Image Stabilizer?

[JerryPH]

Don't get me wrong, IS has it's place, but nothing beats good ol'e fashion photographic skills. One of them is knowing when to use a basic piece of equipment that any photographer should have.

I enjoy my tripods (I have 3 to date, and 2 monopods as well), but there are times that IS or VR are there and useful and tripods would either not be feasilble, useable or are simply not allowed, like:
- museums
- sporting events
- concert events
- anytime you need quick and easy mobility
- cramped environments

Having the option to choose is the ideal, I believe.

(love this post count... lol... 1,234 posts at the time I posted here )

 

[Socrates]

Lucky you! I wish something like that was built into my body as well! Then I would have IS with every camera i use, every gun I shoot, anything. Great!

Was the surgery painful?

:lmao:

 

[table1349]

I enjoy my tripods (I have 3 to date, and 2 monopods as well), but there are times that IS or VR are there and useful and tripods would either not be feasilble, useable or are simply not allowed, like:
- museums
- sporting events
- concert events
- anytime you need quick and easy mobility
- cramped environments

Having the option to choose is the ideal, I believe.

(love this post count... lol... 1,234 posts at the time I posted here )

Agreed, that is why I don't discount IS, but I find too many people think it is a catch all that they do not understand. Basiclly the newbie "I have IS so all is right with the world and every shot will be fine" thinking. With the explosion of Digital photography there are a multitude of people with cameras now that have no clue about basic skills.

- museums--- Tripod NO. Monopod usually ok.
- sporting events---IS is pretty much useless for sports. Monopod definately. I live with at least one on the sidelines often two depending on what big glass I am shooting.
- concert events----Yep unless you are trying to stop fast action on the stage.
- anytime you need quick and easy mobility---only when it's too dark to hand hold properly.
- cramped environments----again, only when it's too dark to hand hold properly.

I regularly practice shooting a local indoor waterfall/feature at 1/5th of a second and come away with dead on shots. It takes a lot of practice, but I can do it if I just absolutely have to. What I hate is finding myself in a position where I have to by lack of planning. Is is a good tool, and it does have it's place, but it is just that, a tool and needs to be used like any other tool. Right tool for the right job or never cut a board to length with a hammer.

 

[JerryPH]

Another point to make, is that though in-camera IS permits you to have IS with all your lenses, the level of effeciency is lower to that of in-lens IS.

So though you may have it on all lenses, its not the same level compared to IS built into the lens.

 

[shorty6049]

Lucky you! I wish something like that was built into my body as well! Then I would have IS with every camera i use, every gun I shoot, anything. Great!

Was the surgery painful?

haha, yeah, i have it built into mine too and love it. (same camera as erave)
@jerryPH-
That was the case, but with the current technology, i've heard that the image stabilization in the a700 is very close to, or even AS effective as lens based stabilization. and a WHOLE lot cheaper, so i'd take in-body over lens based ANY day.


on another note, I used a nikon 80-200 f/2.8 lens without stabilization and noticed that i couldnt get clear shots at higher shutter speeds than my a700 . This was probably partly because i wasnt used to such a heavy lens, but i wondered if VR would have helped me in that case

 

[JerryPH]

I sincerely do not think that I could have gotten this shot without VR. This was hand leld and in the crappy light of a poorly lit arena.

Certainly not uber sharp, but it was the first time actually using the lens hand held under challenging conditions. Next time I know how to do it better. VR (or IS), does make a difference!