was I. I let the technology sucker me in, make me lazy, and I forgot one of the the basic fundamentals of photography and why shutter speed is so important.
Fortunately I did manage to get some keepers that I ended up being happy with. Including the one above which I’ve titled “Eating Out”.
3 comments so far
I love my 18-200 VR lens on my D200. It is fantastic. But, as you pointed out, the VR won’t prevent image blur due to subject movement. It only reduces user-induced movement. To use fast shutter speeds to stop action, you still need a good old-fashioned large maximum aperture lens, which means big $$$ (or pounds, in your case). The one thing I don’t like about the Auto ISO feature on the D200 is that you don’t know what ISO the camera chooses when you meter the object. Nikon should have included that with the information you see in the viewfinder.
April 16th, 2008 at 9:03 pm
Great photo. I too, love my 18-200mm Nikkor - no matter how hard I try, I just don’t have hands of steel, so the VR is a great help for hand-held shooting, especially at long focal lengths.
I’d actually be interested to see some of the photos you took with people moving through the scene. I know that if I take a picture and didn’t intend a particular effect, my first reaction is to want to trash the photo, but sometimes it’s worth a second look. In your case, perhaps the blurring of a person in the scene gives a sense of action. A lot of great photos have real motion blur.
May 30th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Followed your link on Twitter to this blog post…
I am not a regular Nikon user. But when I was doing the Nikon D40x review for PhotographyREVIEW.com, I loved the 18-200mm VR lens they included. I especially loved it for outdoor photos. I took it skiing and never wished I had another lens. It can do almost everything I need on the ski slopes, on the mountain bike, or hiking. And on the D40/D40x/D60, it makes for an incredibly small and powerful, do-it-all camera kit.
About the motion blur - I think camera makers are a bit guilty of not explaining the real purpose of image stabilization systems. They through out the terms, “IS,” or “VR” and don’t bother to explain that it only helps with camera shake. So I am sure you’re not the only one to suffer from false expectations. At least you know enough to be able to correct your technique for the next time.
For me, the biggest value of image stabilization is allowing me to shoot at a lower ISO, thereby improving my overall image quality. With a camera or lens that has image stabilization, I can shoot at least one sensitivity level lower, decreasing noise levels. It’s not just about eliminating camera shake with long lenses or getting sharp photos in low light.
June 1st, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Leave a Comment