Image Stableisation and Tripods

chilliz

chilliz

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Just a bit of info really. :)

I have many people say that you should turn off the IS when using a tripod, I have never turned off the IS and never had a problem, and the some time ago I was just flicking through the manual for my lenses and it stated that you do not need to switch off the IS. What do others do?
 
I'm probably geting it all wrong, but surely the idea of IS just reduces camera shake for longer handheld exposure. However if mounted on a tripod you won't get camera shake.

So your just slightly wasting the battery technically.
 
Crazy Dino said:
I'm probably geting it all wrong, but surely the idea of IS just reduces camera shake for longer handheld exposure. However if mounted on a tripod you won't get camera shake.

So your just slightly wasting the battery technically.
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I suppose you are, hardly a huge issue though is it. :)
 
You have to define what you mean by "on a tripod"

If you mean with the head locked off and using a remote release, then Canon lenses detect that there's no movement and disable IS anyway. I'd be surprised if Nikon wasn't similar.

Using a gimbal head though, where you have hold of the camera all the while, I always leave IS on as the system detects enough movement through your hands for the IS to function. If you doubt this try holding the camera as steady as you can on a gimbal head and you'll see a very slight tremor of the image in the viewfinder. As soon as you half press the shutter button and IS kicks in you'll see the viewfinder image go rock steady.
 
As CT says, but not all Canon lenses have tripod-sensing.

I recently read something about this from Chuck Westfall, official Canon guru, which lead me to do some tests. I concluded that with lenses that have tripod-sensing IS, ie most new Canon lenses, leave IS on (or maybe turn it off just to save battery power).

But with lenses that do not have tripod sensing (the instrutcion manual will clearly state to turn IS off if it does not) such as the current Canon 100-400L which has one of the oldest IS systems, with faster shutter speeds down to say 1/30sec (very rough guide) you might be better with IS left on, or turned off - it depends. But with longer speeds, definitely turn it off.

Chuck Westfall said that when the camera is locked down solid, you can get a feedback loop between the IS sensors and the motors. When I look through my 100-400L lens, at 400mm in live view and 10x max magnification enabled, with IS on the image drifts about very slightly and occasionally twitches. You can see it when it's set as above, due to the massive viewing magnification - it's pretty much invisible otherwise. But if you then make a long exposure, say a second or two with IS on and then off, the image with IS off is much sharper. Every test shot I took at longer speeds with IS on showed a directional blur that was clearly IS related, and one or two exposures had a slight double-image as the system twitched.

On the other hand, if you shoot at faster shutter speeds the IS will try to eliminate tiny movements like mirror slap and there may be a net benefit to leaving the IS on. This has been my experience in the past, but now I have looked into it a little more, I have to say that the decision to switch it on or off, with that particular lens and probably therefore other older IS designs, is not so clear cut. I guess that if in doubt, do as Canon says and turn it off.

I also did the same check with my 17-55 2.8 IS and 70-200L 4 IS Canon lenses, both of which have the latest tripod-sensing IS systems, and there was no difference in sharpness regardless of shutter speed with IS on or off.
 
Crazy Dino said:
I'm probably geting it all wrong, but surely the idea of IS just reduces camera shake for longer handheld exposure. However if mounted on a tripod you won't get camera shake.

So your just slightly wasting the battery technically.
Click to expand...
Depends on your focal length. Once you are up in to the 400mm + range, using IS/VR will allow you to get sharper results, even when using a tripod. The image can 'drift' a little at times but generally speaking it always helps.

Basically from my experience:
IS/VR on short focal lengths = only worth using when hand holding. Of no help when locked down on tripod

On long focal lengths = always helps when I am touching the lens/camera to take the shots as I introduce camera shake (at high magnification on a gimbal you can't really help it) so the IS/VR counters that. If I am NOT touching the camera at high focal lengths because I want a really slow shutter speed and am using a remote trigger, I will not use IS, but instead mirror lock up.

Best thing to do, if you are in doubt as to when it helps. Go out and have a play. Then you'll find what settings and results work best for you.
 
Here's the published info that Richard (HoppyUK) alludes to above

....virtually all Canon Image Stabilizer lenses except the now-discontinued original 1995 EF75-300mm IS model have some degree of tripod-sensing. In most cases, what that means is that when the lens senses that it's completely steady, it effectively prevents the IS mechanism from moving. With typical IS lenses like the EF70-200mm f/4L IS USM or EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM, that’s about as far as it goes. In other words, the IS mechanism doesn’t move when the lens is mounted on a tripod, but by the same token, it doesn’t compensate for other sources of vibration such as the slap of the camera’s reflex mirror prior to the beginning of an exposure. As I mentioned in an earlier edition of Tech Tips, I recommend shutting off the IS mechanism when using these lenses on a tripod in order to save battery power, and also to lock and center the IS mechanism.

