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Is survival without stabilized lenses possible???

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WBirch

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I don't use stabilized lenses. I don't use stabilized cameras?
Why does everybody but me require them to take photos these days?
What happened to looking at the scene and deciding what the light level
is, the iso should be used, the aperture and knowing your gear?

Why do you need a stabilized lens (or camera) to take great photos?

Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
It's a newer technology that has matured that it can be put in everything. Just like any other advance over time. People lived before cameras closed the aperture down automatically, people lived before aperture priority, people lived before P mode, people lived before Autofocus so on and so forth.

Stabilization is now a standardized technology with almost no downside. Even more so when it's done in the body where there is no ill effects on the lens, and all your old lenses work just fine but get stabilized, and the cost is basically nothing. So why not have it and gain a few more stops here and there.

We don't need most the things that come along in cameras. But as long as there isn't negative impacts, no one cares. And some things that many folks could care less about, like Autofocus are now standard on cameras and people just go with it.

And since it has got so common a company is no forced to add it even if they don't think it's needed since without it they are behind on the feature list, thus will loose market. Just like MP. Even if your a company who thinks 6MP in P&S and 12MP in DSLRs is all we need, it doesn't matter, you have to keep adding since everyone else is, if you don't add the MP, you will go bankrupt.

Considering a lot of the junk in cameras, like Scene Modes, direct print buttons, smile detection and so forth, Stabilization is one of the more solid additions of the past few years (wide spread use)
 
I not only survive but enjoy live fully with my Pentax *istDS without stabilisation and old M42 manual focus lenses screwed in front of it.

That splendidly that I just got asked for my photos to publish by the band I had taken photos of during a concert the other night. ( see the thread: charging for photos? how much? in this forum )

but still I believe that IS definitly is of benefit, it just preferred the *istDS over the later K models with IS for some other reasons.

cheers,
kuuan
--
Pentax *istDS, Minolta A2, Fuji F31fd
my fotos: http://flickr.com/photos/kuuan/
my movies: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kuuan
 
Interesting points. (I get by without it tho.)
I agree with you about the "junk" included in cameras these days.

Thanks.

============================
PhotoTraveler said:
It's a newer technology that has matured that it can be put in
everything. Just like any other advance over time. People lived
before cameras closed the aperture down automatically, people lived
before aperture priority, people lived before P mode, people lived
before Autofocus so on and so forth.

Stabilization is now a standardized technology with almost no
downside. Even more so when it's done in the body where there is no
ill effects on the lens, and all your old lenses work just fine but
get stabilized, and the cost is basically nothing. So why not have
it and gain a few more stops here and there.

We don't need most the things that come along in cameras. But as
long as there isn't negative impacts, no one cares. And some things
that many folks could care less about, like Autofocus are now
standard on cameras and people just go with it.

And since it has got so common a company is no forced to add it even
if they don't think it's needed since without it they are behind on
the feature list, thus will loose market. Just like MP. Even if your
a company who thinks 6MP in P&S and 12MP in DSLRs is all we need, it
doesn't matter, you have to keep adding since everyone else is, if
you don't add the MP, you will go bankrupt.

Considering a lot of the junk in cameras, like Scene Modes, direct
print buttons, smile detection and so forth, Stabilization is one of
the more solid additions of the past few years (wide spread use)
Click to expand...
 
You don't own it, you don't use it. But have you ever tried it yourself?

It's not a must, but it certainly helps. Less need for ISO up, and more flexible use of shutter and aperture. Instead of asking "why would you need it?", you better see how it works, or advantage gain of using IS or VR or whatever name it is, and judge whether it is a good invention or not, whether it is worth using or not.
 
Photographers got along for 150 years without it. Besides, the best IS is still a tripod.

That said, it does make life easier and increase the rate of hand-held keepers. Given the choice I will always choose an IS lens over a non-IS. Even so, my latest purchase was a Canon 400 F5.6 L non-IS ... for the simple reason that there is no IS equivalent.

--
Some cool cats that can use your help
http://www.wildlife-sanctuary.org

Even if you can't donate, please help spread the word.
 
Ikari120378 said:
You don't own it, you don't use it. But have you ever tried it yourself?
It's not a must, but it certainly helps. Less need for ISO up, and
more flexible use of shutter and aperture. Instead of asking "why
would you need it?", you better see how it works, or advantage gain
of using IS or VR or whatever name it is, and judge whether it is a
good invention or not, whether it is worth using or not.
Click to expand...
To be honest, nope. I haven't tried it. Tell me why you need it, dude.
My Bigma and Sigmas and the old-beast Canon DSLR keep getting it done.
Just asking since so many can't live without IS.

Thx Ikar...

=================
 
WBirch said:
To be honest, nope. I haven't tried it. Tell me why you need it, dude.
My Bigma and Sigmas and the old-beast Canon DSLR keep getting it done.
Just asking since so many can't live without IS.
Click to expand...
I think you are very good with your gears, honestly. But like I said, IS is not a must but it certainly does help. Whether you need it or not, whether you like it or not. Someone even say that the best IS is a tripod, true, but in some condition it will be too difficult to bring and use one.

