topic Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod? in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

stevet1 — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 14:46:00 GMT

I am asking this just out of curiosity.

I don't own a camera that has IBIS.

I have read many people who recommend that you should turn off the image stabilization on your lens when using a tripod.

What do people say about cameras that have IBIS?

Steve Thomas

Re: IBIS and a tripod

Waddizzle — Sun, 04 Feb 2024 12:14:16 GMT

You should disable Image Stabilization when using a tripod.

Some combinations of high performance DSLR camera bodies and EF lenses will do it automatically, regardless of the swith settings on the lens. I would expect this to also be the case with R series bodes and RF lenses.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tronhard — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 17:13:26 GMT

So far, from my own limited experience, I have not bothered to turn off IBIS in my R-series bodies and seen no problems. I am using R5, R6 and R6II units with 14-35L, 24-105L, 100-500L, 24-240 RF lenses, I also shot, using the EF-RF adapter with the following EF lenses: 24-105L, 70-200LMkII f/4, 70-300L, 100-400LMkII and the Sigma 60-600s. I cannot answer for other body/lens combinations.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

FloridaDrafter — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:40:19 GMT

My experience has been the same as Trevor's, I just don't bother to turn IS off on the lens. But I did the same with my DSLR's. I use L glass, so as Waddizzle mentioned, it may be being taken care of in the lens.

Newton

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

jrhoffman75 — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 19:52:13 GMT

The R5 has an IBIS High Resolution Shooting mode and the manual says to mount camera on a sturdy tripod. It is IBIS only and disables IS mode.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Waddizzle — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 20:38:31 GMT

@jrhoffman75 wrote:
The R5 has an IBIS High Resolution Shooting mode and the manual says to mount camera on a sturdy tripod. It is IBIS only and disables IS mode.

I would suspect the R3 might do something similar. It would be consistent with how the high end DSLRs worked with certain high performance lenses.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

FloridaDrafter — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:18:41 GMT

@jrhoffman75 wrote:
The R5 has an IBIS High Resolution Shooting mode and the manual says to mount camera on a sturdy tripod. It is IBIS only and disables IS mode.

That's referred to as "pixel shifting" and I can totally see why ILS would be disabled when using it. The sensor is shifted to 9 different positions using IBIS tech to take the shot, so there can't be any chance of interruption/movement during recording of the image, including your subject.

Newton

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

stevet1 — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:23:27 GMT

If high-end cameras automatically disable IBIS when mounted on a tripod, doesn't that suggest that you should manually disable IBIS when using lower-end models?

Steve Thomas

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tintype_18 — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:25:32 GMT

I don't recall disabling IS at any time on my T7.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tronhard — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:26:11 GMT

Lower end models don't have IBIS. The camera that I think lies in a grey area is the R7 which has a less sophisticated form of IBIS. Canon Japan have apparently said as much.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tronhard — Tue, 06 Feb 2024 21:28:49 GMT

John your T7, like every other DSLR did not have IBIS, which seems to be the specific subject of this debate. The other form of image stabilization Optical Image Stabilization, is a function of the lens, which in Canon's case is called IS and is indicated as part of the lens model. In that context, lower-end and older lenses came with suggestions to turn it off when on a tripod. Most later L series lenses did not require that.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

normadel — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:08:01 GMT

Having image stabilization on when on a tripod doesn't HURT anything. It DOES save some battery power by turning it off, because the lens/camera isn't going through the motions when it doesn't need to.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tronhard — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:49:01 GMT

Mmmm. I would say that depends whether you are taking of IBIS or OIS. There are cases where some kinds of image stabilization in earlier camera models of lens that caused them to vibrate to compensate for its own IS, thus causing harmonics that created image issues. I had to deal with that once with a client.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

FloridaDrafter — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:19:08 GMT

@stevet1 wrote:
If high-end cameras automatically disable IBIS when mounted on a tripod, doesn't that suggest that you should manually disable IBIS when using lower-end models?

As far as I can tell, none of the R's I have disable IBIS when on a tripod or when the camera is stationary, like on a sandbag, table, etc. When I'm on a tripod, the "shaky hand" icon stays ON unless you turn the lens IS to OFF. Now, what the camera is thinking when all of its motion sensors get involved, I don't know, but I haven't seen any literature that claims IBIS is auto disabled when the camera is stationary. You would think that if IBIS was disabled, the shaky hand icon would show as being OFF. The icon either has a + or OFF beside it. Of course, Canon sometimes doesn't do things like I would expect 🤔 😁

Newton

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

Tronhard — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 00:21:50 GMT

My experience and logic (to me) suggests that the IBIS feature, as such, is not turned of, but it is smart enough to be able to realize it is on a stable surface.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

normadel — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:27:24 GMT

I don't get what you are saying. What is being compensated for when a camera/lens is perfectly still?

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

rs-eos — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:31:15 GMT

You cannot make such a general statement. Having IS enabled when on a tripod can indeed lead to issues. It will depend upon what camera/lens you currently have and the level of sophistication of its IS system.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

jrhoffman75 — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 14:31:29 GMT

The early versions of IS were “looking” for motion to compensate for. When on a tripod without motion the mechanism itself started moving. Later versions were improved and were able to sense that the lens was not moving and the system didn’t try to function.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

normadel — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 15:08:20 GMT

Reading several articles on this subject by folks who have TESTED the idea that IS should always be off on a tripod, leads one to this conclusion.....It depends on a lot of variables. How solid is the tripod. How long is the exposure. How long is the lens. Is there micromovement/vibration introduced to the tripod. More.

Perhaps there is a Canon (since we are all Canonites) engineer or tech person who can discuss how different ages/types of Canon lenses and cameras react (or not) when IS is on and camera is still.

Re: Should you turn off IBIS when using a tripod?

stevet1 — Wed, 07 Feb 2024 17:25:09 GMT

I was always sceptical of the idea that I needed to turn off the lens image stabilization when my camera was on a tripod.

Then, one day, I decided to test it. I was surprised to see that my picture actually did look better when the IS was turned off. I was using a 55-250 IS STM lens, I think.

In my original question, I asked how people who have in-body IS handled this. In my current situation, I don't have this feature, so I was just curious.

Steve Thomas