However, there is a group of high-end Canon lenses that actually does compensate for mirror slap during tripod use. This list currently includes the EF200mm f/2L IS USM, EF300mm f/2.8L IS USM, EF400mm f/2.8L IS USM, EF400mm f/4 DO IS USM, EF500mm f/4L IS USM, EF600mm f/4L IS USM, and EF800mm f/5.6L IS USM. With these lenses, it's usually a good idea to leave IS on for long exposures on a tripod unless you plan on locking the mirror prior to exposure.

Bob
 
The instructions with my 70/200 f2.8L IS categorically states IS should be turned off whilst using it on a tripod
 
Bobby Canon said:
The instructions with my 70/200 f2.8L IS categorically states IS should be turned off whilst using it on a tripod
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Which makes sense, as 70-200mm isn't really a long enough focal length to benifit from IS when mounted to a tripod. You won't really get any wobble through the view finder at 200mm so there will be very little for the IS to work with, in which case it will more than likely introduce it's own 'wobble' as it tries to work out what to do and moves around regardless.

I think the easiest way to determine when to turn IS on is this...if there is vibration/wobble/shake in the viewfinder whilst you are looking through it then you need to turn IS on - regardless of being tripod mounted or not. If there is not, you do not.
 
Nicely put Richard, although if you see vibration through the viewfinder whilst tripod mounted, I suspect you should be looking for a new tripod, unless of course you are shooting in a hurricane :)
 
Bobby Canon said:
Nicely put Richard, although if you see vibration through the viewfinder whilst tripod mounted, I suspect you should be looking for a new tripod, unless of course you are shooting in a hurricane :)
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lol. again, it all comes down to focal length and if you are taking photos remotely or by physically touching the camera. If I've got a 1.4x on the 600mm using the D300, you'd be amazed at how easy it can be to get shake once you are touching it all and ready to shoot...long lens technique needs to be very good. And that's using a Gitzo GT5541LS tripod.
 
If you google it, there is a lot of talk about IS and tripods, particularly concerning the Canon 100-400L, probably because it is so popular but also has one of the oldest IS systems currently in use.

A lot of the information is confusing too (a bit like my post above :D ). Such as does this lens have tripod sensing, or partial tripod sensing, or not? And when you should turn IS off, or not. There doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rule. Some more reading here, including a bit more from Chuck Westfall I think (even though he's not credited) http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/f.../8254-use-canon-100-400l-lens-and-tripod.html

Checking my own 100-400L (about two years old) when the IS is first switched on it moves about a lot, easily visible, for about one second. Then it settles down but there is still quite a lot of movement for another five seconds. If the camera is then absolutely still, there is very little movement from the IS mechanism but there is some, plus the occasional slight twitch. For long exposures, definitely turn it off.

For higher shutter speeds with a tripod, the IS is sometimes a benefit, sometimes not. I think CT's suggestion above is probably a good rule of thumb - if you have your hand on the camera for whatever reason, use IS; if you don't, switch it off. Of course, if your lens does have tripod sensing, it will look after itself automatically.

Edit: Chuck Westfall writes a very good monthly column on technical Canon stuff, here http://digitaljournalist.org/issue0912/tech-tips.html
 
The only time I've had corrupted images is using the 100-400L on a tripod with the head locked and using a remote release. The corruption took the form of horizontal banding rather like venetian blinds. I've never had any problems though using the 100-400L on a gimbal with hands on the camera, so as Hoppy says I'm sure it's down to the early IS system in the lens.
 
CT said:
The only time I've had corrupted images is using the 100-400L on a tripod with the head locked and using a remote release. The corruption took the form of horizontal banding rather like venetian blinds. I've never had any problems though using the 100-400L on a gimbal with hands on the camera.
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Absolutely as expected. There is some good advice and evidence to back it up on this thread, should be helping those out there that are not sure about IS/VR :thumbs:
 
CT said:
The only time I've had corrupted images is using the 100-400L on a tripod with the head locked and using a remote release. The corruption took the form of horizontal banding rather like venetian blinds. I've never had any problems though using the 100-400L on a gimbal with hands on the camera, so as Hoppy says I'm sure it's down to the early IS system in the lens.
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The 100-400L is worked around a slightly different concept to all the other IS lenses. The IS group and actuators in this lens are close to the front element whilst all other lenses have the group and mechanism just ahead of the body mount. This means that the movements to effect the stabilisation are far greater and more likely to cause issues if the group is moving when it should be static.....it also is the probable cause of the reported higher failure rate of the IS portion of the 100-400 when compared to other lenses (it can also be attributed to the "pump" part of the lens moving out quickly when held vertically).

Bob
 
Canon Bob said:
(it can also be attributed to the "pump" part of the lens moving out quickly when held vertically).

Bob
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Indeed Bob -that slide hits the stops with a sickening whack if you tilt the camera down and forget to tighten up. :eek:
 
I find it quite amusing that Tamron are currently giving away a free tripod with their STABILISED 18-270mm lens.
 
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