EOS 90D - OS not working in OVF while working on the rear Display

[mideli]

Hello community,

I own 2 cameras: 760D and 90D.

I took the 90D as it is the last DSLR on market (good for people with sensitivity to PWM).

My issue:

When I use OS on any lens, it works on both cameras on the Rear LCD Display (settings 1, 2 and OFF, work as they should)

When I use OS on any lens, it works on the Optical Viewfinder on the 760D (the landscape is steady) while on the 90D is shaking. If I switch to setting 2 (on the lens that has such) nothing happens on 90D on the OVF - the image is shaking (760D it is still steady). If I switch OFF, on the OVF on 90D and 760D becomes shaky. 

I think to return the camera to warranty, but I don't know how to explain..

How can the 90D, have the OS on the lens ON (1 or 2) and work on the Rear LCD Display and when I switch to OVF, the OS goes off. This not happening on another Canon APSC (760D).

Any clues?

Firmware: 1.1.2

[Waddizzle]

Welcome to the Canon Community. 

I assume “OS” means Optical Stabilization?   There is a significant difference in resolution between the cameras. 

If you are using a tripod, then any type of image or optical stabilization should be disabled. Your observations are an example of why this is a best practice. 

[mideli]

OS yes Optical Stabilisation of Canon or Sigma lenses. 

Yes I never use OS on tripod 🙂 Not on my training cameras, old, or even the new. (this issue I have only on 90D of Canon). 

I don't know about resolution and how that could possibly affect what I see in the Optical View Finder. This does not happen to me on Canon 760D (nor on other systems that I own (Nikon and Fuji)). 

Really imagine having the Optical Stabilisation ON on the lens, you look on the Optical Viewfinder and is shaky as if it was turned OFF. Then I switch to Rear LCD display (the tilting screen with touchscreen touch controls etc) and the image is super steady. Becomes shaky on the LCD once I put OS on OFF position, with the slider on the lens.

If I put the lens on my old 760D, then the image is steady both in Optical View Finder and also (after I switch) in the Read Display.

How can a camera have steady image (OS ON) in LCD rear display, and have OS OFF when switching to Optical Viewfinder?

[Waddizzle]

I don’t know what you are doing or how to reproduce your issue. 

Are you using a tripod?

Is the AF active?

What shooting mode?

Does the issue occur when you are shooting in the Green [A+] mode?  

[mideli]

Hello,

No tripod. I saw it says that I am an apprentice, I am not 🙂 I do travel photography and recently I saw that the OLED screen of my Fujifilm XT4 was making me see blurry for a few minutes and I read that is because of PWM that OLED have. Some people vomit and have headaches. So I got scared when my colleague at work, said he has the same issue, after using OLED iPhone, OLED ASUS ART laptop, OLED TV etc. Now we went all in with LCD and no PWM. Anyway, I got an offer at official CANON store, 20% off for a new in the box CANON 90D so I took it. Meanwhile I got to become parent so my time to test the camera was limited. 

Now that I got out to do some wildlife and I saw that I am not steady as I used to be I got a bit worried. But then I took out my old 760D and put the same lens on, same settings, and voila I was steady as a rock :)) put it back on 90D and again shaky. I tested Canon and Sigma lenses and none seemed to have OS ON while in Optical View Finder, and when I go to rear display then image gets super steady like on a SteadyCam. 

It was like that since day one, but I thought I must be missing firmware. When I got the time to put it, 1.1.2 I saw it made no difference. I even bought a firmware update tool for Sigma lenses (Canon Mount) and that did not work either. 

Settings:

Yes AF is on, Spot AF with AI Servo, Single Shooting, RAW (if that matters) Evaluative Metering. 

When I put any lens on Canon 760D (any that have OS on/off, I say this because I have a CANON lens with OS always ON, no OFF button present on the exterior) and I half press the shutter button, the frame gets super steady (say the moon, because is night here in France) both in the Optical View Finder and also in the Rear tilting LCD screen (after I switch). You are right I must focus on something, so yeah I focus on the Moon and it is steady. I have to move my hand to see it move in the OVF or in the LCD display. So like with any other camera, Optical Stabilisation ON will work on 760D in both view finders (optical and digital display on the rear of the tilting screen). 

When I put (the same) OS lens on Canon 90D, same settings (Manual, AF Spot, AI Servo, RAW), I look at the digital display (rear LCD tilting screen) and it is steady. The moon is not shaking in the view. (no tripod, handheld always). When I turn off the LCD so now I look at the optical VF, now there I see how my hands are shaking and I cannot hold the frame steady. I try OS step 1 or 2 or even OFF, same amount of shake. I go back to LCD display (I press the START STOP button on Canon 90D) and the moon is steady on the frame, no shake). 

Is this better explained?

[Waddizzle]

“ Yes AF is on, Spot AF with AI Servo, Single Shooting, RAW (if that matters) Evaluative Metering.  …. Is this a better explanation. “

No, not really.  Thank you, for the details.  But, I asked splecific questions and did not get specific answers.  Your details are secondary questions.  

The big one is this.  Do you see the same issues when the shooting mode is automatic?

[mideli]

No I don't see the same thing. 

Now I switched to automatic and the image is steady both in the Optical Viewfinder and on the back of the LCD on the 90D.

What is the setting that the MANUAL has that "disables" the OS of the lens?

When I go to automatic (green A+ on the wheel) I hear the OS kicking (on the 100-400) and when I go to M I hear the OS going off. 

[stevet1]

mideli,

Two things:

1) You said that you never use IS when you have your camera on a tripod, but then you said several times that you were shooting handheld. Try putting your camera on a tripod to see if the result is the same.

2) I would take Trevor's suggestion and try a different 90D. That way, you can determine if the problem is with all 90D's, or just the one you currently have.

Steve Thomas

[Tronhard]

I have never experienced your issues and had to do some research to understand the physics behind your issue.
So, the following is a suggestion as to what might be the diffrence.

When you look through the viewfinder of the 90D, it may be that when OIS is active, the 90D is using a certain frequency to vibrate the back element of the lens at a different rate compared to your 760D.  According to my rough calculation, the photosites of the 90D are about 0.74 of the area of the 760D or, if you will, the density is about 1/3 greater.  Thus, I would suspect one can put this down to the difference in pixel density and thus photosite size which could, in turn, cause an interference pattern issue with the original speed of the OIS - so the designers simply changed to interface to vibrate the OIS at a different frequency.  This may then explain why, when you are live view the image is being read off the sensor and that is showing the corrected and stable image because the related frequency patterns are 'in sync'.

Thus the issue is that the OIS frequency generates, for your vision, the effect you are experiencing.  I have had the 90D and used it with no issues - both through the viewfinder and LCD, so that suggests that either your camera has a fault, or your specific eyesight is challenged by the configuration of the camera. 

This could be fairly easily established if you can find another 90D and try viewing with the same lens through that.  It would also be interesting to see if the issues replicates itself with different lenses that have OIS.

[mideli]

Hello,

Yes I plan to go to store where I bought it and have them play with it. Is just they seem young and pro iPhones and DJI so dunno if they made pictures with a DSLR. 

Also I was wondering what kind of defect could it be (because they have to write something on the document that they attach with the product). The OIS works when on LCD and does not seem to work when on OVF. 

Yes I tested multiple lenses (100-400mm, 100mm macro lens and 18-135mm) all same "effect". Optical Viewfinder on 90D is shaking while the LCD is steady like a rock. 

I used the same lenses (just now) on 760D -> all work the same with OIS both on Optical Viewfinder and LCD (it has a tilting LCD screen)

Yeah I wonder what name the defect might have.