Steadyshot

[Peter Rixner]

Hi :)

I can't see any difference between that steadyshot modes. Whats your experience with using it anyway, as I almost never shoot without a tripod, dollie or Steadicam.

Should it still be used ?

I remember, that it works somehow with really moving the ccd. Is that correct ? Incredible to imagine, that a motor or whatever it moves, can reakt that fast.

Thanks!

Peter

[Chris Hurd]

Hi Peter,

It is Super Steadyshot, which is using optical image stabilization. This is a mechanical process and it does not involve moving the CCDs or moving the target area on the CCDs.

You should use it any time that you are shooting handheld. It'll make a lot of difference! Hope this helps,

[Peter Rixner]

Thank You.

Where can I get more info about the stabilisation process ?
And sould it be used even when not shooting handheld ? Maybe for even stabilizing that ?

There's another Tread about panning, that seems to be similar to my question somehow.

Thanks

Peter

[Chris Hurd]

You don't want to use image stabilization when the camera is on a tripod, because your movements there are intentional and the image stabilization will try to fight them, thereby ruining the shot.

[Peter Rixner]

But does it analyze the content to stabilize or does it take note of the camerabody shaking ?

So if the camera is intendet to be still on a tripod, the moving actor shouldn't be stabilized. Right ?

This could improve the shot, when shooting very long lenght.

Thts really a important thing, that gets even more important, thinking, that I was shooting with Steadyshot on my trv900 all the years. Alwas on Tripod ...

Thanks !

Peter

[Mark Grant]

You don't want to use image stabilization when the camera is on a tripod, because your movements there are intentional and the image stabilization will try to fight them, thereby ruining the shot.

I don't have an FX1 yet (waiting for NAB first), but I presume the system is an improved version of the 'Super Steadyshot' on my TRV900... I rarely remember to turn it off when shooting on a tripod with that camera, and it's never been an obvious problem. Electronic systems may try to eliminate slow pans and cause horrid stutter, but optical systems should only be trying to eliminate high-frequency wobble and not affect pans much at all.

But does it analyze the content to stabilize or does it take note of the camerabody shaking ?

I'm 99% sure that the TRV900 uses motion sensors. I presume the FX1 is the same.

[Greg Boston]

The Canon OIS uses a variable angle prism which is fed by motors that respond to feedback from vibration sensors. On the XL series cameras, this entire system is built into the lens. EIS systems analyze the image on the ccd block and compensate by varying the target block using extra pixels of the ccd.

The OIS is the preferred system because it tends to yield better results although some EIS systems are reportedly getting pretty good.

It's recommened that you disable stabilization on the tripod because as Chris mentioned, the system will try to compensate at the beginning of a pan movement and there will be a noticable lag effect.

That said, we do use stabilization when shooting from a tripod that's in a moving vehicle. It definitely smooths out the 'bumps' in the road.

-gb-

[Chris Hurd]

Excellent reply there Greg, thanks!

Peter:

<< But does it analyze the content to stabilize or does it take note of the camerabody shaking >>

Camera shake. Specifically it dampens frequencies transmitted to the camera body from hand holding. On a tripod it will be confused, and try to fight *any* movement, so you'll want to turn it off.

[Jeremy Davidson]

Here's a test that I did that really proved to me what stabilization can do. Choose a stationary object that's clearly visible at max zoom length (I used the moon). See how steady you can hold the camera. Now turn on image stabilization and try again.

For my GL2 (which uses OIS), having it turned off resulted in the expected jerky picture (sometimes I had a hard time keeping the moon in frame -- mosquitoes may have had something to do with that). When I turned on OIS, the camera fixed all of the shakes. The problem now was that I couldn't tell that I wasn't keeping the camera pointed in the same general direction, so the moon would slowly drift around the viewfinder.

I haven't tried this with any EIS cameras, but I expect the results would be similar.