Shaky / jittery video when filming on a tripod: RF 100-500

Hi there,
This is somewhat of a last resort (and a bit of a rant) on an issue when it comes to shooting video with the Canon RF 100-500 lens. I'm trying to find a solution to what seems a dealbreaking flaw on this lens; the apparently so called "tripod detection".

This issue has been described in some posts I could find on Canon forums, but never have I found a proper answer that simply acknowledges this major flaw which basically makes this lens unusable for me in the long run or a good solution. It's really becoming a problem in my work and I need to make some choices moving forward.

For context: I'm a birder that bought an R7 + RF100-500 with birdphotography whilst hiking in mind, but thinking the RF100-500 also functions as a great lens for (birding/wildlife) videography, as it's a quality lens with a nice versatile zoom range.

I'm now starting to gain some traction with videography assignments in documenting birds and wildlife, so more often these day's i'm carrying the set on a tripod and heavy video fluid head. It's a proper videohead that is rated to handle waaay more weight than the R7+100-500 combo, so i theory I should be getting super smooth video.

BUT... then there's the so called "tripod detection mode". In short, this means that the camera/lens detects being on a tripod and shuts down all forms of IS after a mere few seconds. This means that when my camera is put onto the sturdy tripod, or on a ledge/car window to minimise handheld movement: every form of IS shuts down. When this happens and I even breathe onto the camera, the whole image starts to jitter and shake as if there's an earthquake going on. At 500mm and in 4k crop mode this means I can literally not operate or touch the camera, because if I do, I ruin the shot.

The absolute stupid part of it all; the lens is perfectly able to counter me touching the rig, because when shooting video handheld, the IS just compensates for any excessive jitters or shaking just fine. It's only when the camera is set on a tripod or anything solid, detects this and says "yeah nah, i'm turning it all off".

At first I blamed the rather cheap R7, but the problem clearly lies with the 100-500 RF lens as i've worked also with a fullframe R6II and with that body the problem persisted. I've seen someone describing the same issue using an R5 as well and I've read about others also not having this problem with older lenses than the RF 100-500 whilst using their same camera.

Conclusion: it's the lens(?)
Question: Any videographers out there with some hack/trick/fix to this or should I simply sell the RF100-500 and go back to Nikon?

...and before the comments roll in like i've seen on other posts: "it's probably your tripod anyway", i've tested the set on a Sachtler Aktiv + flowtech tripod set and it made no difference. You ever so lightly touch anything; you get shaky footage.
Thanks!

Canon's own help page about IS is quite contradictory:

"However, even when using a tripod, there can be some camera movement in high wind or with super telephoto lenses, which means the IS system can be invaluable. More recent IS lenses are able to detect the use of a tripod and automatically disable the IS, if necessary."

It's saying even with a tripod you may need IS (true for the OP in this case) but that it may also detect the tripod and disable it. The term "if necessary" is ambiguous in that it doesn't say whether this would be a menu option or it's deciding for itself.

I have an R7 and 100-500 so I will try this weekend to replicate this myself. I can see this being a huge issue for me doing video in a bird hide for example, where the camera is on a tripod and trained on a stationary bird but people are walking around wooden floors and inducing movement. I can't see any obvious mention of this in the manual either.

Have you tried all three IS modes just in case that makes any difference?

JasonMulvern said:

Canon's own help page about IS is quite contradictory:

"However, even when using a tripod, there can be some camera movement in high wind or with super telephoto lenses, which means the IS system can be invaluable. More recent IS lenses are able to detect the use of a tripod and automatically disable the IS, if necessary."

It's saying even with a tripod you may need IS (true for the OP in this case) but that it may also detect the tripod and disable it. The term "if necessary" is ambiguous in that it doesn't say whether this would be a menu option or it's deciding for itself.

I have an R7 and 100-500 so I will try this weekend to replicate this myself. I can see this being a huge issue for me doing video in a bird hide for example, where the camera is on a tripod and trained on a stationary bird but people are walking around wooden floors and inducing movement. I can't see any obvious mention of this in the manual either.

Have you tried all three IS modes just in case that makes any difference?

Click to expand...

Just like simply having your hands on the camera, wooden floors or pathways are also indeed one of the example scenarios in which i've had ruined shots because of this issue. It just takes some steps of people walking in the distance on a wooden pathway through a swamp, it's super minimal when it comes to actual movement but the image looks like there's an earthquake happening. If it's minimal and the shots allow for it you can fix it in post, but often the jitters are so apparent it decreases image quality when trying to fix it.


