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Do you always keep IS on ?
- Thread starter Lost99999
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- canon eos 6d
i purchased my 24-105 f4.0 in 2006 and don't remember turning off the IS, ever! same goes to my other telephotos and big primes! the only time i turn the IS off on my canon 600 f4.0 II, is when i am photographing moon because the IS actually hampers the shots more than help, in my experience. i raise the ISO instead to gain faster shutter speed.
I keep IS on when shooting handheld. I turn off IS when it’s on a tripod.
I could probably count on one hand the number of times I have turned off IS on a lens in the last 10 years - that includes everything from EF-M 11-22mm right up to 100-400L ii, and includes both versions of the 24-105L.
Even on a tripod I don't turn it off. Most of the modern (probably last 10-15 years) Canon lenses detect the use of a tripod automatically.
I have used IS on shutter speeds from 1 second (handheld) to 1/8000th.
Colin
Scott Larson
Veteran Member
No. IS makes the shutter delay longer. Many times I've missed shots in sports and then realized that IS was on.
if there is sufficient outdoor light that can help the high shutter speed, then there is no need for IS. i still would not dismiss the benefit of the IS for long telephoto and zoom lenses, though!
BigBen08
Veteran Member
At air shows I shoot propeller planes at slow shutter speeds around 1/180, 1/160, 1/125. Helicopters slower, 1/80. Having IS set to mode 2 is a benefit.
Then the jets will fly and I shoot at 1/1000 or faster. At those speeds I don't need IS, but I leave the lens set to mode 2. That way I won't be switching IS on and off during the show.
After 10 years of air shows I have not had any problems doing this.
Then the jets will fly and I shoot at 1/1000 or faster. At those speeds I don't need IS, but I leave the lens set to mode 2. That way I won't be switching IS on and off during the show.
After 10 years of air shows I have not had any problems doing this.
just a question, BigBen08: do you use tripod/mono-pod during those air shows? if you do, what kind of tripod head do you use? thanks.
pauljames34
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I keep it on all the time and forget to turn it off if I used a tripod...
John Photo
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When shooting, I keep it on almost all the time. Warning: some lenses (ex my Sigma) instructions state to turn it off when mounting/dismounting the lens. ;-)
BigBen08
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Always hand held. My lens is the Canon 300 f2.8 IS II, used sometimes with the 1.4xIII. The lens is about 5 lbs.
i think canon 100400 II would work a lot better for air show rather than a prime, IMO, because of its versatility of zooming at different FL! i do have the canon 300 f2.0 II, it is really easy to handhold but limited to only one FL. if it works for you, that is great!
Andy Blanchard
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Handheld or using a support for panning shots I generally leave it on and in the appropriate mode for what I'm doing, but I do on occassion turn it off if the shutter speeds are fast enough and it occurs to me to do so.
For fixed shots on a tripod, I'll generally turn it off regardless of shutter speed and ideally use 2s timer and/or MLU as well. Yes, modern IS lenses should detect a tripod and shut off IS for you, but for that type of shot I'm generally aiming for as little vibration as possible, so might as well make sure of it.
Finally, if IS is off it's definitely not using any battery power. No idea how much of a difference that might make to shot counts, but since I often shoot with big whites and/or in low temperatures I figure every little helps.
Andy
Enders Shadow
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I'm not convinced of that. I still see loss of sharpness on tripod mounted shots with long exposures if IS is left enabled. I've done several tests with both P&S and DSLRs. My 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 II is one of the few lenses that did ok. Yet, it was sharper with IS disabled. I don't believe it's a significant problem under typical shooting conditions.
As others have mentioned, I generally leave IS on, but may disable it when tracking erratic moving subjects and can maintain fast shutter speeds. Out of habit, I still disable IS when using a tripod.
