Mirror lock up mode

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 14:26

I'm not confident yet that I'm able to get the sharpest photos so am looking for anything to give me an advantage. I'm better with the 70 to 300mm lens than my 50mm prime because it has image stabilisation, but maybe mirror lockup will improve sharpness more.

I was wondering if it's useful to enable mirror lockup on my Canon for general photography with my 50mm prime and 70 to 300mm lens using IS while not on a tripod. Does anyone do this or is it only intended for when on a tripod?

danoliver1 · 31 Jul 2020 at 16:26

Can you post an example. Lack of sharpness can be too low a shutter speed or too much dof.

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 17:19

I seldom use mirror lock up, although when I use a tripod, I would focus with the LCD which I can zoom in to confirm focus and by doing that I am in mirror lock up mode anyway...so do that. Much easier.

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 19:18

danoliver1 said:
Can you post an example. Lack of sharpness can be too low a shutter speed or too much dof.

I don't really have an example at the moment, but in general, photos look ok until I zoom in and I can see they're a bit blurry and don't retain sharp definition. It's hit and miss. Sometimes I impress myself, more so with the 70-300mm due to the IS. Most photos I've taken I've made to look quite good in post but I'm often having to use sharpening more than I think I should be. I guess it's just down to practise and experience. As you say, getting the correct shutter speed and dof is important. Something I need to master. I always wonder though if I'm steady enough when taking the shots. I feel pretty solid but I never know. I generally try to prop myself against a wall, or sit down, or keep one leg further forward for stability.

Raymond Lin said:
I seldom use mirror lock up, although when I use a tripod, I would focus with the LCD which I can zoom in to confirm focus and by doing that I am in mirror lock up mode anyway...so do that. Much easier.

Apparently enabling mirror lock up mode means having to use the LCD screen because I won't be able to see through the viewfinder once the mirror is up. So since as you mentioned using the LCD puts it into mirror lock up, why would it need to be manually enabled?

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 19:21

It’s been a while since I had a Canon now much the 5D2 but perhaps the mirror do come down and then go up again?

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 19:52

Ok here's an example.

A police helicopter was randomly flying around today. This is from the camera with no processing at all. Looks ok until you zoom in and it's all fuzzy. Helicopter wasn't going that fast and I think I was able to keep track of it smoothly enough. This was at 300mm. Or maybe I'm expecting too much at 300mm? Photo was taken at 5.30pm, looks a bit grainy too yet it was bright daylight. I was at f5.6, 125 iso, shutter speed 1/1000th, 300mm. Should I have been able to zoom in and have a sharp photo of the helicopter? Is it just my settings wrong or my ability to track it?

Raymond Lin said:
It’s been a while since I had a Canon now much the 5D2 but perhaps the mirror do come down and then go up again?

I'll need to try it. According to the video I watched, you have to press the shutter twice. Once to lock up the mirror and again to take the shot. I don't how that would work with back button focus. I guess I would focus with the back button, then press the shutter once, then again.

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 19:55

To use mirror lock up, ideally you need to be in manual focus, get all the settings locked. Put the mirror up then shoot.

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 19:56

SDK^ · 31 Jul 2020 at 20:19

My thoughts on Mirror Lockup are that it is only useful when your shutter speed is low, i.e. 1/10, 1/6, or slower. The idea is that the mirror slap when it flips vibrates the camera causing blur in longer exposure photos. The function enabled flips the mirror first and then takes the shot.

I use it when taking macro photoS with the camera on a tripod.

it’s unlikely to make any difference when you’re taking photos at fast shutter speeds.

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 21:13

Thanks Raymond and SDK for that advice.

What about my crappy photo above. What should I have done to make it really crisp and be sharp and detailed when zoomed in?

Captain · 31 Jul 2020 at 21:35

What canon camera you using?

It might be you were too far away so even at 300mm when you pixel peep, it’ll be out of focus.

