Oly question: Is a PRO lens wasted on an EPL9 body?

Guy Parsons wrote:

cc99 wrote:

Guy Parsons wrote:

In my case I base all my experiments and tests on standing hand-held as that is by far the most likely situation - usually no tree or post is handy.

I don't mean to suggest this is in any way representative, but it shows what the IBIS can do if you really push it. If there really are no supports, I can always sit on the ground (which I already do for macro).

As I said, sitting or sitting braced adds one or two stops to IBIS, it also adds one or two stops to non-IBIS situations.

In my years of testing it always works out that with no stabilisation the old rule works for me and bracing helps of course. The thing with no stabilisation is that the scatter of good and bad results is rather messy and sometimes even stupidly slow shutter works and sometimes way faster does not work. More randomness but a curve soon develops that sees the old rule surface.

Turn on IBIS and it all tightens up and the results are less scattered, the stability is good down until at the slower speed where the IBIS "lets go" and then it all falls apart reliably. It's much clearer to plot the good/bad curve.

In testing I do 10 separate shots at each shutter speed, not bursts, just 10 careful separate single shots. Even with the greatest care I occasionally find failed shots (shake, not shutter shock) at good higher shutter speeds, no matter if IBIS is on or not. It doesn't happen often in the tests but it does happen.

All that means is that with a scene that is important, just don't take one single shot like I usually do on holidays, take a few shots and one may be found to be better than the others.

The wonder of effectively free media.

In static situations we can practice our skills over and over gain to get picture-perfect.  Where one shot is all you get it is harder, but if you have done plenty of practising then your one-shot might be better than all the camera tricks on their own can provide with less practised skill.

Furthermore with all the talk about the miracles of IBIS there is still little doubt that lens IS on its own is pretty good.  In fact probably good enough on its own for most situations.

But of course I would never knock back IBIS as something that can give some extra help - however I have found that over the last 20 years my image stabilised lenses from Canon EF to Panasonic M4/3 and even the Olympus 12-100/4.0 are pretty useful all on their own.

Tom Caldwell wrote:

..... Furthermore with all the talk about the miracles of IBIS there is still little doubt that lens IS on its own is pretty good. In fact probably good enough on its own for most situations.

Yes, I found in my E-PL1 and E-PL5 days that the noisy nasty 2 axis IBIS offered 3 stops and the then much preferred Mega OIS of my Panasonic lenses offered 3 stops as well, also with the benefit of being active during live view. Nice at 150mm.

But of course I would never knock back IBIS as something that can give some extra help - however I have found that over the last 20 years my image stabilised lenses from Canon EF to Panasonic M4/3 and even the Olympus 12-100/4.0 are pretty useful all on their own.

The 3 or 5 axis IBIS beats OIS in spades when it comes to video clips as the annoying roll component of hand held video is neutralised.

raenneb wrote:

I just bought the 40-150mm f/4 PRO. I currently have the EPL9 which has served me well. I've been eyeing the EM1 mark ii (or in an ideal world, iii) but was planning on becoming familiar with the lens first + waiting a bit to recoup funds to spend on a new body. I'm not in the "get the gear" camp (after all, we live in a world where a feature length movie can be shot entirely on an iphone) but I'd like to know: am i doing a disservice to the lens by pairing it with the EPL9?

Better glass is always better glass, even if the camera body cannot discern the difference.