Photo Taco – Mirror Lockup

1. 

   Thierry

   April 29, 2015 at 11:39 PM

   Good thing about Sony DSLR (SLT actually) the translucent mirror does not move (because it is translucent…). Not saying it is better, it is just that there is no dilemma. 😉
2. 

   Mike Spivey

   April 30, 2015 at 10:53 AM

   Excellent point. Plus, if you need MLU, just go to Live View. Same thing.
3. 

   Keith R. Starkey

   April 30, 2015 at 10:58 AM

   Mirror lock doesn’t work, period. I’ve looked the mirror on my Sony A7 over and over and I still get blurry images. Why, because all “mirrorless” means (and this is what they don’t tell you) is that there’s no mirror to see yourself when you take a selfie. Hence I can’t get a shot of myself in focus no matter what I do. That’s not the camera’s fault, and it’s certainly not my fault. It’s because mirror lock just doesn’t work, not on the A7.

   Hek, I’ve even taken the camera apart and adjusted the mirror (thanks to a DYI video), but that didn’t help. I’ve also replaced the lens (another great DYI video) with an ACE mount-stylizer and an F-Link adapter I got online, and THAT (stupid Caps key) didn’t help either. (Okay, the ACE mount fix might have been my problem: I don’t think the mount lacks electronics to talk to my now full-360 degree moving LCD—man, I love those DYI videos). So, as expected, I sent the camera back and insisted Sony fix the problem, and, of course, they gave me some sort of legal mumbo jumbo excuse…something about using duct tape on the sensor. I don’t know. We’re in court now.

   You get the point, though, I’m sure. Oh, and Jim, you’re wrong about noticeable differences in lockup at 1/20 – 1/5 shutter speeds. I didn’t notice any difference, at all; selfies shot at those speeds were just as blurry as at any other speed. Sheesh, without the mirror locking up for me, what do you expect, a miracle?

   There is, however, one possible explanation, other than the mirror lockup not working, for my blurred selfies at lower shutter speeds. It’s possible that something is wrong now with the LCD, because when I shoot at low shutter speeds (i.e., holding the camera low to the ground) as opposed to slow shutter speeds (i.e., holding the shutter open with my finger), light off the pentaprism seems to be refracting through the viewfinder, prohibiting me from determining if the selfie is or is not blurry. For that matter, I don’t see anything when this happens, but that’s hardly a problem compared to the mirror lock not working—all these problems would be non-existent if the darned mirror lockup worked. At any rate, the flip side is that it’s now easier on my back when I shoot with low shutter speeds, but I’d still trade that for mirror lockup working. (Oh, and I’ll email you the tip on how to hold the shutter open with your finger. )

   So, this episode of Photo Taco has Photo Burrito splattered all over the lens, if only because of your blurb, Jim, about slow shutter speeds work best with mirror lockup. Look, get yourself an A7—hek, get the A7 II if you don’t believe me—and you try taking a selfie with the mirror locked up (don’t mess with the LCD, though, or you’ll be fighting in court right along with me). Let’s see how far you or Darin or Nick or get—don’t include Erica; she shoots with a mirrorless DSLR, so it’s no wonder if she won’t weigh in on the topic. (I mean, I’d hate for an embarrassing moment to arise with her trying to lock up the mirror on a mirrorless DSLR, but hey, it can happen to the best as well.)

   All kidding aside, great episode. Thanks.
4. 

   salsaguy

   May 29, 2015 at 4:56 AM

   Mirror lockup was meant to be use for macro photography when magnifying very small objects where very little vibrations can make a big difference in focus and sharpness.this episode failed to mention macro at all.
   1. 

      Jim Harmer

      May 29, 2015 at 7:05 AM

      The exact same thing is true in macro as in regular photography uses. There is no difference except at those specific slower shutter speeds. You can disagree with me all day long and link to other photographers who “say so”, but I’ve actually TESTED it. There is no practical difference except at the slower shutter speeds. Test it for yourself and you’ll see it’s true–macro or not.
5. 

   salsaguy

   May 29, 2015 at 5:00 AM

   http://www.adorama.com/alc/0014251/article/Use-Mirror-Lock-Up-for-Sharpest-MacroPhotography

   And

   http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/blogs/2013/20131008_stoner_mirrorlock_blog.shtml

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