Image stabilization - is it worth it?

BobaPhil

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Sorry about the other thread, I see there is someone having a similar problem.

But, I do want a new lens and I'm looking at something as a good all rounder, like an 18-200mm. I'm on a tight budget, so I'd like to buy something that will last, so if it means saving up a bit, I don't mind the wait.

Now, the Canon version is about £300, the Sigma about £175 and the Tameron about £100. Both the Canon and Sigma have image stabilization, which would be handy, I like to take photos on the go (and a tripod for better work). The Tameron doesn't have it.

If I want something to keep for a while, is it worth saving and getting either the Sigma or maybe the Canon? Does image stabilization really make a difference?
 
On a slowish lens like this with a big range stabilization in my opinion is wworth the extra. I would however recommend getting the 18-55mm is kit Lens and the 55-250mm IS pair of lenses instead of the all in one
 
The IS does at the longer + slower end, yes, when handholding (dont use it with a tripod, causes issues) - I have issues with my 300mm lens, and tried a 300 with IS and it allowed me to achieve 1 or 2 levels faster shutter speed.

The 18-55mm kit lens is excellent btw, I use that 80% of the time, and the 150-300 the other 20%.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.

My reasoning was, with an 18-200 I don't have to swap the lenses around, I'll not need to take a bag with me all the time...I can go out for a day with the misses and just have the one camera/lens.

I find, at the moment, the 18-55 I have just doesn't have the zoom, it really bugs me, so I wanted something, well, for zooming more.

Also, sorry to ask (but we all have to learn) what do you mean by 'slow lens'?
 
Aperture size is how a lens is rated fast or slow. The smaller the aperture number the bigger the aperture opens up relative to length. The bigger the aperture the more light allowed in allowing faster shutter speed. Those lenses you mention are all about f4-5.6 which means the aperture gets smaller as you zoom. Some prime lenses like the EF50mm f1.8 leaves loads of light in and is classes as a fast lens
 
As in it doesnt suppoer a particuarly large (small f number) apature. This makes it slow, as the smaller (larger f number) the apature, the slower the shutter speed has to be to expose it..

I.e a f/1.8 lens is excellent in low light, and allows for a fast shutter speed. A cheap 200mm zoom lens will be something like f/5.6 at its full extension, which means you will need to shoot at a slow shutter speed. For such a lens at full extension, anything less than say 1/250 may show camera shake, which means it will be quite useless unless conditions are optimal.

Thats why pro "L" glass costs more, its faster.
 
There are two common causes for blur in a photo with relation to movement

1) Blur caused by the movement of the subject.

2) Blur caused by the movement of the camera itself.

The former is the domain of the shutter speed and the flash light. A faster shutter speed will counter the faster motion and thus render a sharp shot; meanwhile if you're shooting with flash light being dominant (ergo without it you'd get a black shot) then that will also help to freeze motion even though at high powers a flash will force your max shutter speed to around 1/200sec or 1/250sec

The latter is handshake blur; this is the domain of good holding technique and shooting posture. There is also the rough rule of the minimum shutter speed for a sharp shot when hand held being 1/focal length (so at 200mm you should get a sharp shot at 1/200sec or faster). Note that this doesn't factor in fatigue and assumes good posture. Some people will be able to shoot slower and others will need it a touch faster.

IS/OS/VR counters the handshake and can allow you a smoother shot at slower shutter speeds. It only counters the motion of the camera though; it has no effect on the subject and thus if your shutter speed is too slow for action it will still cause blur.

IS/OS/VR also, I find, offer a bonus to smoothing the viewfinder image when tracking a moving subject. This can help keep a focus lock on a subject even if your shutter speed is fast enough for a sharp shot.



Modern IS/OS/VR has built in detectors for disabling itself when on a tripod - I don't use them, I prefer to switch it off if its not needed; since detection does not always work and if the camera is too stable the IS/OS/VR will create its own blurring effect.
 
Wow, again, thanks. I think I'll have to read through it a couple more times to fully understand it, but I did get what you're saying.
 
Yes. Unless you ONLY shoot moving subjects (can't think of anybody who would.... pro racecar photographer??), IS is massively useful, at any aperture or focal length, because it extends your low light capabilities by 3 stops or sometimes more, no matter what your previous limits of your range were.

Even an f/2 lens can still shoot in 8x dimmer light for still subjects with image stabilization than it can without.

Whether it is worth the higher price tag? Harder to say. Depends how much money you make, etc. But yes, you will use it and it will actually matter on maybe 1/3 or more of normal walkaround shots. +/- % of shots where it matters for more specialized photography.
 
I use a few IS lenses for video. A somewhat steady hand and a IS lens can result in very steady handheld video.
 
I can see I'll still need to do some more homework on this, which is fine, coz it'll give me time to save up.
 
Image Stabilization is just another tool in you photographic tool belt. Do you need it? Only you can decide. It is not some God of photography or a great savior of shots. IS is basiclly useful for only three situations.

1. Hand shake. It does nothing to freeze subject motion but can help if you are unsteady.
2. Low light hand held slow shutter speed photography.
3. Hand held panning of moving subjects.

If you have need of a IS in a lens because of one of those reasons then IS is a tool you might want to have in your tool box. If not, then there is no reason to spend the extra money that IS costs if you can get the same quality lens without IS. Buying a $500 hammer when you a an electrician and are only going to driver 2 or 3 nails a year is probably not worth the money. If however you are a framer, then a $500 hammer makes good sense.

I have several IS lenses that I never use the IS on. That is because they only come available with IS or the best optical quality version happens to be the IS version. I can count on one hand the number of times I have actually used the IS function because I don't need it. I either have sufficiently high shutter speed so it is not needed or i am using support in terms of a Tripod or Monopod.

One of the concerns I see in what you are looking for is the range you would like to have with the lens you get. Keep in mind that a zoom lens always is a compromise. The wider the zoom range the more compromise you will have to endure, usually in terms of image quality. You might want to consider two smaller range zooms over time than one wide range zoom. Just something to consider.
 
IS is super-helpful when you shoot in the wind, like say at windsurfing events, or at the seashsore where gusting winds are the norm on many days. It is also useful when shooting from moving boats, or boats on ocean or other wavy bodies of water, like say The Strait of Juan de Fuca or the open ocean, where there is a LOT of irregular and basically impossible-to-predict movement due to wave or wind-and-wave motion. IS is useful when you do a lot of slow-speed panning, since it can cancel out the up-and-down movement. It's also useful when you are shooting when you might be tired, or somewhat out of breath. It's also useful when you want to shoot hand-held stopped down to smallish f/stops, to get good depth of field, without needing a tripod.
 
So you bringing your boat down so I can try it out with my 400 f2.8L II :D
 
IS is super-helpful when you shoot in the wind, like say at windsurfing events, or at the seashsore where gusting winds are the norm on many days. It is also useful when shooting from moving boats, or boats on ocean or other wavy bodies of water, like say The Strait of Juan de Fuca or the open ocean, where there is a LOT of irregular and basically impossible-to-predict movement due to wave or wind-and-wave motion. IS is useful when you do a lot of slow-speed panning, since it can cancel out the up-and-down movement. It's also useful when you are shooting when you might be tired, or somewhat out of breath. It's also useful when you want to shoot hand-held stopped down to smallish f/stops, to get good depth of field, without needing a tripod.

In other words, it's hugely useful. Buy it if you can.
 

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