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From: rgb@hou5g.UUCP (Rich Bantel)
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: re: camera vibration
Message-ID: <543@hou5g.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 15-Mar-85 12:56:39 EST
Article-I.D.: hou5g.543
Posted: Fri Mar 15 12:56:39 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 16-Mar-85 05:26:29 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 24

If you want the sharpest pictures you should use a tripod. Modern/Popular
Photography did a study which showed image resolution as a function of
whether the camera was mounted on a tripod or hand held. The test results
showed highest resolution for tripod mount with hand held resolution
varying depending on the photographer's holding technique.

My opinion is that camera vibration due to not using a tripod is the
predominate cause for resolution loss with mirror slap being a second
order problem.

Besides loss of resolution due to poor optics, film flatness and alignment
are also factors in determining sharpness. It doesn't take much of a shift
from the "behind the lens focal point" to cause a loss in sharpness (apparently
depth of field is very shallow there). That's why you can have two different
cameras, both with the same optics, and one will give better resolution test
results. (I didn't say better pictures. I don't know how much quantitative
change in resolution it takes to be noticable. It's kind of like high-end
audio where people are concerned with barely measurable amounts of distortion -
which are probably below the audably discernable level anyway.)

A camera repairman once told me that its best to take the picture within 3
seconds of winding the film. After that, the film begins to curl slightly
which results in decreased sharpness (probably only at some points on the
negative).