Options in Steadyshot on Z1

Shaughan Flynn · September 22nd, 2006, 10:35 PM

Not trying to discount any opinions here. Just providing a specific example of my experience :)

Tom Hardwick · September 23rd, 2006, 05:14 AM

Well, I'm from the other camp. My Z1 always has the SSSS on, in the 'normal' position, on and off tripods, sitting on walls and the tarmac, running with it inches off the floor.

As a wedding photographer there's just no time to go switching the OIS on and off even with a button dedicated to it and anyway, marquees very often have floors that wobble as people pass by my tripod.

So to be on the safe side and to ensure that all is well when I quickly release the cam for a quick hand-held shot, I leave SSSS on. I've done tests where I've left the Z1 on, on a rock solid tripod and never seen one indication that SSSS should be turned off.

It's not surprising really as the mechanism is waiting to detect camera body movement before swinging into action. With no movement it simply lies in wait as far as I can see. Maybe I've been lucky, maybe other Z1s are set up differently.

tom.

Boyd Ostroff · September 23rd, 2006, 06:40 AM

I'm pretty much in your camp Tom. I find that the steadyshot really helps on the tripod when I'm zoomed all the way in and I almost never notice any problems from it. But if I'm doing a wide shot on a tripod I turn it off (I have a button programmed for this), just in case.

Tom Hardwick · September 23rd, 2006, 07:31 AM

You mean a wide *panning* shot Boyd? Why switch it off just for wide?

I have this ace non-distorting aspherical 0.5x wide-angle converter that *just* vignettes the very corners of the frame - by maybe 4 pixels. I never bother to switch the Z1 into its 'wide' SSSS position as I really fail to see the point.

But if I'm being critical I can see what the SSSS is doing for me by way of compensation as I hand-hold and run with the camera. I simply watch the corners of the frame on a PC monitor (it's well masked by all TVs). You can see the floating element OIS working really hard to smooth your shots by the varying amount of vignetting that occurs.

It really is amazing technology. One of the cleverest, most transparent, useful, effective and (presumably) cheap aids to filmmaking to come our way. I am indeed impressed.

tom.

Boyd Ostroff · September 23rd, 2006, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Hardwick

You mean a wide *panning* shot Boyd?

No, I was thinking of a wide stationary shot. I leave steadyshot on sometimes with a wide panning shot, and have pondered this for awhile, trying to see the difference with/without. It may help smooth out a pan or tilt in a wide shot. But for a locked down wide shot it doesn't usually seem necessary and I assume it's just one more thing which *might* affect the quality of the image. But outside on a windy day I would leave it on to help with any camera shake caused by wind gust.

I have played with the different Z1 steadyshot options a number of times and I'm still not sure I can tell the difference, so I usually just leave it set to normal.

September 22nd, 2006, 10:35 PM	#31
Shaughan Flynn Major Player Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 272	Not trying to discount any opinions here. Just providing a specific example of my experience :) __________________ B-Scene Films

September 23rd, 2006, 05:14 AM	#32
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	Well, I'm from the other camp. My Z1 always has the SSSS on, in the 'normal' position, on and off tripods, sitting on walls and the tarmac, running with it inches off the floor. As a wedding photographer there's just no time to go switching the OIS on and off even with a button dedicated to it and anyway, marquees very often have floors that wobble as people pass by my tripod. So to be on the safe side and to ensure that all is well when I quickly release the cam for a quick hand-held shot, I leave SSSS on. I've done tests where I've left the Z1 on, on a rock solid tripod and never seen one indication that SSSS should be turned off. It's not surprising really as the mechanism is waiting to detect camera body movement before swinging into action. With no movement it simply lies in wait as far as I can see. Maybe I've been lucky, maybe other Z1s are set up differently. tom.

September 23rd, 2006, 06:40 AM	#33
Boyd Ostroff Wrangler Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mays Landing, NJ Posts: 11,802	I'm pretty much in your camp Tom. I find that the steadyshot really helps on the tripod when I'm zoomed all the way in and I almost never notice any problems from it. But if I'm doing a wide shot on a tripod I turn it off (I have a button programmed for this), just in case.

September 23rd, 2006, 07:31 AM	#34
Tom Hardwick Inner Circle Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Billericay, England UK Posts: 4,711	You mean a wide panning shot Boyd? Why switch it off just for wide? I have this ace non-distorting aspherical 0.5x wide-angle converter that just vignettes the very corners of the frame - by maybe 4 pixels. I never bother to switch the Z1 into its 'wide' SSSS position as I really fail to see the point. But if I'm being critical I can see what the SSSS is doing for me by way of compensation as I hand-hold and run with the camera. I simply watch the corners of the frame on a PC monitor (it's well masked by all TVs). You can see the floating element OIS working really hard to smooth your shots by the varying amount of vignetting that occurs. It really is amazing technology. One of the cleverest, most transparent, useful, effective and (presumably) cheap aids to filmmaking to come our way. I am indeed impressed. tom.