tripod and lens IS?

I have read a couple of reasons for turning off lens image stabilization when using a tripod.

1) the lens IS is continuously working and may cause some vibration in the camera

2) the lens IS is continuously working and will cause the battery to drain faster.

But, what if it is windy out? Wouldn't the lens IS help stabilize the camera just as if you were hand holding the camera?

Steve Thomas

Traditional advice is to always to turn off IS when on a tripod as it may attempt to correct it's own movements.... however, according to Ken Rockwell, most IS systems are smart enough to realise when they're on a tripod. Both of my little powershots certainly are.

I guess the whole idea with a tripod is that it's rock stable. If the tripod was being blown about (exaggerating here) then I imagine it would help.

I know that on the new and shiny EOS-R system you can specify when to enable IS/IBIS, all the time or just when the shutter's being pressed. I'm afraid I don't actually know for common folks like us, as I've never had an IS telephoto (where the difference would be really noticeable).

EDIT: I remember reading in a photo mag about somebody having troubles with IS on a tripod using their EOS 800D...

Dunlin wrote:

Traditional advice is to always to turn off IS when on a tripod as it may attempt to correct it's own movements.... however, according to Ken Rockwell, most IS systems are smart enough to realise when they're on a tripod. Both of my little powershots certainly are.

I guess the whole idea with a tripod is that it's rock stable. If the tripod was being blown about (exaggerating here) then I imagine it would help.

I know that on the new and shiny EOS-R system you can specify when to enable IS/IBIS, all the time or just when the shutter's being pressed. I'm afraid I don't actually know for common folks like us, as I've never had an IS telephoto (where the difference would be really noticeable).

EDIT: I remember reading in a photo mag about somebody having troubles with IS on a tripod using their EOS 800D...

Dunlin,

I guess I should have looked it up before I asked.

The Digital Photography Schools says this:

"The Rule – if you’re hand holding your camera in lower light situations switch on IS – if your camera is tripod mounted – switch IS off.

The Exception – Yes, there is always an exception to any rule and in the case of IS it is important to know that there are some DSLR lenses that can actually sense and account for when you’re using a tripod (Canon calls it tripod detection – a feature that was added in 2000). As a result you don’t need to switch image stabilization off at all.

As a result – a second ‘rule’ comes into play – ‘read your lens manual and you won’t go wrong’."

I looked at the manuals for both the 18-135 IS USM and the 55-250 IS STM lenses, and they both say you only need to turn off the lens image stabilization to save battery power. Nothing about reducing vibration.

I think the bit about reducing vibration as the IS hunts for camera shake is a holdover from 20 years ago. I think I'll just leave it on and not worry about it.

Steve Thomas

Digirame wrote:

I don't use a tripod, but occasionally I might set the camera on a wall where it would be stationary. I just leave the IS on. I hadn't noticed any problems. But if I was using a tripod a lot, I might want to shut off the IS and then turn it on, to see what differences might show up in two separate photos. If it's an important photo that you don't want to lose, it doesn't hurt to do it both ways. Do you or Dunlin want to experiment for us?

Dig,

I have to take a Christmas photo today. My intention is to use Mirror lockup and a 10 second timer delay. I'll give it a shot and let you know what I think.

I probably won't post the pictures. My wife is adverse to having her picture taken. These are for close family only.

Steve Thomas

Okay, so I took a couple of test shots to try this out.

There are two sets of two photos. In both sets, I shot these in One Shot to eliminate any vibration that AI Servo might cause. I Enabled mirror lockup, and set a 10 second shutter delay so that I would not be touching the camera. The lens is a Canon 18-135 IS USM.

These were taken on a cloudy day at 5600K White balance. I shot these in Aperture Priority (Av) mode of f/7.1 and Auto ISO, so the shutter speed and ISO will vary between both sets. I should also tell you that these were taken in Live View.

I was looking for vertical and horizontal lines.

In each set, the first picture is with the lens IS set to on and the second picture is with lens IS turned off. I did not resize these pictures so that you could view them in original size.

Set# 1 Shot at 85mm from about 50 feet from the subject. The shutter speed came in at 1/125 and the ISO was 1250

Lens IS On

Lens IS off

Set# 2 Shot at 121mm from about 30 feet away. Te shutter speed came in at 1/250 and the ISO was 3200.

Lens IS On

Lens IS Off

What do you think?

Any appreciable difference?

Steve Thomas

stevet1 wrote:

Okay, so I took a couple of test shots to try this out.

...

What do you think?

Any appreciable difference?

Steve Thomas

Nah. I can't see any via 100% zoom on DPR.