Whatever your choice is, I still think that you need to try one, knowing what's good and not about it, and make a comment (or a review).

It's like using a car, it will help you move faster anywhere, but it's not a must, especially when you think that walking with your own feet is better for your health.
Keep shooting!
 
Do you need a tripod? High ISO? A 1/4000th shutter speed? A wide angle, a telephoto, a zoom, a fast lens?

Jeez. Use what you need, and don't whine about the rest of us. I can't believe the number of posts along this line "I don't use it, so the rest of you are wimps."

You can take great photos in a studio using a viewfinder which has minimal features compared to a dSLR. If you're photographing basketball it probably won't work for you.
 
WBirch said:
I don't use stabilized lenses. I don't use stabilized cameras?
Why does everybody but me require them to take photos these days?
What happened to looking at the scene and deciding what the light level
is, the iso should be used, the aperture and knowing your gear?

Why do you need a stabilized lens (or camera) to take great photos?

Thanks!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click to expand...
I do not NEED either but, stabilization is more important to me than auto focus. I can use auto or manual focus and pretty much still get the same shot...af just makes it a bt easier sometimes, but is rarely "essential" and lack of it will mostly not cost a shot, stabilization on the other hand lets me get shots at shutter speeds I can not hand hold at, so it DOES make a difference.

It is sometimes just nice to be able to pick up a lens like a 85 1.8 indoors and just shoot without worrying about the shutter speed.

On a lens like 500mm if you do not want or (or can not) carry a tripod then stabilization makes the difference between it being worth taking the lens or not in many cases....a steady person would get some keepers at 500mm and 1/200 (many would not even get that), but with stabilization I can go well below that.

neil
 
WBirch said:
I don't use stabilized lenses. I don't use stabilized cameras?
Why does everybody but me require them to take photos these days?
What happened to looking at the scene and deciding what the light level
is, the iso should be used, the aperture and knowing your gear?
Why do you need a stabilized lens (or camera) to take great photos?
Click to expand...
People survived in the past without them, heck, they survived without any cameras. Relax.

Kidding around.

Obviously, you do not "need" image stablization to make photos.

Stablizers for cameras are not new, and in certain circumstances, they allow a picture to be taken that could not otherwise. Photographing whales from a rolling deck is a classic example.

Now the technology has been minaturized and put in small sensor bodies or the lenses for those bodies, and at a price much cheaper than the add on stablizers.

Under a limited set of circumstances, they will "save the day" also. It is also helpful to a limited extent, for those who do not have a tripod along, or for some reason, do not use one.

Also, for the less skilled camera user, it will help produce acceptable images, which is the main point of the feature.

A few months back I got a VR lense on one of my DSLR's. I did actually notice being able to use the camera at lower shutter speeds, handheld. Cool.
Necessary for me, no.

--

'Good composition is only the strongest way of seeing the subject. It cannot be taught because, like all creative effort, it is a matter of personal growth. In common with other artists the photographer wants his finished print to convey to others his own response to his subject. In the fulfillment of this aim, his greatest asset is the directness of the process he employs. But this advantage can only be retained if he simplifies his equipment and technique to the minimum necessary, and keeps his approach free from all formula, art-dogma, rules, and taboos. Only then can he be free to put his photographic sight to use in discovering and revealing the nature of the world he lives in.'
Edward Weston, Camera Craft Magazine, 1930.

'Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.' G. Marx
 
If you have image stabilization you can shoot at a lower speed hand-held. That means, if you know your equipment you can choose to shoot at a smaller aperture and get more DOF. Or, you can shoot at a lower ISO and have less noise. I find it very useful in churches, museums, and in the street in the evening.

When I started taking photos we didn't have zoom lenses. Why do we need those? We didn't have lightmetering in the camera. Didn't need that either. B&W 400ASA film was awesome.

You always are limited by your equipment. Less limiting is, for me, dude, a good thing. Fortunately, you can choose a different path.
--
Patrick T. Kelly
Oaxaca, Mexico
 
Great advantage to have, as it gets you a couple more stops, so if you shoot
handheld it's a plus. I use a tripod 99% of the time so for me VR is not needed.
You can still take great photos without IS you just need to know when to use
it to your advantage.

http://dwayneoakes.zenfolio.com

Take care Dwayne Oakes
 
Whats the point of a digital photography forum then?
~~~~~
tko said:
Do you need a tripod? High ISO? A 1/4000th shutter speed? A wide
angle, a telephoto, a zoom, a fast lens?

Jeez. Use what you need, and don't whine about the rest of us. I
can't believe the number of posts along this line "I don't use it, so
the rest of you are wimps."

You can take great photos in a studio using a viewfinder which has
minimal features compared to a dSLR. If you're photographing
basketball it probably won't work for you.
Click to expand...
Who's the one whining?
 
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