The different IS modes act the same, because the camera shuts all IS off entirely, regardless of the mode you're in. It only behaves somewhat different in activating the IS again; when you jerk or pan the camera quite radically, tricking it into thinking you're off the tripod and activating the IS (which then turns off again anyway after 3 seconds or so).

I've made a video showcasing the exact problem. Something new that I found out is that when in photo mode on the camera the issue doesn't occur. It only happens when entering video mode on the camera OR when you start a video recording in photomode.








I've also started a thread on the Canon forums, in case someone's curious on developments there.

SylvainVIII said:

I've made a video showcasing the exact problem. Something new that I found out is that when in photo mode on the camera the issue doesn't occur. It only happens when entering video mode on the camera OR when you start a video recording in photomode.
I've also started a thread on the Canon forums, in case someone's curious on developments there.

Click to expand...

This is a really interesting question and deserves a bump to the top.

SylvainVIII said:

I've also started a thread on the Canon forums, in case someone's curious on developments there.

Click to expand...

Pointless I'm afraid, as you're just being told you don't need IS on a tripod or you should contact technical support. I don't understand why they can't see from your video why it's an issue at those focal lengths.

In all honesty if this is a feature of Canon then you need to be looking at other options, it would be interesting to know how Nikon and Sony handle this same issue. Each brand has it's frustrating quirks that are often deal-breakers but so under reported it's not until you own the system yourself that you find them out.

Clearly the only workaround is to not use a tripod and maybe brace against something under the lens barrel itself (so the body is still moving and this is being detected).

As a point of interest I just tried my Nikon Z50 on a tripod in video mode and it still engages VR even when on a tripod (it doesn't have IBIS) with an option to add electronic VR on top for an even more stable view. This is with a 50-250 lens so neither lens nor body should be taken as representative of other combinations.

JasonMulvern said:

SylvainVIII said:

I've also started a thread on the Canon forums, in case someone's curious on developments there.

Click to expand...

Pointless I'm afraid, as you're just being told you don't need IS on a tripod or you should contact technical support. I don't understand why they can't see from your video why it's an issue at those focal lengths.

In all honesty if this is a feature of Canon then you need to be looking at other options, it would be interesting to know how Nikon and Sony handle this same issue. Each brand has it's frustrating quirks that are often deal-breakers but so under reported it's not until you own the system yourself that you find them out.

Clearly the only workaround is to not use a tripod and maybe brace against something under the lens barrel itself (so the body is still moving and this is being detected).

As a point of interest I just tried my Nikon Z50 on a tripod in video mode and it still engages VR even when on a tripod (it doesn't have IBIS) with an option to add electronic VR on top for an even more stable view. This is with a 50-250 lens so neither lens nor body should be taken as representative of other combinations.

Click to expand...

Haha yep, on the Canon forums they are basically giving me the finger and directing towards me towards the exit saying I should contact tech support. Probably just so that it isn't being too openly discussed how weird of a feature this is. It's just wrong design that the user is unable to make a choice when to activate/deactivate the IS. Like you're also saying, most other brands and I think also other Canon lenses don't work like this (?).


The workaround you're suggesting about shooting handheld and bracing should indeed give better results, problem however is that if you brace yourself good enough or for example lean the camera on a car window, the IS will also disable. Here's a small example of this.

This is me having the camera handheld and braced on the car window. At the reach of 500mm, especially on an R7 you will always introduce movement so you'll want the IS on, but when the camera thinks it's on a tripod it keeps shutting off the IS after roughly 3 seconds of not detecting movement.

I just got off the phone with a Canon representative/tech support from Canon Europe. Very friendly and understanding spokesperson, who had a technical understanding of the matter, but sadly had to deliver some bad news:

- Apparently the issue has not been previously reported at Canon (at least not at Canon Europe); they haven't had any complaints about it before. It therefore took a little longer to respond as they had to test it themselves.

- They acknowledge what is going: the RF 100-500 lens indeed has the feature of automatically turning off the IS when you place it on a tripod (and/or solid structure like a car window).

- It's a feature, not a bug. Users cannot change this setting.

