sigma 35mm 1.4 IS vs non IS?

[iphonemaster93]

So I took this shot, shown below, with my 17-55 2.8 and later on, I tried doing it with the Sigma 35mm 1.4 and none of the shots came out to be this focused. Does anyone know if it's because there's no IS on the 35mm or is it because I just got unlucky with all of my photos? Is it possible to get this clean shot with the 35mm 1.4 or do I have to be on a smooth road to do this? I was trying it on 280N from Pacifica up to South SF trying to shoot a random drift car and all of them were too shaky. Thanks!

[ScottyP]

Hmmm.  Interesting variation on the question.  Shooting from a moving car, and how much that increases camera shake.

I have never tried shooting from a moving car.  All the reciprocal shutter speed rules of thumb are based on standing on foot, so perhaps they are inivalid when you are sitting in a vibrating machine travelling over rough pavement.  Same with the stuff about wide-ish focal lengths like 35mm not needing IS when handholding.

Canon claims 3 stops of IS on the 17-55.  

Increased shutter speed is obviously the answer.  The question is just how much is needed?  Presumably, then, if you can gain 3 stops of shutter speed you can get the equivalent clarity from the non-IS Sigma lens as you are getting from the IS lens.  Open the aperture 2 stops and double the ISO once (or vice-versa) and your non-IS should be as blur-resistant as the IS lens.  

Perhaps you don't need to go to 8x the shutter speed (3 stops) though.   You may not really need all 3 of those stops.  Try doubling the shutter speed (1 stop), then quadrupling it (2 stops) if double is not enough.  

[ScottyP]

Also,

Were you shooting the same aperture and same 35mm focal length on both cameras both times?  If you were shooting one lens at f/2.8 and the other at f/1.4 your depth of field at the same focal length would be a whole lot shallower on the f/1.4 lens, so nailing focus would be a lot harder, and a lot less of the subject would be in focus even when you nailed focus.

[iphonemaster93]

I was shooting at around 1/30 at F10-F15 with the 17-55. I've been told by a professional to try shooting at 1/125 or faster at F10 but I don't know if he uses IS or not.

[cicopo]

There are other variables in play here. Were you shooting in Tv mode with the AF set to AI Servo? Were you able to see the viewfinder well enough to set the AF spot on a target like the door handle or an emblem? With both cars in motion you need to do some of the work, and the more you can do the better. IS will help a bit but not much in this situation.

[iphonemaster93]

Nope, I was using full manual and always shoot with AI servo for rollers. I tried using shutter priority and let the camera do the guess work with aperture but after doing some rolling sessions, I realize that full manual allows me a higher chance of getting more in focus shots. I always look through the viewfinder for rolling shots, I never use the LCD screen (I usually use the window as a body mount and I'm always hanging about a third out of the car). I also had the AF zone set on the right third of the view finder. 

[ebiggs1]

When you take a picture out of the side window of a moving car you must account for the difference between the speeds of each car.  The resulting photo will be as blurred just like you were standing still while a car driving by you. What really matters is the difference of the speed between to two vehicles. When you shoot out of a car, the closest to you objects will be blurred most, the ones farther away will be blurred less.

It also matters where you shoot from.  The front and back are better while the sides are worse.  Of course at an angle with be proportionate.

Again you stripped the exif data from the sample but if you were really at 1/30 that is way too slow.  I mean way, way too slow. I would "guess" 1/1000 would be more where you should be.  Give or take a stop or two.  You need to select an aperture and ISO that lets you maintain that SS.  Smaller the better, IE. f8+.

A myth about IS, is it enables you to “freeze” fast-moving objects at slower shutter speeds. This is a totally false myth that gets propagated by the web.  IS is a crutch.  It is there to help get sharper pictures in certain circumstances.  It is also variable and gets less helpful as the SS gets slower. In other words it works best at 1-stop.  Much less well at 3-stops. It is highly inaccurate to say, you get 3-stops if you use IS.  You might and you might not.  From a moving vehicle, it may actually be working against you.  I would turn it off.

The focus spot will be critical.  Use just the center spot and turn all the others off.

[iphonemaster93]

1/1000 is way too quick haha. I'm trying to get the effect where the car is in 100% focus and the background in a blur, to give it that sense of speed. One of the most popular methods is to be shooting at half the speed limit (in this case, we were doing about 60-65 mph) so I was shooting at about 1/30-1/40, sometimes even slower than that. And then the aperture, the smaller the aperture, the more wheel spin you get (others on car forums recommend anywhere from F9-F18, depending on the look you want to get). I've tried both 1/125 and quicker at a small aperture and 1/30 and slower at a larger aperture (both with the 17-55) and I realize that I get more of the rolling shot feeling at a slower shutter speed. I know a pro who does it at 1/125-1/160 and his rolling shots look amazing. I'm still currently working on getting rolling shots with the 35 and 10-22 (another website recommends using a wide angle).  

[ebiggs1]

Don't forget my cardinal rule, great photography is 1/2 camera/lens, 1/2 post editing and 1/2 YOU !

[cicopo]

You can't shoot at a high shutter speed & get the right effect. You need motion blur on the wheels / tires / background.