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Phil
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gavin
Veteran Member
Yes except when I am taking sports
PhilI'm not convinced of that. I still see loss of sharpness on tripod mounted shots with long exposures if IS is left enabled. I've done several tests with both P&S and DSLRs. My 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 II is one of the few lenses that did ok. Yet, it was sharper with IS disabled. I don't believe it's a significant problem under typical shooting conditions.
As others have mentioned, I generally leave IS on, but may disable it when tracking erratic moving subjects and can maintain fast shutter speeds. Out of habit, I still disable IS when using a tripod.
I am not sure I understand what I am looking at. Is this comparing a Sony P&S with IS On with using a UV filter ?
I was referring to newer Canon lenses (eg. 100-400L ii). I have no idea how other brands operate, especially P7S cameras regarding IS. I had thought (but happy to be corrected) that mostly Sony used IBIS rather than lens IS ?
Was this a Sony 1" sensor at fairly long at 1/6th shutter speed ? Was it on a tripod or handheld ? How far in was the crop zoomed ? I have no idea how sharp this Sony 1" is supposed to be but a P&S zoom with 1" sensor zoomed well in and enlarged to (maybe ?) 100% or greater maybe isn't terribly sharp to begin with, so it may not be the best example to use as a reference for APS-C or FF Canons with dedicated lenses with possible the best optical IS available.
Colin
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Andy Blanchard
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I've seen IS soften images before, but the f/11 and f/16 test results are ridiculous and actually make me think user error is more to blame than IS. Specifically, it looks very much like IS was still active when the shutter was fully pressed, in which case lens elements will still be moving around and you are absolutely going to get that kind of motion concentrated in either the horizontal or vertical planes. Usually it's vertical because IS will have detected the slight motion resulting from the photographer pushing down on the shutter and be trying to counteract that.I'm not convinced of that. I still see loss of sharpness on tripod mounted shots with long exposures if IS is left enabled. I've done several tests with both P&S and DSLRs. My 70-300 f/4.5-5.6 II is one of the few lenses that did ok. Yet, it was sharper with IS disabled. I don't believe it's a significant problem under typical shooting conditions.
As others have mentioned, I generally leave IS on, but may disable it when tracking erratic moving subjects and can maintain fast shutter speeds. Out of habit, I still disable IS when using a tripod.
This is often misunderstood, but IS takes time to settle or detect the use of a tripod and you *must* allow it to do so in order to get a sharp image by keeping the shutter half-pressed a little longer. Alternatively, you can use the self timer to add a slight delay; 2s is usually more than enough and good practice for tripod use even without IS enabled. You can also monitor IS by listening to sound of the lens and/or monitoring the viewfinder until they fully stabilise.
Andy
Enders Shadow
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All shots were taken under identical conditions - Tripod mounted and a 10 sec self timer for shutter release. The only difference is the top row had IS enabled (with UV filter). Center row IS turned off. Bottom row IS disabled and inexpensive UV filter removed. The furthest right images are about 8 sec exposures.
The Sony RX10m3 uses optical stabilization in still picture mode. None of their 1" P&S cameras offer IBIS. Some will use electronic IS in video mode.
The 100-400L II also experiences this sort of degradation. It just isn't quite as dramatic. Again, this type of problem is seen under relatively long exposures where noise/drift in the IS system becomes apparent. With faster shutter speeds, IS system noise isn't a significant problem.
I continue to hear claims that modern IS systems will automatically disabled themselves if it "detects" being mounted. on a tripod. I really haven't seen that happen. And I can't find references from manufacturers suggesting that sort of behavior.
For those that ever spent a few minutes reading Canon's lens manuals, you'll notice they suggest disabling IS for long exposures. From the EF100-400L IS II USM manual:
Set the stabilizer to off when taking pictures using the Bulb setting (long exposures). If the stabilizer switch is set to ON, the image stabilizer function may introduce errors.
And about tripods:
Using a tripod also stabilizes the image. However, depending on the kind of tripod and shooting conditions, sometimes it may be better to turn off the image stabilizer function.
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Phil
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