Image Stabilization - In Body - In Lens

Image stabilization (IS) started a number of years ago with  Konica-Minolta, now Sony.

IS has developed into two forms. It is either "in body", such as Konica Minolta developed or "in lens" which is primarily used by Canon and Nikon. Both systems have advantages and disadvantages. Some systems can use either one or the other.... even both which you will learn is very ineffective.

This video created by Gordon Laing, the editor over at Camera Labs, demontrates both IS systems in one camera. The effect of either of these IS systems is dramatic and you will actually get to see how it works. The camera used here is one that I own and is now about 6 years old. But the demonstration is still a great one.

Introduction to Optical Image Stabilization

Image stabilization (IS) is a technique used by a camera to help improve the photographic quality of a picture by effectively eliminating or reducing blur caused by the camera moving.  While hand holding the camera this allows you to take a good clear photograph at a much lower shutter speed then was previously possible without blurring the photograph.

IS offIS on

Years ago the lowest recommended shutter speed was about 1/60^th of a second. Today we can take pictures as low 1/15 of a second and still get good clear photographs using IS.  The two photographs here were shot to the extreme, 1/2 of a second.  To much for even IS to help, but you can still see the positive effect it had on the second photograph. (Notice the cat found the just sorted clean sheets! Ha....  He is guilty, I have the proof!) 

Click to read more ...

Turn off that IS? What!

Here is a interesting suggestion from Scott Bourne.... This might be of more interest for those of us that shot those cameras with really fast sensors.. You know the ones that can almost shoot in the dark or nearly so.... We'll not mention who they are! Ha... But I think with a camera with a faster sensor you'd be operating above 1/1000 of a second more often the rest of us....

We know that shooting really long exposures requires that IS be turned off and I've alway thought that at the very least it was unnecessary at higher speeds but Scott suggests that it can actually hurt. Would anyone like to give their thoughts on how and why turning IS off above 1/1000 of a second is such a good idea?

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 Scott Bourne’s Fast Photo Tip #10

Image stabilization is a great invention. It gives photographers a chance to hand hold their cameras and get stable shots at slower shutter speeds than would normally be possible. But if you shoot with a camera that uses lens-based image stabilization and you shoot at very high shutter speeds, say 1/1000th of a second or faster, turn OFF Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR) or Canon’s Image Stabilization (IS.) They may actually hurt rather than help stability at those shutter speeds.

Here is Scott's site PhotoFocus.