topic "shake" icon on while using tripod -??? in Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

"shake" icon on while using tripod -???

MissTi — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 19:40:29 GMT

I am neither a good nor experienced photographer. I am using a PowerShot SX150 IS. I am trying to take some produc shots for my on-line shop and have followed some "expert" advice to put the camera into manual mode and set the ISO to 100 an the f/stop as high as it will go, then adjust the shutter speed to get the brightness I want (with help of the histogram from a test shot). I am using a tripod burt the "camera shake" icon keeps coming on. The f/stop and shutter speed numbers are white, not orange, so I am not adjusting the speed outside of range.

Why is the camera shake icon on while I am using a tripod?

PS I have image stabilization turned off, per the manual's directions for tripod use.

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

Waddizzle — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 20:08:02 GMT

"I am trying to take some produc shots for my on-line shop and have followed some "expert" advice to put the camera into manual mode and set the ISO to 100 an the f/stop as high as it will go, ..."

Make sure that the Image Stabilzation is really turned off again. Which IS icon are you seeing? There appears to be an icon for when the IS is disabled

Why don't you set the camera into Av, Aperture Value [or aperture priority], mode and let the camera figure out the shutter speed? I would also use the self-timer to activate the shutter, which helps to minimize any camera shake introduced by your finger pressing the shutter.

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

ScottyP — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 22:21:10 GMT

Turn the image stabilization off when using a tripod. The camera will freak out trying to stabilize itself, but it can't move, so it tries harder and then it is kind of fighting itself. I think that is the problem.

Or it could also be shake. Use the 2 second (or whatever second) delay shooting mode when shooting so your finger pressing the button does not cause shake..

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

John_ — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 22:37:42 GMT

How do your shots come out if you've tried it with that icon displayed?

That icon doesn't necessarily mean you will have shake or a blurry picture just the "potential" for those problems.

Your on a tripod the only way to get any shake indoors is when pressing the shutter switch.Your camera does not have an input for a remote shutter switch so do as suggested use the timer function to take the shot to be on the safe side.

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

MissTi — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 23:38:45 GMT

Excellent suggestions by all, and yes, I have been shooting with the 2-second delay.

I am shooting in manual mode, so I don't have any IS icons at all since it seems they only show up in Auto mode. There is no doubt, when I press the menu button and go to IS settings, IS mode is off.

I have taken shots even with this icon and some of them look geat. Some of them seem like maybe I have taken sharper pictures with this camera but maybe that comes down to exposure issues because like I wrote before, I am a terrible photographer. I really have no idea what I am doing. Just blindly following instructions and hoping for the best.

So does this mean that the shake icon is on by default at these types of settings (like it would be with macro settings?) because of the longer exposure time? And there is nothing I can do to make it go away, just carry on shooting with a tripod using the delay?

I dont want to use Av because I want to use a longer exposure (slower speed) to make sure the product in the shot is bright enough and the background is white enough. I have been using auto white balance and trying some shots and the "regular" setting and adding 1/3, 2/3, up to 1 2/3 stop to get the optimal brightness I need according to the histogram.

I hope I'm doing it right, there are so many variables.

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

Waddizzle — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 23:48:23 GMT

"I hope I'm doing it right, there are so many variables."

Well, are you having fun? Yes? In that case, you're doing it right!

Re: "shake" icon on while using tripod -???

ScottyP — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 02:25:40 GMT

AV mode is the way to go.

Shutter speed is irrelevant to you because 1.) you are on a tripod, so hand-held camera shake cannot (theoretically) happen, and 2.) your subject is inanimate, and is therefore not moving, so you cannot get subject motion blur.

If you set the camera to Av mode, you pick the aperture. Pick a high f/number (narrow-ish aperture) so you will have a lot of depth of field, and all of your subject will be all in focus. Try f/11.

In Av mode the camera will set a long enough shutter for you; that is the beauty of it, you don't need to worry about the shutter speed because the camera will set that at the correct speed for a correct exposure for you. Continue using exposure compensation to control how bright your images are.