- They acknowledge it can be a problem in these scenarios for video, but want to emphasize the RF100-500, and R7 / R6 II bodies, are made and marketed with photography as main purpose, not video. Therefore explaining certain choices.

- The representative didn't know exactly "why" the RF 100-500 has this function.

- Apparently the feature is present in the full lineup of RF lenses (i'm actually quite curious if this is true, looking at you RF200-800 users)

- Canon has now registered the issue with their development team, but at this moment there are no plans on addressing the issue in future firmware updates or new products. The comment was: "realistically, I wouldn't have high hopes or wait for it to change".

I'm afraid that for now this is the final conclusion. Sadly the RF100-500 therefore renders itself unusable to me for wildlife filmmaking. I was planning on upgrading the R7 to the R5 II, but I will move from Canon as a brand altogether now.

Wildlife videographers / filmmakers or other people that have plans to shoot video with the RF100-500 on a tripod: please be aware of this feature!

OK I'll give this a try. I won't be trying to convince you to stay with Canon because I don't really care what anyone uses which includes software, etc. You may feel like I'm/we're giving you the finger but I will just deal with a few facts. This is also the first time I have heard of this and I have been on these forums for a long time. That does not mean I'm ignoring your specific issue.

You and others are correct as other modes like 2 and 3 will not make any difference. Those modes are for panning.

I have been a steady user of IS since I got my first mid telephoto lens around 2009. It was the EF 300 F4 IS. That lens did not have this auto IS feature. One time I put on a tripod and forgot to turn IS off. Weird things were going on in the VF. My only conclusion was that it wanted to stabilize but had no input so it didn't know what to do. Technology has changed a lot since then but perhaps that is why Canon applies this feature.

I've done many a moon shot in manual AF and using 10X zoom so I could focus. This includes lenses that have this feature. On a tripod and I turned the IS off. A mosquito could land on the body and I could see the tremors. I concluded my tripod, etc was no where near heavy enough. I just worked around that but your situation is different regarding the subject. You have the heavy head but perhaps the tripod does not have beef that is required?

From the 100-500 manual.



Another thing I'll mention is they filmed a major TV series using the Canon R5 which has this feature. When first announced I remember seeing it mounted on whatever gear they used. I would not be surprised if they are still using a that or other Canon ML bodies.

So you have some decisions to make. I can tell you Canon will likely not change this so I would not waste my time on that. This feature has been around for a very long time. You got Canon gear for a specific purpose and then transitioned into video. A good saying is you get the tools needed to do the job. Perhaps Canon is not the best tool for your current needs.

Good luck in your quest.

--
The Golden Grift

Sorry for the bump. I had the EF24-105 F4 IS that was released in 2005. I'm not sure when the first IS lenses were released but that one is 20 years old. I used that lens for 6 years. I can't see Canon putting time into this which is why I said don't waste your time. That is nothing personal, just trying to save you time.

Zeee said:

OK I'll give this a try. I won't be trying to convince you to stay with Canon because I don't really care what anyone uses which includes software, etc. You may feel like I'm/we're giving you the finger but I will just deal with a few facts. This is also the first time I have heard of this and I have been on these forums for a long time. That does not mean I'm ignoring your specific issue.

You and others are correct as other modes like 2 and 3 will not make any difference. Those modes are for panning.

I have been a steady user of IS since I got my first mid telephoto lens around 2009. It was the EF 300 F4 IS. That lens did not have this auto IS feature. One time I put on a tripod and forgot to turn IS off. Weird things were going on in the VF. My only conclusion was that it wanted to stabilize but had no input so it didn't know what to do. Technology has changed a lot since then but perhaps that is why Canon applies this feature.

I've done many a moon shot in manual AF and using 10X zoom so I could focus. This includes lenses that have this feature. On a tripod and I turned the IS off. A mosquito could land on the body and I could see the tremors. I concluded my tripod, etc was no where near heavy enough. I just worked around that but your situation is different regarding the subject. You have the heavy head but perhaps the tripod does not have beef that is required?

From the 100-500 manual.



Another thing I'll mention is they filmed a major TV series using the Canon R5 which has this feature. When first announced I remember seeing it mounted on whatever gear they used. I would not be surprised if they are still using a that or other Canon ML bodies.

So you have some decisions to make. I can tell you Canon will likely not change this so I would not waste my time on that. This feature has been around for a very long time. You got Canon gear for a specific purpose and then transitioned into video. A good saying is you get the tools needed to do the job. Perhaps Canon is not the best tool for your current needs.

