How can I minimize vibration when photographing Jupiter through a telescope with a Canon 1200D?
Asked 4/4/2019
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I’m using a Canon EOS 1200D (Rebel T5) attached to a reflector telescope to photograph Jupiter. In burst mode, the camera’s moving parts seem to introduce vibration and blur. Even in Live View, pressing the shutter still causes some movement. Is there any way to avoid mirror/shutter vibration for burst shooting on this camera, or is there a better approach for planetary imaging?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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In theory, live view mode should ensure the mirror doesn't flip, if you don't use quick mode autofocus.
In practice, though, your camera is a very cheap one, that has probably an integrated shutter/mirror motor, so I assume the mirror actuates the same time the shutter actuates. So, if you use a burst, unfortunately the mirror probably actuates between images in the burst.
Sorry I don't have a source stating the integration of shutter/mirror motor for this particular camera, but at least https://www.lmscope.com/en/Digitalkamera_Vibrationen_en.html says about cheap cameras:
Lower priced SLR cameras generally do not have separate motors that drive the mirror and the shutter. If the shutter is operated in Live View mode, the mirror flips down and then up again. All this flipping shakes the camera and thus causes (sometimes significant) vibrations that may seriously compromise the image quality. To reduce the impact of mirror slap, most models come equipped with a special function called mirror lock-up (mirror pre-release). When the mirror lock-up function is enabled, the mirror is flipped up well before the shutter opens (a time interval between 2 and 8 seconds can be selected). This short pause allows the mirror-induced mechanical vibrations to die down before exposing the film so that they do not affect the image quality.
Edit: now I found the quote: http://krebsmicro.com/Canon_EFSC/index.html
With the 450D, 500D and 1000D, the mirror drops after the exposure ends in a non-flash situation during Live View. With the 40D, 50D, 5D Mark II and 7D, the mirror does not drop in a non-flash Live View situation except when the user executes Quick Mode AF. The sequencing difference is due to the fact that the Rebel cameras use only one motor to control both mirror and shutter operation, whereas the 40D, 50D, 5D Mark II and 7D have two motors for independent control of these functions.
Originally by user81735. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user81735
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
On the 1200D, you can reduce vibration, but you can’t eliminate all mechanical movement during still-image bursts. In Live View, the mirror is already up, so mirror slap is reduced or avoided, but the shutter still has to operate and can cause shake. On lower-end DSLRs, the mirror and shutter mechanisms may not be fully independent, so burst shooting may still introduce extra vibration.
For the least vibration with stills:
- use Live View
- use single-shot rather than burst
- use a remote release or self-timer
- mount everything as rigidly as possible
- let vibrations settle before the exposure
For Jupiter specifically, burst stills are usually not the best method. Planetary imaging is typically done with video (“lucky imaging”): record many frames, keep the sharpest ones, and stack them. That approach is generally better than trying to shoot rapid still bursts through the telescope.
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