I would be tempted to use a simpler and to compare subject. Maybe something like this focus pattern: https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/explora/sites/default/files/bandh-test-target.jpg

Print it out as large as possible, put it on a wall in a sheltered area (maybe your garage) and then shoot your tests in manual mode so everything else stays consistent. That way the only variable is IS.

For example, the difference between 1/250 and 1/125 of a second is 100%. If there was even a breath of breeze, it could make a difference.

Pick a particular spot in the printout, ideally near the center to avoid aberrations, and compare results.

BTW, here's the full article that image is from: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/tips-and-solutions/how-test-your-lens  It's an interesting read about testing lenses.

Digirame wrote:

For me, the second picture is sharper than the first. The third and fourth pictures are about the same...maybe the fourth picture is slightly sharper.

Dig,

To my surprise, and to my untrained eye, I think the images with the lens image stabilization turned off are deeper and richer then when the IS is turned on. I've looked them on both my computer laptop and on my tablet, which has a better resolution.

I was surprised.

Steve Thomas

Len Philpot wrote:

I would be tempted to use a simpler and to compare subject. Maybe something like this focus pattern: https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/explora/sites/default/files/bandh-test-target.jpg

For example, the difference between 1/250 and 1/125 of a second is 100%. If there was even a breath of breeze, it could make a difference.

Len,

You're right. This was not a perfectly controlled experiment.

I hadn't noticed it before, but in the first set of pictures, the settings went from 1/125 and ISO 1250 to 1/160 and ISO 1600.

I don't know why. I must have shifted the camera slightly when I turned the IS switch off.

You're right. I should have done this in manual and locked down the exposure.

In picture# 1, I think my focus was on the field between the two trees, and in picture# 2, it was on the tree to the left.

*sigh*

Steve Thomas

stevet1 wrote:

Len Philpot wrote:

I would be tempted to use a simpler and to compare subject. Maybe something like this focus pattern: https://static.bhphotovideo.com/explora/explora/sites/default/files/bandh-test-target.jpg

For example, the difference between 1/250 and 1/125 of a second is 100%. If there was even a breath of breeze, it could make a difference.

Len,

You're right. This was not a perfectly controlled experiment.

I hadn't noticed it before, but in the first set of pictures, the settings went from 1/125 and ISO 1250 to 1/160 and ISO 1600.

I don't know why. I must have shifted the camera slightly when I turned the IS switch off.

You're right. I should have done this in manual and locked down the exposure.

In picture# 1, I think my focus was on the field between the two trees, and in picture# 2, it was on the tree to the left.

*sigh*

Steve Thomas

Hi Steve, I am affraid you are comparing apples to oranges. Testing on a grass in breeze and speaking about Christmas pics with your shy better half…

If you want to test the IS (side) effects, use the wall clock face instead.

IS on or off on tripod nowadays doesn’t matter, but what’s the goal, how we could help?
Friendly, guinness

guinness2 wrote:

IS on or off on tripod nowadays doesn’t matter, but what’s the goal, how we could help?
Friendly, guinness

Hi guiness,

Thanks.

I guess I'm just trying to come to grips with using a tripod. I haven't used one very much up to this point.

I was reading about something else earlier today, and ran across this line:

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EF-S-18-135mm-f-3.5-5.6-IS-USM-Lens.aspx

“If the camera is held very still (nearly tripod-steady such as when braced against something stationary), some framing drift can be seen. That is reason alone to turn IS off when shooting from a tripod.”

I have never heard of "framing drift" before.

My goal is to take a portrait photo that includes myself and another person. I need to set the shutter delay so that I can run back and stand in the picture, or use remote control shooting using either a wireless remote, or a phone or tablet via Wi-Fi.

Steve Thomas

stevet1 wrote:

I guess I'm just trying to come to grips with using a tripod. I haven't used one very much up to this point.

For what it's worth (which may not be much!), I look at it this way...

The IS mechanism in a lens (and presumably IBIS as well, but I have no IBIS camera) is fundamentally a "loose" link between the optics and lens body, and ultimately, the sensor as well. It's a gyro mechanism that allows the optical train to "float", gyro-stabilized, while the lens moves around it, as it were. That means any relative movement is slowed down (although not eliminated) so it can be more accurately captured by longer shutter speeds (typically at longer / darker focal lengths). So effectively the optical train isn't "hard-locked' to the lens body nor therefore, to the camera / sensor.

When the camera is on a tripod, having IS enabled means there's no longer a "hard lock" between the stability of the tripod and the optical train. In that case IS is allowing "float" to happen, which IMO isn't a good thing. So instead of actually improving IQ by reducing movement, it can degrade IQ by creating it instead.

At least, that's the old-time logic. Maybe newer lenses can sense there's no motion in the ocean, so to speak, and hard-lock automatically. But why risk it? Your tripod is presumably steady so let it do its job.