Good luck in your quest.

Click to expand...

Hi, thanks for the response and don't worry, no hard feelings here! As for your suggestions:

- It was probably overlooked as it was a long post, but in the original message I already explained that to test this issue I had the set on a professional Sachtler set with flowtech75 legs, which is well capable for this setup. It made no difference.

- The screenshot of the manual is referring to photography use, not video.

- About the major TV series, I don't know which series you are referring to and what lenses they used, but i'm guessing short ones. I shoot a lot of video content with the R6 II and RF 24-70 2.8, which is totally fine. At these zoom ranges it's a totally different ballgame.

- While I agree that you should get gear fitting your needs, I think Canon could be more pronounced on this "feature" or there should atleast be more awareness towards it as it so different with other brands. I bought the R7 + RF100-500 for the reach and great capabilities to shoot birds, both in photography and video. Which, looking at the facts it does and can do fine. There's just one situation where it all goes south and that's when you try to film at 500mm from a tripod. It's literally this one tiny choice made by Canon and it's firmware that makes it a dealbreaker.

The lens is being marketed everywhere and by everyone as one of the best and sharpest lenses for wildlife and great for video as well. However, no one these days puts it on a tripod anymore it seems as everything is marketed towards having the best IS and shooting handheld.

The Canon system not appear to meet your requirements. From the R7 manual and I'm sure this is copy and paste for all others. Canon recommends not to use it for video and tripod. I'm no expert because I never shot video. That button has come in very handy for mapping for Snooze.











--
The Golden Grift

Zeee said:

The Canon system not appear to meet your requirements. From the R7 manual and I'm sure this is copy and paste for all others. Canon recommends not to use it for video and tripod. I'm no expert because I never shot video. That button has come in very handy for mapping for Snooze.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but I think you're not getting the full picture of what is going on. The issue is the lens turning the IS off by itself, while I want it to stay on. As a user you don't have any say over this when or how the IS kicks in. This also has nothing to do with the R7. It's the same on the R6 II and is caused by the lens.

In theory the Canon system does meet my requirements and I've made plenty of productions with it. They just made a choice in the firmware on how the RF100-500 behaves when being put on a tripod, which conflicts with shooting video at longer focal ranges. This means you basically can't operate the camera without introducing tremor like vibrations to your footage.

I'm not looking for solutions (anymore), I just came back to report on the contact I had with Canon Europe. This so that people who are considering to buy this lens are aware of it's behaviour when shooting video from a tripod.

SylvainVIII said:

Zeee said:

The Canon system not appear to meet your requirements. From the R7 manual and I'm sure this is copy and paste for all others. Canon recommends not to use it for video and tripod. I'm no expert because I never shot video. That button has come in very handy for mapping for Snooze.

Click to expand...

Sorry, but I think you're not getting the full picture of what is going on. The issue is the lens turning the IS off by itself, while I want it to stay on. As a user you don't have any say over this when or how the IS kicks in. This also has nothing to do with the R7. It's the same on the R6 II and is caused by the lens.

Click to expand...

l'm aware you want it to stay on but it doesn't. Canon has not changed this in over 20 years. Only reason I mentioned it is it likely won't. Maybe someday but I wouldn't hold my breath.

SylvainVIII said:

In theory the Canon system does meet my requirements and I've made plenty of productions with it. They just made a choice in the firmware on how the RF100-500 behaves when being put on a tripod, which conflicts with shooting video at longer focal ranges.

Click to expand...

Yes. I know how you feel. I wish Canon would have allowed IS modes to be mapped to a button on the body or even provide voice control. DPP won't even tell you which IS mode you used. How hard could be to at least add that to the metadata? Biggest 2 thorns in my side for a very long time.

SylvainVIII said:

I'm not looking for solutions (anymore), I just came back to report on the contact I had with Canon Europe. This so that people who are considering to buy this lens are aware of it's behaviour when shooting video from a tripod.

Click to expand...

No problem. Good luck on your path.

--
The Golden Grift

I suspect you didn't want to discuss this any further but I was curious so I did a little searching. This is also for others reading that may be interested. First I wondered about shake vs vibration. Turns out it's called both depending on the manufacturer.

