Image Stabilization ON or OFF on Tripod?

[Don Greening]

Your camera battery will probably last a little longer with OIS turned off if you don't need it. It used to make a difference with my SD tape-based cameras.

- Don

[Warren Kawamoto]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Whenever the birds flew into the frame the whole image shifted. And when the wind moved the branches around the nest, the image shifted a little as well.

Very interesting. Does this mean that the EX1 optical image stabilizer is actually an electronic stabilizer then? I always thought an optical stabilizer mechanically moved a prism or lens element opposite of subtle camera motion, and isn't affected by what the camera is "seeing."

[David C. Williams]

I'm pretty sure it's an optical element mechanically moved based on image comparison with previous buffered frames.

[Warren Kawamoto]

Originally Posted by Olof Ekbergh

Whenever the birds flew into the frame the whole image shifted. And when the wind moved the branches around the nest, the image shifted a little as well. Luckily I caught the the problem and reshot while still there. And w/o the image stabilization on the shot was perfect.

Ok, this does not sound right. Image should not shift if the camera is locked on a tripod. Today I set up my EX1 on a tripod, focused and zoomed in on something far away, then moved foreground images around with stabilizer on. I tried in vain to make the image shift. Nothing happened. I cannot see how the image would shift if the camera is locked down. Can anyone duplicate Olof's claim?

[Piotr Wozniacki]

You're right IMHO.

The OIS only reacts to (specific) physical camera movements; the gyro (re)action is inertia-based.

Reacting to a change in the image content is the EIS domain.

Of course we might be wrong - Olof?

[Mark OConnell]

I haven't seen this with the EX1, because I keep IS off unless I really need it, but I have had it happen with a V1U. When I'd first got my V1 I left IS on all the time because, well, I really didn't know any better. One day I had done some locked down food shots, when I went to edit them that evening I found that on a couple the image was slowly sliding vertically up and down the screen. Very strange. The next morning the camera went back to Sony to be checked out, and I posted the problem on the V1 board here. The consensus was that the weirdness was the result of IS being left on while the camera was on a tripod. Live and learn...

[John Hewat]

I shoot with a Z1, V1 and EX1 and can clearly see whether IS is on when I pan and tilt on a tripod because of the 'resistance'. It is worst on the V1 (I wonder if that means the V1's stabilization is best when handheld). I always assign IS to one of the programmable buttons so that I can have it off when on a tripod and when I have to jump up and run around with the camera, IS is only a click away.

[Olof Ekbergh]

I am on a shooting trip right now, in Kentucky and Arkansas. When I get back to the studio I will try to find the and post the footage of the birds. I am pretty sure I kept even the bad footage. If not I will shoot a similar setup and post that.

[Ivan Gomez Villafane]

I have been shooting a comedian for one year, and when I begun, yes, I had trouble with shaky-cam. I am almost always on full tele.

My solution to shaky-cam was proper tilt and pan friction tweaking. I didn't even use any friction on the tripod in the beginning, because I thought it was just getting on my way when doing subtle pans and tilts. The truth is, one thing is making a pan in wide angle and one very different thing is making it in full tele, something I obviously wasn't accustomed to.

In my case though, the problem was mostly about keeping the camera perfectly stable, at Z99, pointing slightly down, for 2 hours... with no friction, it was impossible. And I'm not even counting the people moving around, laughing, hitting the flor and shaking everything.

Today, whenever I set my VERY BASIC Manfrotto tripod, I spend a couple of minutes moving around the camera and making very subtle adjustments to the friction wheels to make sure everything is allright. This, combined with being relaxed and just holding very gently the handle with my fingers (not always using my whole hand) gives me very good results.

If your friction wheels are too loose, instead of just placing your finger for a little counterweight you will have to actually hold the handle to keep the head in place, therefore increasing shakyness. If your friction wheels are too tight, then your pans and tilts will be too rough.

The point of my not-in-camera-IS post is that, precisely, in my case I learnt that "image stabilization" with a tripod must also be calibrated on the tripod itself.

I hope someone finds my experience useful.

[Leonard Levy]

Always OFF!

[Joachim Hoge]

I have to say as well: Always off.
It has never helped on a tripod, only ruined shots when I forgot to turn it off. I also keep it off in most handheld situations, as I find it sometimes make "unatural" looking footage. That´s me though

[Kent Beeson]

I tried to find how to program the IS on say button 4 but IS isn't an option to assign to a button...or is it? How to assign on the EX1R?

Thanks

[Leonard Levy]

On an EX-1 its in the viewfinder - just toggle it on & off with the joystick.

BTW I have often accidently shot with it on while on tripod and never had a serious issue, but occasionally I have seen drift after a pan and after a few minutes thinking my head is bad I remember to check the OIS.

[Kent Beeson]

I know how to toggle it off with the joystick and/or menu but can we assign IS to a button - much faster...

[Leonard Levy]

Yeah I get that, I think I've looked for a button and couldn't assign one. If you figure that out let us know.