Hey all, there was a thread in the 300d forum on lens shake and I posted the following tips I use to help steady the camera when shooting long telephoto. Still, it's made me think.. maybe someone else has some great tips too! So here are mine, please share yours!

There are a number of things that affect camera shake. As you have pointed out 300mm is one. The 1.6x crop factor is another - it amplifies your shake by using less of the 35mm frame - enlarged to the same final output size. Not using a fast enough shutter speed is another.

Still, one of the most often overlooked is YOU the photographer. You have to concentrate on what your body is doing. Try not to breathe. Inhale or exhale and hold it - then click the shutter. Is your right arm (left for lefties!) dangling out in the air as it holds the camera? Or are you pulling it in tight against your torso for support? If it wont mess up your framing too much, I find that kneeling, squatting and sitting can make your body much less prone to shake compared to standing up. Shooting several frames with a click of the shutter makes up for the movement as your hand squeezes the shutter button (and thus the camera). If you are shooting flowers.. drop your neckstrap and stand on it.. pull the camera up and voila - a rudimentary monopod/tripod.

Hope that gives you some ideas!

--
-Sean

Gallery: http://www.seanrose.com

http://www.seanrose.com/images/sean.jpg