Even using the term vibration interested me. If you tap a lens you are going to get some pretty fast vibration. I don't think I could reproduce that speed hand holding. I wasn't sure if even the latest IS/IBIS systems could keep to that. Maybe one of the manufacturers can. I don't know.

Canon IS has mode 3 which is specific for erratic subjects. IS only engages when you fully press the shutter. The purpose is the IS can overcompensate when tracking something erratic. Again I'm no engineer but I suspect myself moving all over the place trying to track a subject would still be slower than tapping the lens/body, movement from wind, etc. If the IS can have trouble tracking an erratic object how can it keep up to faster vibrations without overcompensating?

I could not find any more in depth specific answers to that last paragraph but I came across quite of these explanations and I only posted two. I even found one (that I lost) about Canon which said depending on the camera, etc sometimes the IS system does not completely centre and lock the floating elements when it Auto detects no movement which can cause blurry images. To be sure it is best to turn IS physically off. I can only conclude that the Auto no movement is really there as a backup in case people forget to turn IS off which can lead to blurry images from the reasons below.

Image Stabilization on Tripods

Image Stabilization (vibration reduction on Nikon lenses) is a wonderful feature that has been added to many DSLR lenses being released over the past year or so. Image Stabilization (IS) allows photographers to flip a switch on their lens and handhold their cameras in lower light conditions –...

digital-photography-school.com

Having said this there is one time when you should definitely switch IS off because it will do more harm than good to your photos – when you’re using a Tripod.

Image Stabilization (and vibration reduction) lenses look for vibrations in your camera in order to reduce it – however if they don’t find any (like when you are using a Tripod) they actually can cause it – and as a result actually cause camera shake.

What is Image Stabilization and Vibration Reduction?

Image stabilization reduces the small motions you make when handholding your camera. Almost unnoticeable. You will notice camera shake at slow shutter speeds. This is because we cannot hold the camera still enough for a clean shot, so there is a slight blur. You can really see this if you zoom...

expertphotography.com

Shooting With Your Camera On a Tripod

The ultimate image stabilization system is your tripod. When using a tripod, switch image stabilization off. This may seem counterintuitive. If a tripod is already stabilizing your camera, you may expect the image stabilization system to sit idle.

But image stabilization systems are made to detect even the slightest movements. They pick up the small internal vibrations of your camera. Image stabilization pulls the internal elements in the opposite direction. This causes more movement and creates a feedback loop. The image stabilization system introduces motion into the frame. This is a perfect time to turn off is and let your tripod do the work.

Zeee said:

I suspect you didn't want to discuss this any further but I was curious so I did a little searching. This is also for others reading that may be interested. First I wondered about shake vs vibration. Turns out it's called both depending on the manufacturer.

Even using the term vibration interested me. If you tap a lens you are going to get some pretty fast vibration. I don't think I could reproduce that speed hand holding. I wasn't sure if even the latest IS/IBIS systems could keep to that. Maybe one of the manufacturers can. I don't know.

Canon IS has mode 3 which is specific for erratic subjects. IS only engages when you fully press the shutter. The purpose is the IS can overcompensate when tracking something erratic. Again I'm no engineer but I suspect myself moving all over the place trying to track a subject would still be slower than tapping the lens/body, movement from wind, etc. If the IS can have trouble tracking an erratic object how can it keep up to faster vibrations without overcompensating?

I could not find any more in depth specific answers to that last paragraph but I came across quite of these explanations and I only posted two. I even found one (that I lost) about Canon which said depending on the camera, etc sometimes the IS system does not completely centre and lock the floating elements when it Auto detects no movement which can cause blurry images. To be sure it is best to turn IS physically off. I can only conclude that the Auto no movement is really there as a backup in case people forget to turn IS off which can lead to blurry images from the reasons below.

https://digital-photography-school.com/image-stabilization-on-tripods/

Having said this there is one time when you should definitely switch IS off because it will do more harm than good to your photos – when you’re using a Tripod.

Image Stabilization (and vibration reduction) lenses look for vibrations in your camera in order to reduce it – however if they don’t find any (like when you are using a Tripod) they actually can cause it – and as a result actually cause camera shake.

https://expertphotography.com/image-stabilization/

Shooting With Your Camera On a Tripod

The ultimate image stabilization system is your tripod. When using a tripod, switch image stabilization off. This may seem counterintuitive. If a tripod is already stabilizing your camera, you may expect the image stabilization system to sit idle.

