franco
Leading Member
is there a way to test the IS to see if it is working properly?--franco
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IS testing?
- Thread starter franco
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michel58672
Forum Enthusiast
Franco,
I would take 2 series of the same subject (with[out] IS), hand held, using shutter priority, varying from 1/10 to 1/60, then compare the results. Better if the subject contains geometric shapes easy to compare side by side.
I would bet this has already been tested and posted here ?
Michel.
Wilson Aquino
Forum Enthusiast
Actually, there is a quick and easy way to tell if IS is working. Set to full zoom and digital zoom so you have 27X. Look thru the EVF and notice how jerky the whole image is? Press the shutter button half way and you'll notice the IS at work.....
Wilson
franco
Leading Member
i just did some test shots, i am quite confused. the shots were made indoors without the flash, i realy can't see much difference with or without the IS, am i doing something wrong here. i set the shutter speed at 1/10. and both images came out blurry. will the IS work in such environment?
thanks
--franco
thanks
--franco
Juli Valley
Forum Pro
Is the symbol for IS showing on the lcd? The shaking hand? It is possible that it is turned off. --21oo, B-3oo3o4oJuli
franco
Leading Member
hi juli, yes the symbol is there, i n the past hour i have made about 50 shots at slow shutter speeds, 1/10, 1/6,1/2.
and till now i can't tell if the IS works, sometimes the images with IS on look sharper, other times blurrier. i holed the Af button for 1sec to enable IS, i can't tell.
is there a better way to test it?--franco
Juli Valley
Forum Pro
I don't know anything to recommend, but some of the brains around here will. --21oo, B-3oo3o4oJuli
T
Terry Thorn
Guest
While the IS works well, it's not a miracle worker. If you "punch" the shutter button or just don't try to be as still as possible, you'll still get blurry shots if you try to take shots at full to moderate zoom at such slow shutter speeds. Are you hand-holding the camera or is it on a tripod or flat surface? When the camera is stabilized, you need to turn the IS off as it will produce a blurry image.
franco
Leading Member
comeon guys, there must be a way to verify this thing, please help here--franco
Juli Valley
Forum Pro
bump
--21oo, B-3oo3o4oJuli
Juli Valley
Forum Pro
How about taking it to a local photography store and let them take a look. They should be able to tell you. Buy a filter or something for their trouble. --21oo, B-3oo3o4oJuli
Amen. IS is a wonder, but it's no replacement for a tripod. IS isn't going to do a thing for you at 1/2 second exposures if you're shaking it like a martini tumbler.
Canon literature (Canon reputedly makes the IS lens on our Oly) seems to claim that you can hand-hold up to 2 stops slower than you can otherwise. What does that mean? At 380mm, without image stabilization, you need generally need a shutter speed at least 1/380 second to handhold (this is using an old "guideline" that the minimum shutter speed on a 35mm camera needs to be the reciprocal of the focal length). Two stops faster would be 1/95th of a second. And that's with "average" shake from someone trying to hold still. Some people can hand-hold slower, but it's a stretch for most.
At 1/10 of a second, trying to shake the camera, you're definately going to get blur. Definately.
The only 100% way I know to make sure the IS is working is to give it back to Olympus for checkout.
--- ArvedKF4UCQOly UZi Newbie
Pertti Sundqvist
Member
Hi
I would try the IS-functioning in another way:
put the camera on a tripod
take a picture of a star when the sky is dark
use aperture 3.5, ISO 100 or ISO 200
use times from 10 to 16 seconds
if the IS is on, the star should be a "roundel" not a point
if the IS is off, the star should be a point.
When the IS is on and the camera is on a tripod, the mechanism causes "precession" and that causes the roundel.
I will try to post some example pictures somewhere
Pertti
I would try the IS-functioning in another way:
put the camera on a tripod
take a picture of a star when the sky is dark
use aperture 3.5, ISO 100 or ISO 200
use times from 10 to 16 seconds
if the IS is on, the star should be a "roundel" not a point
if the IS is off, the star should be a point.
When the IS is on and the camera is on a tripod, the mechanism causes "precession" and that causes the roundel.
I will try to post some example pictures somewhere
Pertti
---- Pertti
Mike S40523
Forum Enthusiast
Where is the camera blur? 
http://www.pbase.com/image/286235 1/10 sec handheld
http://www.pbase.com/image/427113 1/6 sec handheld elbows braced on bridge
http://www.pbase.com/image/286235 1/10 sec handheld
http://www.pbase.com/image/427113 1/6 sec handheld elbows braced on bridge
Max61919
Leading Member
On another note, I believe in the manual they mention that IS doesnt work too well in very low light, low contrast settings settings. I dont have my book with me to referrence the page, but I seem to recall it somewhere. Like the situations that have an adverse effect on AF also cause problems with IS.
