About the optical stabilizer

[Marco Iannaccone]

A question about the stabilizer.
The manual says to deactivate it when the camera is mounted on atripod.

My question is, considering it's not digital but optical, and so image quality isn't affected, should I actually deactivate it when I'm using a tripod?


And what about steadycams, etc...?

[Jim OMalley]

I'd think you'd want to deactivate it when you use a tripod because it is a drain on the battery. Same with steadycams, etc. No sense in wasting battery power when you don't need to.

[Marco Iannaccone]

That's exactly the same thing I imagined, but... in case I'm not using the battery, but the power adaptor, is there any reason why I should deactivate the stabilizer?

I mean, when I'm on a tripod and am making low pans, or I'm using a steadycam, isn't it better to have the stabilizer on? Or does it give a less natural motion, or... what?

[K. Forman]

It isn't that it drains the battery any quicker, it degrades image quality. And if you have the cam mounted, it can actually affect the smoothness of pans and tilts.

[Marco Iannaccone]

<<<-- Originally posted by Keith Forman : It isn't that it drains the battery any quicker, it degrades image quality. -->>>

Is this sure? Does it degrade image quality even if it's optical, and not digital?
How does it affect mage quality?


<<<-- And if you have the cam mounted, it can actually affect the smoothness of pans and tilts. -->>>

Se... when I need smooth pan or tilts, with fluid movements, and I'm on a tripod, is better to deactivate it, for getting a smoother movement?

[K. Forman]

Deactivate the stabaliser, UNLESS you are holding it freehand.

Yes- It will degrade image quality.

Yes- It can mess up your shot when using a tripod.

[Marco Iannaccone]

Ok, thanx :-)

I'll use it only when shooting freehand.

Anyway, I understand it affects motion smoothness when using some support, but.. how does it make image quality worse when there's no motion? I mean... it's just the actual len that's moved for compensating motion, so... why image quality degrades whan the stabilizer is on, even with the camera without movements, on a tripod?
It's not a digital stabilizer.

Could you maybe give me some links where I can discover why also optical stabilizers (and not only digital ones) degrade image quality?

[Ken Tanaka]

No, the GL2's optical IS system does not degrade image quality. (Digital IS systems can degrade the image.)

[Robin Davies-Rollinson]

It won't degrade image quality, but it will give an odd floating effect to the start and end of a pan, since it's obviously trying to compensate for the movement.
The rule is: if you're on a tripod, turn off image stabilization.

Robin.

[Cliff Elliott]

There are times when it is adviseable to use the stabaliser turned on while using a tripod, for instance if shooting at max zoom on a very windy day, it is amazing the difference it makes. And as for the floating sensation at the begining and end of pans as long as you are aware of it you can shoot extra and crop in post.

Regards, Cliff Elliott

[Don Palomaki]

As noted above, the main issue on a tripod is overshoot and settling at the end of a pan/tilt, and delay/lag at the start of the pan/tilt.

This happens because it takes a bit of time for the camcorder to sense that the change in camcorder motion (i.e., acceleration) is intended motion change rather than part of an unwanted shake.

So use stabilization when it provides a net benefit; that is, when the value of shake elimination out weighs the motion artifacts it may produce.

[Graham Bernard]

Another neat and precise interpretation of the "Manual According to XM2" . . . it is these little gems that are unearthed that make my visits here so necessary. I mean it!

Grazie

[Bob Harotunian]

I know the concensus is to turn off IS when on a tripod but I tend to leave it on. I tried turning it off once at a wedding ceremony and each minor touch of the camera for exposure adjustment or zoom resulted in a noticeable tremor. I now use a remote zoom controller but don't see any problems with slow pans and tilts with IS on.
Bob

[Don Palomaki]

Very slow pans and tilts should not cause a problem with OIS because it is tuned to ignore very slow movement. It is tuned to respond to movement with frequencies and accelerations similar to normal shake.