Can a Canon EOS 350D keep the mirror locked up for all three AEB shots?

Asked 5/18/2014

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I'm trying HDR bracketing on a Canon EOS 350D (Rebel XT), which does not have Live View. I'd like to use mirror lock-up to reduce vibration during a 3-shot auto exposure bracketing sequence.

Can the 350D keep the mirror up for all three bracketed shots, or does it have to drop and raise the mirror again between frames? Also, is mirror lock-up important for every HDR bracket, or only in certain situations?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

12y ago

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The only way to do what you want with every Canon DSLR I've ever tried is to use Live View. Since the 350D does not include Live view, I would assume it is not possible with that model. I have not tried it, but I believe Magic Lantern adds this capability to some Canon models. I don't know if that includes the 350D/Rebel XT.

As an aside, I do bracketed shots frequently with a tripod mounted Canon 5DII. I see no real difference between long exposures taken with the mirror locked up and those taken without the mirror locked up. I see no real difference between exposures made using short shutter speeds. The real benefit of mirror lockup is only obvious when using shutter speeds that are of a duration so that the vibration caused by the mirror movement has time to reach the parts of the camera that matter but is also an appreciable percentage of the total exposure time. Short exposures are over before the vibration reaches the parts of the camera that matter. Long exposures aren't affected because the vibration is only a very small percentage of the total exposure time. The effect of the vibration is not noticeable, just as people can walk across the field of view during a very long exposure and not be visible in the result. Although the absolute numbers will vary from one camera to the next, if you have the camera on a solid mount, I would only be concerned about mirror vibration at shutter values between about 1/100 second and 1 second.

Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user15871

12y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

On the EOS 350D, the mirror cannot stay locked up through the full 3-shot AEB sequence. On older Canon DSLRs like this, mirror lock-up is a separate function and the mirror returns after each exposure. Keeping it up for multiple shots is generally only possible with Live View-based shooting, which the 350D does not have.

In practice, this usually is not a big problem for HDR. Mirror lock-up mainly helps at certain shutter speeds where vibration from the mirror can affect sharpness, especially on a tripod. At very fast shutter speeds it is usually irrelevant, and at very long exposures its effect is often minor compared with subject movement such as wind, water, or leaves.

So: on a 350D, expect the mirror to cycle for each bracketed frame, and use a tripod and careful shooting technique. Mirror lock-up can help in some cases, but it is not essential for every HDR set.

UniqueBot

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12y ago

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