Importance of IS

[Daniel Schulz]

Hey guys,

I had to decide between posting it in "DSLR", "Lens and Accessories", or "Camera Operating".

I decided to post it here, because I do not primarily focus on DSLR cameras, nor do I look for consulting on which lens to buy (though you can share our experiences and suggestions, pimarily about Canon lenses).

 

I'm considering to buy a new lens for my Canon T3i.

I have right now 2 lenses. One with and one without IS and I have to say that I appreciate the IS a lot. I can shoot with 35 or even 50 mm (on crop) without nocticeable shakings.

 

Now I want to buy a new lens but my desire to have IS reduces the number of possibilities a lot.

Without IS would be much easier to decide. So I would like to know how important it is for you guys.

Do you fix shackings in post? Or you always use tripods? Or have magic hands without slightest shackes even with some zoom in it? Or use other gear what actualy helps a lot?

 

I also film sometimes documentaries or other things, where I do not have the time to set up my tripod.

I anyway don't like Tripods too much, because I am less flexible in my camera movements compared to handheld.

 

I just would like to know your opinion, struggles and experiences with handheld shooting and whether you recommend too look specificly for a IS lens or not.

 

Thanks,

Daniel

[M Joel W]

Operators I know who know better than I do (as in, they're working on things you might actually have watched) prefer not to use IS at all for dSLR video, as the algorithm is unnatural and twitchy for some lenses.

 

However, dSLRs are skewy and small so there's definitely a need, imo.

 

I find that for the 17-55mm lenses it's not really necessary and for the longer ones it does help. I recently shot a lot on my C100 with the 70-200mm pre-IS as a B cam with the A cam being a shoulder-mounted Alexa and found I could get an ok level of stability with a cheesy Zacuto rig, although the Alexa was still much more stable. So improving how you operate might be the first step and more effective than getting IS on every lens. There's a $25 shoulder rig on Amazon that's really quite nice. I'd recommend that over looking to get IS on every lens.

 

Also, for ultra wides it's totally unnecessary, imo.

 

That said the 70-200mm f2.8 IS is on my wish list!

Edited August 20, 2013 by M Joel W

[Sabyasachi Patra]

The best option is to use tripods. If not, some kind of support, rigs and IS lenses help.

 

The IS of some of the lenses are very good. For eg the Canon EF 70-200 f2.8 L IS II USM lens is sharp as well as has got a good IS. However, simply having IS is not the complete solution. Some kind of support or resting your elbows etc helps when you are handholding. I do shoot lot of stuff with this lens. Have a look at this: http://www.indiawilds.com/diary/canon-70-200-f2-8-l-is-ii-usm-review/

 

When I am using tripod, for wide angle, I use the 24-70 f2.8 L. If handheld at that focal length, then I switch over to the 24-105 f4 L IS USM due to its image stabilisation.

 

The Canon 100mm f2.8 L IS macro USM lens also has got good image stabilisation.

 

You can do a bit of stabilisation in post. However the stabilisation in post technology hasn't reached a stage where it can be completely trusted yet. Check in post and if you don't like then discard. The post-stabilisation is better when you use a camera with less rolling shutter etc.

 

Some people don't even use Image Stabilisation. However, there are certain situations where you can't use any rigs. In those situations Image stabilisation is indispensible.

 

Lenses depreciate less as opposed to cameras. So when you are buying lenses, it is better to buy keeping a long term horizon in mind.

[Nicholas Bedford]

The problem with IS for anything "cinematic" in nature is that it doesn't counteract jitters along the camera axis. For documenting and similar styles of filming, IS can be a godsend for getting shots without any prep, definitely, and I do this all the time at work (capturing footage on the fly). I do notice the jitters along the camera axis though.

 

IS isn't usually very good at taking on pans and tilts and you will get mild jolts along the way as the IS tries to compensate.

 

When you have the time to get a shot right, it's almost always better to turn off IS and throw it on a tripod, shoulder rig or some other sort of stable mount. Some IS implementations also don't necessarily play nice with being on a tripod.

 

You'd be hard pressed to find a cinema lens having IS as far as I can surmise.

[Chris Millar]

A simple solution is to emulate the mass and inertia of a larger camera.

 

i.e. add mass and add it 'away' from the main body.

 

Have a look at passiveness stabilizers, that is all they are really doing... You'll get some hints on exactly where to add the mass for greatest effect.