Longer lenses and wind

[Peter Berger]

Today I was filming with Canon 70-300mm lens on a hill... there was very strong wind and the result was pretty shaky shots even when the camera was on tripod and the image stabilisation was turned on (the shaky shots looks really weird with rolling shutter) . I'm wondering, is there something that could prevent shaky shots in this situation? Is this because I have bad tripod (Velbon DV 7000 with CULLMANN 40071 CB7,1 head) or do i need special lens support?

[Chris Soucy]

Neither the tripod or head mentioned were designed for shooting HD video at all, especially with a 300 mm lens in a howling gale.

Stepping up to a Vinten Vision Blue puts you in the ball park for that kind of video.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/734609-REG/Vinten_VB_AP2M_VB_AP2M_Camera_Support_System.html

CS

[John Wiley]

As Chris said, a decent tripod will solve many of your problems.

Another contributing factor is the lens you are using. The way the camera/lens is balanced on the tripod means that the end of the camera gathering the image is a long way from the centre of gravity - thus is very susceptible to image shake. Use a lens with a tripod collar, and you'll get a far more balanced setup that will eliminate some shake.

[Kin Lau]

I gather you're using the older 70-300 instead of the new 70-300L. The IS on that is likely useless in this situation - since it will either turn off when it detects that it's on a tripod, or you get occasional "jumps" from the gyro.

Quick and easy possible solutions in the wind are,
1) remove the lens hood and camera strap
2) use a few bean bags to weigh down the lens barrel, it will also absorb vibrations
3) stand upwind from the camera with a large umbrella (think golfing umbrella), shielding the camera - this is an old trick from large-format photographers, since the bellows on a view-camera will vibrate like crazy in the wind
4) shoot with the tripod legs shortened as much as possible to reduce vibrations.

You can often find some shelter from the wind while still keeping the shot you want. Shooting with a 300mm means you don't really need to stay at the top of the hill, but may be there's a sheltered spot just a little ways down.

BTW, the best tripod in the world won't do a thing in this situation if you're shooting a 300mm with an extended plastic lens barrel and the hood on. You might as well be attaching streamers to the camera.

[Stephen Daugherty]

In addition to what people have said you could use a lens support bracket to help reduce some of the vibrations of the lens when extended. I have the Manfrotto 293 Telephoto Lens Support and can attest to its usefulness. You can find it here: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/554350-REG/Manfrotto_293_293_Telephoto_Lens_Support.html

That said stability is all about mass, rigidity, and protection. Maximize the mass on your system with sand bags and use the hook under most tripods to hang even more weight (don't exceed the weight limit of your tripod though). Tighten everything down and use something like that Manfrotto lens support to make sure nothing flexes or vibrates. Shield the entire system as much as possible behind natural barriers or shield it yourself.

Good luck! The longer you shoot the more susceptible you are to vibrations of any kind! You walking around the tripod could cause it to vibrate enough to impact the image.

[Peter Berger]

Thanks for the tips!
BTW, I used this lens: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.0-5.6 USM IS.