XA-25 Image Stabilization

[dedxa25]

Is there any way to have the image stabilization on all the time.  I'm using Powered IS.  I have the camera on a tripod at the top of an extended vertical column.  On high zoom shoots just touching the camera jiggles the image.  It's great when IS is on, wish it could always be on.  Is that possible?

Thanks for any help.

Don

[VideoGeek]

I'm not sure this will help but you can set an assignable button for Powered IS.  Instructions for this can be found on pages 64 and 97 of the manual:

http://gdlp01.c-wss.com/gds/9/0300011399/02/xa20-25-im2-n-en.pdf

Update:  After looking at the manual again it appears creating an assignable button will allow you to turn Powered IS on and off but not sure it will keep it on after the camera is shut down and restarted.

[dedxa25]

Thanks for your suggestion VideoGeek.  I have an assignable button for Powered IS.  I tried your suggestion of powering the camera down and back on, but no matter what I do the IS drops out after about 15 secs if the camera doesn't detect any movement.

My situation is this - When I have the camera at full zoom and the camera locked down on the tripod, and then unlock it to pan, the unlocking jiggles it enought to produce an annoying image until the IS comes back on.  IS does a great job when it's on, but it seems to take a lot of jiggling to get it to kick in.  I just wish there was a way to keep it on.  Any idea how I go about communicating this to Canon?

Thanks again.

Don

[VideoGeek]

Hopefully an official Canon rep will read this and pass it along to those who need to know.  Just out of curiosity does the camera get a lot of shake on the tripod if it is not locked down? 

[dedxa25]

No, it doesn't jiggle much when not locked down.  However, I need to lock it down now and then to relax my arm. I'm not using a video head with counter-balance and the camera is pointed down somewhat, as I am shooting from the balcony.   I'm using the camera to record and live-stream memorial services.  There are many times when I'm at full zoom when the pastor is standing at one location for a long time.  So, I want to lock the camera and later unlock it.  It's during the locking and unlocking that there is jiggling.

Thanks again for your help.

Don

[Mykolas · Accepted solution]

Hi dedxa25 and VideoGeek!

Thanks to both of you for posting.

After a period of time without detecting motion, the Image Stabilizer will stop.  There isn't a way I can find that permanently sets the Image Stabilizer to ON.  Since using Powered IS powers the Image Stabilizer for a short, but long enough time to make the transition, you could use the assigned button you have set to power the IS just before removing the camcorder from the tripod.

[dedxa25]

It looks like that will work
Thanks much!

Don

[ekner]

Hi,

I have to exact same issue with the Legria HF G30 (almost the same camera). Unfortunately, the powered IS doesn't really work for me. I've used the camera to record plays, standing at the back and zooming towards the stage. When I follow a person with the camera for a while, and then the person stops, the stabilizer shuts down automatically. In order to trigger it again as fast as possible, I have to shake the camera a bit. Using the powered IS to start the stabilization doesn't help when the stabilization has went of automatically.

My question is if there could be any firmware update released to fix this issue, as it’s very disturbing and obviously a manufacturing problem. Perhaps one could lower the threshold, or add a setting; something in terms of “turn off automatic hibernation of stabilization”.

//Gustav