How important is having an IBIS camera if you use already use IS lenses?

[David Kay]

I am newer to digital photography, so I would appreciate your patience with me and my questions. My hands shake a little bit when holding objects. I am wondering if, considering my situation, I should rule out the x-T30, even if I use it with Fuji Lenses with Image Stabilization built into them. Is that enough for me or do you feel I really must have a camera with it also built into the camera itself? For me and my slight shake, is in in-camera image stabilization, nice to have or a must have? I can currently afford the X-T30 and would like to get it, but if you advise me that, because of my minor shaking, I really should wait until I can afford the likes of the X-T4, that would be good to know. Thank you, in advance for sharing your time and expertise.

 

[Grandpa Ron]

Have you tried a monopole or a tripod?

 

[Derrel]

Either type of stabilization would be nice. If I had my druthers, I would prefer it in the body, But that is not possible with many brands.

 

[Designer]

Is that enough for me or do you feel I really must have a camera with it also built into the camera itself?

You really don't want both in the same setup. The lens stabilization will be working against the body stabilization.

Just get the system you are most comfortable with. Also, practice some good hand-holding techniques.

Also, whenever you mount the camera on a tripod, you need to switch off the stabilization mechanism. Turn it back on for hand holding.

 

[TWX]

Honestly before you go crazy on one type versus the other type of image stabilization and eliminating brands or cameras based on it, you should probably handle some cameras in a store. The weight, size, and general ergonomics of a camera and lens will have a lot to do with comfort and ease using it, and you might find that the physical size and weight affects hand shake, and the particular ergonomics of the body itself affect how tightly you can comfortably grip the camera.

Just comparing the two modern cameras I own, the Canon 77D and the M100, one has a very large right-hand grip that I wrap my fingers around with lots of swoopy curves, while the other is basically flat and hard-edged. For me, I much prefer the 77D, as the combination of size, shape, and weight makes for a good experience lining up the camera. The M100 is great as a pocket camera with the pancake 22mm lens, but it's not exactly a joy to handle.

 

[Derrel]

There are plenty of stabilized lenses...the 70-200, 70-300, and 80-400 and 150-500, 150-600 Are probably the lenses that benefit the most From stabilization.The longer focal lengths are where stabilization makes a regular impact.

 

[ac12]

Is that enough for me or do you feel I really must have a camera with it also built into the camera itself?

You really don't want both in the same setup. The lens stabilization will be working against the body stabilization.

Not if they are designed together.
Panasonic and Olympus both have dual IS (IBIS + OIS), and they work together.

 

[dunfly]

I have had tremors also so camera shake can be a real issue with me. I don't think whether the IS is in the body or in the lens really matters as long has you have an effective one. More important is proper holding techniques and shutter speed. I usually have to shoot slightly higher shutter speed when hand held, but have learned to hold the camera properly and brace myself against something most of the time. Also, a monopod is no help unless you brace it against something stable and keep your hands off of it.

 

[Derrel]

You only need one or two stabilized lenses...but if your system has IBIS, then any lens you mount is stabilized...So there's that...newer system also use stabilization to help shoot better video.

 

[ac12]

I recall reading "someplace" that IBIS is generally good, but for LONG lenses in-lens OIS is better.
But I have no reference to back up this memory in the back of my head. So treat as an unconfirmed comment.

The neat thing about what @Derrel said, is with IBIS, you can stabilize OLD lenses.
Example the Nikon 500/8 mirror lens from the 1970s, does NOT have stabilization. But put it on a camera with IBIS, and it is now a stabilized lens.

I agree with @dunfly , technique and brace.
It also depends on HOW you shake. The monopod will stabilize on the vertical axis (up/down), but it will do nothing for either horizontal axis (front/back and left/right).
Back to technique. In fact, if you are not careful in how you use the monopod, a monopod can make the horizontal shaking worse, because you are balancing everything on a single point. Been there, done that.

 

[ac12]

Is that enough for me or do you feel I really must have a camera with it also built into the camera itself?

You really don't want both in the same setup. The lens stabilization will be working against the body stabilization.

Not if they are designed together.
Panasonic and Olympus both have dual IS (IBIS + OIS), and they work together.

