topic image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II in EF & RF Lenses

image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

madencbm — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 21:49:36 GMT

How do I tell if IS is working on my 500mm f4 IS II. I cannot hear any sound from the lens when IS is turned on. I have tried using live view while hand holding to see if image stabilizes shaking but nothing happens.

Thanks in advance.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

diverhank — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 22:43:21 GMT

IS is only activated briefly just before the picture is taken - in another word when the shutter is half-depressed. You should hear the whine even though for the 500 II, it would be pretty quiet for Mode 1 and 2. I doubt if you will see a picture shift because it will be very subtle - the lens had this feature improved so you won't see it as much.

Not sure you will even hear Mode 3 which is supposed to activate only when the exposure is made (shutter fully depressed).

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

madencbm — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 22:50:37 GMT

Thanks. I finally put my ear right up to the lens and could just barely hear IS sound.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

kvbarkley — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 00:45:01 GMT

Actually with a 500 mm lens it is very obvious when IS is working, just focus on something, note the amount of shake in the image and then press the shutter half way, it should snap in and obviously stop shaking.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

RobertTheFat — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 11:52:25 GMT

@kvbarkley wrote:
Actually with a 500 mm lens it is very obvious when IS is working, just focus on something, note the amount of shake in the image and then press the shutter half way, it should snap in and obviously stop shaking.

Which illustrates the advantage, in a DSLR at least, of in-lens over in-camera IS. With the latter, the correction would be applied at the sensir and would not affect the image presented in the viewfinder.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

ebiggs1 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 13:51:03 GMT

"How do I tell if IS is working on my 500mm f4 IS II."

This is a lens I don't own and have only rented. But each one was extremely quite and it is difficult to hear the IS. I never noticed any movement in the view finder either. This is a wonderful lens.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

madencbm — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 15:50:01 GMT

I can hear IS but there is definitely no 'snap in and stop shaking' effect. There seems to be two camps with one saying I should see shaking stop and the other says it may not be noticable at all. Maybe this was true for the 500mm version I and not lomger true for version II? I need to clear this up so I can be sure IS is working.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

kvbarkley — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:02:42 GMT

As stated above: Make sure you are in Mode 1. Mode 3 only works when you take the picture.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

Waddizzle — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:05:10 GMT

@madencbm wrote:
I can hear IS but there is definitely no 'snap in and stop shaking' effect. There seems to be two camps with one saying I should see shaking stop and the other says it may not be noticable at all. Maybe this was true for the 500mm version I and not lomger true for version II? I need to clear this up so I can be sure IS is working.

Try turning it off for a spell, and take some handheld pictures. Then turn it back on, take some more similar pictures. Compare.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

diverhank — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 16:26:48 GMT

@madencbm wrote:
I can hear IS but there is definitely no 'snap in and stop shaking' effect. There seems to be two camps with one saying I should see shaking stop and the other says it may not be noticable at all. Maybe this was true for the 500mm version I and not lomger true for version II? I need to clear this up so I can be sure IS is working.

You can never see shake and stop on Canon L lenses IS...if you can see it, something is wrong. The most you will hear is the motor whining very gently. I have a Tamron 150-600mm and the VC (their version of IS) when activated you will see big jump as kvbarkley described but I never see that in any of my Canon L lenses that have IS. The Tamron VC is not in the same league as the Canon IS especially for moving objects. I turn off VC on that lens 99% of the time.

I know you want to find out if the IS on your lens is working or not...we all do for our lenses :). Since the 500mm f/4L II is totally handholdable, I'd try taking pictures of something at low speed like 1/100 or 1/200 (or some lower speed depending on how good you are with not shaking) with and without IS and compare the images. You should see a big difference between the two.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

ebiggs1 — Wed, 08 Jun 2016 22:45:02 GMT

"You can never see shake and stop on Canon L lenses IS...if you can see it, something is wrong."

Absolutely correct. The ef 500mm f4L is an amazing lens. I would bet you the IS is working just fine. Unless it is a used lens and was severely abused. Which is hard to do I might add.

BTW, my Siggy 150-600mm pair and the Tamron 150-600mm don't jump any real noticeable amount either. The Sigma S is also very quiet and very quick to AF. Two of the three Sigma 150-500mm lenses I had jumped so bad it would jump a hummingbird clear out of the frame. The third one, which I currently still have, is fine.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

kvbarkley — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 01:52:10 GMT

Maybe I am a nervous nellie, but with my EF 70-300 and Tamron 150-600 it is really obvious when the IS starts working when I press the shutter half way. There is no jump, but the image definitely stabilizes.

I can't speak for L lenses.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

Waddizzle — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 11:50:10 GMT

"I can't speak for L lenses.L

I can. La-La-Love it.

The first thing I noticed about my EF 24-105 f/4L [EDIT: my first "L"] was the lack of CA, like purple/green fringing, and most particularly when the lenses are slightly out of focus, as in "soft focus". I have a Rokinon 85mm T1.5 Cine Lens that shows fringing when it is just slightly out of focus, which all but disappears when you nail the focus.

My T5 kit lens, the EF 70-300mm, shows fringing at any focus. In fact, it only gets worse when you soft focus. Fringing comes from different light frequencies being bent at different angles. When the different frequencies are aligned, the image is focused. Some lenses seemingly do not align the light frequencies when the lens is defocused slightly, as well as they would when the lens is focused.

But, my "L" lenses have never shown any sort of CA yet, not at any focus setting.

Re: image stabilization 500mm f4 IS II

kvbarkley — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 12:58:28 GMT

Nice, but this has nothing to do with the OP.

@Waddizzle wrote:
"I can't speak for L lenses.L

I can. La-La-Love it.

But, my "L" lenses have never shown any sort of CA yet, not at any focus setting.