What Is Mirror Lock Up in Photography

What is mirror lockup?

Mirror lockup is a camera feature constitute on most EOS DSLR cameras. Its function is to reduce the amount of vibration produced inside the camera when you take an prototype.

Why is this important?

When you printing the shutter button to take an epitome, the mirror in your DSLR camera flips up. This mirror returns to its normal position once the shutter has airtight. There is a delay between the time that you press the shutter button and the instant the photo is taken. This is called shutter lag, and it is measured in milliseconds.

In lodge to keep the shutter lag to a minimum, the reflex mirror has to move out of the way very chop-chop. When information technology comes to a sudden halt it sets off vibrations throughout the camera body and lens. This tin result in a very slightly blurred image in certain circumstances.

ABOVE: In a DSLR camera, the image passes through the lens and reflects off the mirror up to the pentaprism and through the viewfinder (left). The mirror so flips out of the way to expose the sensor and capture the prototype (right).

If you are using a fast shutter speed, it's likely to be and so short that whatever vibrations will not have an effect on the image. Just if you lot are using a shutter speed slow enough to warrant the utilize of a tripod, it's possible that the vibrations will innovate camera shake into the photo. The extent of the effect depends on the equipment you're using. Heavier cameras are less probable to exist affected by the vibrations, while telephoto and macro lenses volition show the furnishings more as they magnify both the bailiwick and, equally a issue, the camera shake.

Camera features

There are two Canon camera features specifically designed to help reduce the effect of mirror vibration in DSLR cameras:

When mirror lockup is enabled and you button the shutter push button in one case to raise the mirror, brand sure you wait a few seconds for the vibrations to die away, so press it again to take a photo. Otherwise information technology'll defeat the object of using this feature in the first place!

How practice I prepare the mirror lockup feature?

When it was first introduced, mirror lockup was available in the Custom Function carte du jour. More recently, it's been moved to the Shoot menus on enthusiast and advanced level cameras.

To enable mirror lockup, press the photographic camera's MENU button, then find the appropriate Custom Function pick or right Shoot card. Select Enable.

When mirror lockup is enabled, press the shutter button once to raise the mirror. Interruption a moment or two then press the shutter push again to fire the shutter. The camera focuses and takes an exposure reading before it raises the mirror, which means that this technique is best suited to static subjects. Information technology also helps if the calorie-free is steady so that the exposure doesn't change during the intermission.

Information technology's a good idea to use a remote release then that you exercise not move the camera every bit the shutter button is pressed. Even pressing the shutter push can create unwanted vibrations. Alternatively utilise the self-timer feature and so that there'southward a delay.

Which subjects is this useful for?

This feature is best used for subjects such as:

• Close-up and macro, peculiarly for higher magnifications
• Astrophotography
• Photomicrography

To a higher place: Mirror lockup is useful for astrophotography, where you're using much longer focal lengths and want your stars to be pin-sharp.

There may besides exist other instances when using super telephoto lenses on a tripod, because longer focal lengths magnify the effect of whatever photographic camera vibrations.

With most other types of photography this feature is not necessary as any vibration caused by motility of the mirror will be minimal compared to motion acquired by handholding the camera. If you lot're unsure, you can always perform your own tests and compare results with and without mirror lockup.

Vulnerable shutter speeds

The shutter speeds at which your images are virtually likely to suffer from mirror movement vibrations are between 1/100 and one/iv second.

Shutter speeds faster than 1/100 2nd are likewise curt to be affected  past the vibrations. With exposure times of one/4 second or longer, the vibrations – which fade away quite quickly – just affect the showtime part of the exposure. Generally speaking this isn't enough to reduce the overall sharpness.

Your camera model may as well have an impact – older cameras are likely to be more prone to vibrations, whereas more advanced cameras have a smoother activeness. Once more, if in doubt, practise some tests.

Tripod pick

The sturdiness of your tripod will have an effect on whether mirror lockup is useful in your shooting situation. If your tripod is 1 of the lighterweight versions, or has a ball socket caput which can be more prone to movement, then mirror lockup can exist invaluable.

Can I use mirror lockup when handholding?

In theory mirror lockup can be used while you are handholding your EOS camera. The best mode is to prepare the 2 second self-timer delay so that you only have to printing the shutter push button in one case. In practise, though, we uncertainty that anyone can hold a photographic camera steady enough to run across the do good of the mirror lockup.

On some cameras the self-timer delay is automatically set to 2 seconds. On other cameras you tin set the delay to either two seconds or x seconds. In our tests we found 2 seconds was sufficient fourth dimension for the vibrations to subside, simply if you lot accept the choice y'all can only do good past setting the 10 second delay.

The self-timer delay means that you can work without a remote release – any camera movement created past pressing the shutter button will take disappeared past the time the shutter fires.

Tin I use this feature on my mirrorless camera?

EOS R-series and M-serial cameras don't apply a mirror box assembly – the image is fed directly to the sensor at all times. Then there'southward no mirror move to crusade internal vibrations in the same way as in DSLR cameras.

However got soft shots?

Of class, vibrations from the mirror are just one cause of soft or slight mistiness in images. There are many other possible reasons. If the floor your tripod is standing on isn't static, other people (or even you) moving across the floor could introduce unwanted vibrations.

For more than information on possible causes and solutions for image blur, check out the Sharp shots article.

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