But image stabilization systems are made to detect even the slightest movements. They pick up the small internal vibrations of your camera. Image stabilization pulls the internal elements in the opposite direction. This causes more movement and creates a feedback loop. The image stabilization system introduces motion into the frame. This is a perfect time to turn off is and let your tripod do the work.

Click to expand...

I don't mind discussing, I just don't see or understand the point you are trying to make. The first link you're quoting is over twelve years old and it talking about photography. Also the Canon explanation you're referring to is speaking about "blurry images" aka photos.
I'll repost the video i send out earlier, please have a look again. You can clearly see the IS is able to compensate for the tapping/handling the camera when it's in photomode. When you then turn the dial to video mode or press the record button in photomode, the IS shuts off automatically because it detects it's on a tripod and the vibrations/tremors/jitters/earthquake-like-movement (however you'd like to call it) appear.

The other video I posted a few posts back illustrates the same. The IS compensates for movement and vibrations just fine until it thinks it's on a tripod and shuts off IS.
It has nothing to do with the different IS modes or the type of vibrations it has to deal with, it can handle with all that just fine... if it wouldn't shut off. Even Canon themselves acknowledge the lens it doing this.

Sadly it's nothing more than a poor choice in the firmware design made by Canon to (probably) accustom to photographers using the lens on a tripod for long exposure photography.

I suggest trying out this behaviour yourself, since according to your signature you have an R6 II and RF 100-500. This set will act the same and if it doesn't i'd love to see a recording on how it does behave.

SylvainVIII said:

Zeee said:

I suspect you didn't want to discuss this any further but I was curious so I did a little searching. This is also for others reading that may be interested. First I wondered about shake vs vibration. Turns out it's called both depending on the manufacturer.

Even using the term vibration interested me. If you tap a lens you are going to get some pretty fast vibration. I don't think I could reproduce that speed hand holding. I wasn't sure if even the latest IS/IBIS systems could keep to that. Maybe one of the manufacturers can. I don't know.

Canon IS has mode 3 which is specific for erratic subjects. IS only engages when you fully press the shutter. The purpose is the IS can overcompensate when tracking something erratic. Again I'm no engineer but I suspect myself moving all over the place trying to track a subject would still be slower than tapping the lens/body, movement from wind, etc. If the IS can have trouble tracking an erratic object how can it keep up to faster vibrations without overcompensating?

I could not find any more in depth specific answers to that last paragraph but I came across quite of these explanations and I only posted two. I even found one (that I lost) about Canon which said depending on the camera, etc sometimes the IS system does not completely centre and lock the floating elements when it Auto detects no movement which can cause blurry images. To be sure it is best to turn IS physically off. I can only conclude that the Auto no movement is really there as a backup in case people forget to turn IS off which can lead to blurry images from the reasons below.

https://digital-photography-school.com/image-stabilization-on-tripods/

Having said this there is one time when you should definitely switch IS off because it will do more harm than good to your photos – when you’re using a Tripod.

Image Stabilization (and vibration reduction) lenses look for vibrations in your camera in order to reduce it – however if they don’t find any (like when you are using a Tripod) they actually can cause it – and as a result actually cause camera shake.

https://expertphotography.com/image-stabilization/

Shooting With Your Camera On a Tripod

The ultimate image stabilization system is your tripod. When using a tripod, switch image stabilization off. This may seem counterintuitive. If a tripod is already stabilizing your camera, you may expect the image stabilization system to sit idle.

But image stabilization systems are made to detect even the slightest movements. They pick up the small internal vibrations of your camera. Image stabilization pulls the internal elements in the opposite direction. This causes more movement and creates a feedback loop. The image stabilization system introduces motion into the frame. This is a perfect time to turn off is and let your tripod do the work.

Click to expand...

I don't mind discussing, I just don't see or understand the point you are trying to make. The first link you're quoting is over twelve years old and it talking about photography. Also the Canon explanation you're referring to is speaking about "blurry images" aka photos.
I'll repost the video i send out earlier, please have a look again. You can clearly see the IS is able to compensate for the tapping/handling the camera when it's in photomode. When you then turn the dial to video mode or press the record button in photomode, the IS shuts off automatically because it detects it's on a tripod and the vibrations/tremors/jitters/earthquake-like-movement (however you'd like to call it) appear.