Max
Max
--Max http://www.pbase.com/maxxxam
John McElwee
Senior Member
IS is not a "magic pill" that will elminate blurry pictures due to camera shake.
To see the IS in action before you take a picture set the camera to full zoom with digital zoom. Make sure you haven't pressed the shutter otherwise you'll have to start over.
Look at the REAR LCD (the EVF has some lag time) and then shake the camera with very short quick (jut a few mm's of motion) movements. The image should become jerky and basically follow the camera movements. Now press the shutter halfway and hold it. Shake the camera again with the same type of movement.
If the IS is on and working, the image in the LCD should be nowhere as jerky as without the IS. It WILL move if the camera is moved more than what the IS can compensate for when it moves the IS lens around inside the camera. But when it moves, it should be mostly a smooth movement without a lot of jerkiness.
The IS works differently depending on the type of shake. It works more effectively when the shakes are short and quick. If the shakes are more like riding the small gentle waves in a boat at the lake, it's not as effective.
You still need to hold the camera a steady as possible.
Also, how much zoom you have set will determine how slow of a shutter speed you can use before the IS becomes ineffective. As stated before, the general rule is the minimum shutter should be the same as
1/focal length. With IS it might be possible to go another 2 - 3 speeds slower. I've taken some good AND bad slow shutter speed pics.
There is no real substitute for a steady rest when taking pics at slow shutter speeds. Find anything you can to lean on or rest the camera on. It makes a huge difference.
If you use the 2100 on a tripod, Oly says to turn off the IS. The reason is that the IS is still trying to stabilize and already stable image. What you will see is that the image in the viewfinder will sometimes move a little as the IS tries to compensate.
here's a shot that is 1/4 second hand held at night
http://www.erols.com/jmcelwee/sprgmode.jpg
John M
To see the IS in action before you take a picture set the camera to full zoom with digital zoom. Make sure you haven't pressed the shutter otherwise you'll have to start over.
Look at the REAR LCD (the EVF has some lag time) and then shake the camera with very short quick (jut a few mm's of motion) movements. The image should become jerky and basically follow the camera movements. Now press the shutter halfway and hold it. Shake the camera again with the same type of movement.
If the IS is on and working, the image in the LCD should be nowhere as jerky as without the IS. It WILL move if the camera is moved more than what the IS can compensate for when it moves the IS lens around inside the camera. But when it moves, it should be mostly a smooth movement without a lot of jerkiness.
The IS works differently depending on the type of shake. It works more effectively when the shakes are short and quick. If the shakes are more like riding the small gentle waves in a boat at the lake, it's not as effective.
You still need to hold the camera a steady as possible.
Also, how much zoom you have set will determine how slow of a shutter speed you can use before the IS becomes ineffective. As stated before, the general rule is the minimum shutter should be the same as
1/focal length. With IS it might be possible to go another 2 - 3 speeds slower. I've taken some good AND bad slow shutter speed pics.
There is no real substitute for a steady rest when taking pics at slow shutter speeds. Find anything you can to lean on or rest the camera on. It makes a huge difference.
If you use the 2100 on a tripod, Oly says to turn off the IS. The reason is that the IS is still trying to stabilize and already stable image. What you will see is that the image in the viewfinder will sometimes move a little as the IS tries to compensate.
here's a shot that is 1/4 second hand held at night
http://www.erols.com/jmcelwee/sprgmode.jpg
John M
John McElwee
Senior Member
michel58672
Forum Enthusiast
Franco,
here is my way... As I proposed before, you may merely test. I did it for you, yes !
http://michelgallois.free.fr/istest/istest.htm
Not scientific at all, but you can see the results and be reassured (if you needed). I did it in as low a light as possible, to take pics between 1/6 and 1/80.
The pics have been taken hand held with a E100RS at full tele (380), inside, without flash, using Shutter priority, varying shutter speed from 1/6 to 1/80 (each row is a step). Left column is Without IS, Right column is With IS.
I made no second test to confirm, and just processed in the following order
to give Non IS a better chance :
NO IS 1/6, 1/8,....1/80
then
IS 1/80, 1/60,... 1/6.
franco
Leading Member
thanks michel, you saved me a lot of work and stress, i think my IS is working fine. it's just that i was expectiing a magic thing that will completely reomove the effect of shaky hands, too bad, when you drink as much coffe as i do, you'll hands will shake like hell, i think i should switch to decaf....
thak you guys, i really thak you for you help, this is a great forum, let's keep it this way
--franco
thak you guys, i really thak you for you help, this is a great forum, let's keep it this way
--franco
Juli Valley
Forum Pro
I'm so glad you finally have the answer and can quit worrying about it. ;-)--21oo, B-3oo3o4oJuli
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