To clarify this statement.
The IS of the camera and lens of the dual IS has to be designed to work together.
Example, while Olympus and Panasonic share the same m4/3 mount, dual IS (Panasonic) and Sync IS (Olympus), will ONLY work when the SAME brand camera+lens is used. IOW dual/sync IS will NOT work with a Panasonic lens on an Olympus camera. Too bad the m4/3 standard did not extend to IS.

So will the VR on a Tamron VR lens work on a Z6 with IBIS, and provide dual IS?
I doubt it. First the camera has to have dual IS capability, which the Z6 does not have, yet. So I think you have to choose one or the other, OIS or IBIS.

 

[Solarflare]

I dont have IBIS in my camera.

I dont have OIS in my lenses.

I still can photograph just fine. Some people act as if you cannot actually photograph without IBIS, and I'm making fun of those.

Good pictures are made in good light. Either you do them during the day, or you bring a flash (which often is useful during the day, too), or you bring a tripod (which again doesnt hurt during the day or while using flash).

Frankly people are just getting unbelievably lazy.

IBIS, meanwhile:
- can actually cost you IQ (so can OIS), if used inproperly
- will make your camera more expensive and bigger
- will be another thing that can break in your camera and will make it more complex and less reliable
- cannot actually be switched off (if its set to "off", it just holds the sensor actively in place, but its still active and wastes current)

So yeah, thats why I dont need IBIS, thank you very much.

Oh, and its great if you do handheld video. Not knocking that one at all. But I rarely if ever do video.

 

[TWX]

Good pictures are made in good light. Either you do them during the day, or you bring a flash (which often is useful during the day, too), or you bring a tripod (which again doesnt hurt during the day or while using flash).

What if you do not have any of these luxuries? When I took pictures of my newborn daughter in Labor and Delivery and later in the Maternity Ward I had no control over anything except the camera itself.

When I went to Organ Stop Pizza and took pictures of my family and of the place, I had no control over the lighting.

Canon EOS 77D, 35mm f/4.6 1/10th second ISO1600. Shot handheld, cropped and scaled for forum.

I'm kind of glad I took this picture, as the organist died a few months later, and I very much enjoyed his playing over the years. As the place was packed I could barely control where I got to sit, let alone the lighting, the subject, or the woman that wouldn't get out of the bloody way. If I had used flash I would have lost the ambiance of the setting plus I probably would've been told to put the camera away or leave.

For slow-moving or non-moving subjects in low light I like IS a lot. That doesn't mean it fixes horrible practices, but it does mean I can get just a little more out of the camera and lens than I might have been able to get. The above shot was 1/10th of a second, which was needed because the lens I had at the time wasn't particularly fast, and even if I'd had a fast lens I probably would have had to stop-down to get the rest of the scene into decent enough focus as well. Shooting handheld this was the only way to get the shot.

IS is also a way to sell equipment, especially if cameras or lenses have better IS than cell phones. If a complete novice not interested in "learning" photography can pick up a G9X Mk II or an RX100 VA and instantly get better pictures than with their phone then that's another sale, that's another bit of revenue for the company to use to develop their photographic technology in-general, such that they can continue to develop DSLRs, Mirrorless, lenses, etc. And anyone that wants to learn to take photos without it doesn't have to leave it enabled.

 

[BrentC]

My advice go to a camera store and hold cameras and take pictures. Olympus probably has the best in camera IS. Look at the EM5 or EM10

 

[ac12]

I dont have IBIS in my camera.

I dont have OIS in my lenses.

I still can photograph just fine. Some people act as if you cannot actually photograph without IBIS, and I'm making fun of those.

Good pictures are made in good light. Either you do them during the day, or you bring a flash (which often is useful during the day, too), or you bring a tripod (which again doesnt hurt during the day or while using flash).

Frankly people are just getting unbelievably lazy.

IBIS, meanwhile:
- can actually cost you IQ (so can OIS), if used inproperly
- will make your camera more expensive and bigger
- will be another thing that can break in your camera and will make it more complex and less reliable
- cannot actually be switched off (if its set to "off", it just holds the sensor actively in place, but its still active and wastes current)

So yeah, thats why I dont need IBIS, thank you very much.

Oh, and its great if you do handheld video. Not knocking that one at all. But I rarely if ever do video.

So I presume then that you only manually focus your lens (no auto focus), shoot only in manual exposure mode (no PSA), only use prime lenses (no zooms), and only shoot single shots (never use the continuous shutter)?

BTW, did you read the OP?

My hands shake a little bit when holding objects.
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