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 21:50

Captain said:
What canon camera you using?

It might be you were too far away so even at 300mm when you pixel peep, it’ll be out of focus.

5D mkll. The height of the helicopter was fairly high, enough that it needed binoculars to see any detail. Wasn't moving that fast, it was just circling the area. Probably looking for me!

I'd like to think from what you're saying that it's not me and the lens can't do any better, but I suspect it's me not doing it right. I used spot metering, would centre weighted make any difference to focus?
I used manual selection point, perhaps I should have used automatic selection point? I think I was in AI Servo for that pic. I took a load of shots, started in One Shot and then remembered to change to AI Servo. But none of the photos I took were any sharper than that.

Maybe I'm just rubbish at keeping it tracked on the subject?

SDK^ · 31 Jul 2020 at 21:52

Merlin5 said:
Thanks Raymond and SDK for that advice.

What about my crappy photo above. What should I have done to make it really crisp and be sharp and detailed when zoomed in?

The Camera settings look okay. Could be the autofocus -the heli is travelling away from you, so unless you set the camera to continuous auto focus then it would be out of focus.

Merlin5 said:
I used spot metering, would centre weighted make any difference to focus?
I used manual selection point, perhaps I should have used automatic selection point?

Metering has no impact on focus. Spot was probably correct given the bright background.

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 21:58

SDK^ said:
The Camera settings look okay. Could be the autofocus -the heli is travelling away from you, so unless you set the camera to continuous auto focus then it would be out of focus.

Yes, that is a key point. Just for clarification, I was on AI Servo I think, continuous shooting and centre manual selection point. When you say continuous auto focus, are we talking changing the manual centre selection point to automatic selection? But if I had kept the centre point on the helicopter which I mostly did, surely at least one photo I took would be sharp?

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 22:13

Don't test sharpness on something moving, test sharpness on something stationary and you too are stationary. If it's out of focus then it is either the lens needs micro adjust or the optics are simply not up to your expectation. You need to remove your technique and even AF out of the equation in a photo first.

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 22:27

btw...https://petapixel.com/2020/07/31/op...IUBSPn-4hCaHudxmJLWNXeB_90gb0yJcP_8LWIEQLHczo

Someone agrees with me!

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 23:34

Raymond Lin said:
Don't test sharpness on something moving, test sharpness on something stationary and you too are stationary. If it's out of focus then it is either the lens needs micro adjust or the optics are simply not up to your expectation. You need to remove your technique and even AF out of the equation in a photo first.

I was wondering if the lens was faulty. But I've taken some Canon v Tamron comparison photos just now in my kitchen, albeit gone 11pm, so high ISO. I'd say the lens is ok? I was sitting down to take all photos, and used the VC on the Tamron. I've not processed anything, straight from camera.

I took this one a few days ago with the Canon 50mm at 6.50pm
Canon 50mm, f2.8, ISO 1000. shutter 1/50th

Tonight Tamron, 70mm, f4, ISO 2500, shutter 1/80th

Tonight Canon 50mm, ISO 5000, f5.6, shutter 1/80th

Tonight, Tamron, 175mm, f5.6, 1/80th

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 23:42

They look fine to me on the screen.

Merlin5 · 31 Jul 2020 at 23:46

Raymond Lin said:
They look fine to me on the screen.

Are they about as focused and sharp as you would/I should expect straight from raw before any processing? They're only test shots though, I won't be processing them.

But the problem is taking photos like the helicopter but I guess lighting was wrong and shutter speed could be slower. I've frozen the blades.

Raymond Lin · 31 Jul 2020 at 23:54

Merlin5 said:
Are they about as focused and sharp as you would/I should expect straight from raw before any processing? They're only test shots though, I won't be processing them.

But the problem is taking photos like the helicopter but I guess lighting was wrong and shutter speed could be slower. I've frozen the blades.

The ISO is kind of getting in the way, do you have a tripod?