GH4 tripod-telephoto image vibration

Jan Kohl wrote:

3dwag wrote:

Jan Kohl wrote:

Question about some image stabilization problems using the GH4 and the Panasonic 300 mm lens.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDiZw2GVwWw

This has been resized, obviously, but trying to determine if the massive distortion on the shot is due to the OIS kicking in? Could I turn it off and that issue cease?

Thanks!

Jan

Don't think it is OIS-related, looks more like unstable camera movement which The the OIS is clearly not able to deal with.

Two thoughts -

1. What tripod and head are you using? At that focal length, a really solid, stable support is needed.

2. Which Panasonic lens are you actually using - the 70-300mm zoom? If so, I assume that you are using the camera body tripod mount, which further adds to camera/ lens vibration susceptibility at such a long focal length. To improve this, there is a small German company which makes a lens collar mount for that Panasonic lens, I don't know the details but perhaps someone on this forum can jump in here...

Sorry, forgot to answer your question. Using a pan/tilt on an Oben, the main problem was that it was shot from a truck bed to clear a brush line...so definitely aware that the initial issue was the unstable mount, but it sounds like you agree that the distortion was due to the OIS being unable to deal with the movement. If that's all it is, then I know how to fix that (such as turning off the OIS if I have to use an unstable mounting situation again) It is the 100-300mm zoom.

Cheers!

Jan

I do  not have much experience with GH4 on tripod coupled with 100-300. However for stills I have found that leaving OIS on all the time is better soution yielding to sharper results (especially with shutter speed between 2-3sec to 1/15s approx.) Really sturdy tripod is rare and beyond that the bottom plate of GH4 is not strong enough to eliminate the vibrations whether from operator, mechanical shutter or just from practically  unfeelable vibrations of e.g. floor (wind or so). How does it translate to video capturing I do not know, however for 100-300 stills with tripod I always keep the OIS on.