Video Image Stabilizing

[VidThreeNorth]

Stabilization for still photography can be thought of as fairly straight forward. All you need to do is achieve a single sharp frame. For video, even defining what "good" stabilizing includes is hard. Here are a couple of videos that look at stabilization for video. The tests themselves are designed to cover different issues, but both set of tests are useful.

"Who Has The Best Image Stabilization? GH5 vs X-T4 vs E-M1 III vs A6600",
posted Jul 21, 2020 by "imagingresource", [length 11:24]
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"X-T4 vs A7III vs Z6 - IBIS & Video Quality Comparison!",
posted Feb 29, 2020 by "Max Yuryev", [length 12:01]
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[VidThreeNorth]

Making Good IBIS

Imaging Resource goes to Olympus and shows what is inside their best IBIS system -- the OM-D EM-1 Mk III:

"INSIDE Image Stabilization: Olympus takes us on a geek’s tour of what makes IS work"
by Dave Etchills, posted July 29, 2020, by Imaging Resource
"INSIDE Image Stabilization: Olympus takes us on a geek’s tour of what makes IS work"

also, the video:

"The INSIDE story on Image Stabilization: Gyros and coils and magnets, oh my!",
posted Jul 29, 2020, by "imagingresource" [length 14:12]
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[VidThreeNorth]

Stabilizing Harmonic Vibration

I have run into "harmonic vibration" in a couple of common situations. The first, and I think the most obvious, is recording loud music.

"[UHD] 20170926 James Blonde - Cynical - Invictus Games Concerts"
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This video was recorded with a YiM1 with an Olympus 40-150 F4-5.6 lens on a monopod (Optex TM50). There is no stabilization in the body nor the lens. It was, however, stabilized in post. But this "problem" was baked-in when I recorded it.

It took me a while to figure out, but the drummers kick drum (bass drum), which was amplified through the PA was the problem. It caused my monopod to vibrate, and that in turn shook the camera and lens. It took me a while to figure out, and at first I muted the monopod with my left hand. But that meant I could not change the zoom or re-focus. So eventually (around the 1:50 point) I leaned my knee against the monopod, allowing me to use my left hand to control the lens again.


The problem occurred again with a different camera on the same monopod.

"20180714 Toronto JCCC KYOWA Daiko Shunen"
""

For this event, I was able to test my equipment (Canon R40 camcorder on the same Optex TM50 monopod) during the group's pre-show practice and I found the same problem. So I adjusted my technique.

Instead of using the monopod at full length, I collapsed it and put the end inside my pants waist on top of my belt buckle. Then I looked for a spot against a wall to brace myself. The shortened monopod had no problem with harmonic vibration and the Canon R40's lens based stabilization did the rest.

If I braced the monopod with my leg would the camcorder's stabilization handled the remaining vibrations? Probably not, but I did not have to find out. I understood the problem and avoided it. It helps that I passed my high school physics. Also, I have played musical instruments, though I would not call myself a "musician".
[2020-08-26 09:37 clarified]

[More to come later.]

 

[VidThreeNorth]

Stabilizing Harmonic Vibration Pt 2

The second source of harmonic vibration that I have run into is when I have mounted a camera on a tripod on a windy day. There have been two notable times this occurred. The first was the night I decided to record the moon:

"20190914 Harvest Moon Toronto"
""

This video was one of three sets that I attempted on one night, and it was the only successful one. At the time I recorded it, there was a strong enough wind to create a harmonic vibration which shook the tripod and camcorder enough making it obvious in the view screen. I had originally turned off the CX405's sensor-shift stabilization, but seeing the problem clearly, I turned it on. Either it would work, or I'd try to correct in post, or it was a wasted effort. I was pleased to find that the sensor-shift was adequate on its own and worked perfectly. There was no correction needed in post. What you see in the video is exactly as recorded, except for the start and stop, and the music.

If you look very closely, you will see a mild "pulsing" which is most likely the contrast-detect autofocus, and that is noticeable because the zoom is out to longest telephoto. This is the first time I had used full telephoto on this camcorder. Prior to this, I had used the Sony CX240, which I think used the same lens, but it was never as sharp as this CX405 at the far telephoto. So maybe that lens was not so bad after all. It might have been the result of using the old electronic stabilization.


Lastly, I ran into a similar problem recently with the Panasonic G85 and the 12-60mm F3.5-5.6 kit zoom and my newer tripod. In this case the wind was substantial and I even weighted it with a bag of stones. I don't know exactly, but I estimate I had a half pound attached. The result was a failure. All the takes were badly "jello'd" by the camera shake despite having full sensor-shift and in-lens stabilization active. I even tried the added electronic stabilization for video and that was not enough to correct the problem.

I have no samples to upload at this time. I might have something later.


Summary (for now):

The CIPA ratings for still photography are "better than nothing". They are the only formal measure of camera based stabilization we have. But clearly they do not tell the whole story. I don't even have to point out actual numbers for this conclusion.

From the Imaging Resource video we can see that although the Olympus usually tops the tests, the Panasonic was better for walking, and if you watch the Panasonic and Fuji tests, sometimes one is better than the other and sometimes it is reversed.

In Max Yuryev's test mainly the Fuji beat the Sony and the Nikon, but for the last test, the Sony was best at not adding "micro jitter".

In my experiences, the Sony CX405 camcorder was able to smooth out harmonic vibration completely, but in another instance the Panasonic G85 and kit zoom failed -- despite being about 3 or 4x as expensive. Could the Sony camcorder have worked in place of the Panasonic? I don't know. It was a different situation, but it does seem possible.

So cost, and reputation, and even CIPA ratings do not tell the whole story. The CIPA ratings do help when you are trying to decide on gear where you might not have anything else to base a choice on, but in the end, it helps to have some variety in your gear so you can try swapping out what is not working and see if you have a better option.