The other video I posted a few posts back illustrates the same. The IS compensates for movement and vibrations just fine until it thinks it's on a tripod and shuts off IS.
It has nothing to do with the different IS modes or the type of vibrations it has to deal with, it can handle with all that just fine... if it wouldn't shut off. Even Canon themselves acknowledge the lens it doing this.

Click to expand...

OK fair enough.

SylvainVIII said:

Sadly it's nothing more than a poor choice in the firmware design made by Canon to (probably) accustom to photographers using the lens on a tripod for long exposure photography.

I suggest trying out this behaviour yourself, since according to your signature you have an R6 II and RF 100-500. This set will act the same and if it doesn't i'd love to see a recording on how it does behave.

Click to expand...

SylvainVIII said:

I just got off the phone with a Canon representative/tech support from Canon Europe. Very friendly and understanding spokesperson, who had a technical understanding of the matter, but sadly had to deliver some bad news:

- Apparently the issue has not been previously reported at Canon (at least not at Canon Europe); they haven't had any complaints about it before. It therefore took a little longer to respond as they had to test it themselves.

- They acknowledge what is going: the RF 100-500 lens indeed has the feature of automatically turning off the IS when you place it on a tripod (and/or solid structure like a car window).

- It's a feature, not a bug. Users cannot change this setting.

- They acknowledge it can be a problem in these scenarios for video, but want to emphasize the RF100-500, and R7 / R6 II bodies, are made and marketed with photography as main purpose, not video. Therefore explaining certain choices.

- The representative didn't know exactly "why" the RF 100-500 has this function.

- Apparently the feature is present in the full lineup of RF lenses (i'm actually quite curious if this is true, looking at you RF200-800 users)

- Canon has now registered the issue with their development team, but at this moment there are no plans on addressing the issue in future firmware updates or new products. The comment was: "realistically, I wouldn't have high hopes or wait for it to change".

I'm afraid that for now this is the final conclusion. Sadly the RF100-500 therefore renders itself unusable to me for wildlife filmmaking. I was planning on upgrading the R7 to the R5 II, but I will move from Canon as a brand altogether now.

Wildlife videographers / filmmakers or other people that have plans to shoot video with the RF100-500 on a tripod: please be aware of this feature!

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I was hoping Rudy Pohl would weigh in, as he shoots a lot of wildlife video (I do not).

R2

R2D2 said:

SylvainVIII said:

I just got off the phone with a Canon representative/tech support from Canon Europe. Very friendly and understanding spokesperson, who had a technical understanding of the matter, but sadly had to deliver some bad news:

- Apparently the issue has not been previously reported at Canon (at least not at Canon Europe); they haven't had any complaints about it before. It therefore took a little longer to respond as they had to test it themselves.

- They acknowledge what is going: the RF 100-500 lens indeed has the feature of automatically turning off the IS when you place it on a tripod (and/or solid structure like a car window).

- It's a feature, not a bug. Users cannot change this setting.

- They acknowledge it can be a problem in these scenarios for video, but want to emphasize the RF100-500, and R7 / R6 II bodies, are made and marketed with photography as main purpose, not video. Therefore explaining certain choices.

- The representative didn't know exactly "why" the RF 100-500 has this function.

- Apparently the feature is present in the full lineup of RF lenses (i'm actually quite curious if this is true, looking at you RF200-800 users)

- Canon has now registered the issue with their development team, but at this moment there are no plans on addressing the issue in future firmware updates or new products. The comment was: "realistically, I wouldn't have high hopes or wait for it to change".

I'm afraid that for now this is the final conclusion. Sadly the RF100-500 therefore renders itself unusable to me for wildlife filmmaking. I was planning on upgrading the R7 to the R5 II, but I will move from Canon as a brand altogether now.

Wildlife videographers / filmmakers or other people that have plans to shoot video with the RF100-500 on a tripod: please be aware of this feature!

Click to expand...

I was hoping Rudy Pohl would weigh in, as he shoots a lot of wildlife video (I do not).

Click to expand...

That would be interesting as I don't either.

R2D2 said:

R2

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SylvainVIII said:

but sadly had to deliver some bad news:

Click to expand...

Thanks for this update. Interesting that Canon told you they never had any complaints. But at least they confirmed the issue is real, it exists, and it won't be fixed in a hurry.