EOS R 100-400 IS problem

[KirkD]

The image stabilization in my Canon 100-400 Mark II L is running continuously as long as my EOS R is turned on. It should not be doing this. Previously, on my 6D, IS would only turn on when I depressed the shutter button half way and when I let go, it would turn off after a few seconds. On my new EOS R, it is on continuously, which will wear it out a lot faster. Is there a quick fix for this?

[KirkD]

On DPReview there is a forum thread that mentions that with the Canon EOS R, lenses with IS will have the IS run continuously. That is the way it is designed. I had already gone through all the menu items and the users manual and could not find even a mention of IS in either, but someone says it is in the users manual. I've gone through most of the users manual the second time and still cannot find it, but I've been known to miss a detail in a users manual before.

[wq9nsc]

A friend who tried one ran into this battery eating issue, it is on page 143 of the manual as pointed out to him by a Canon rep.  It is one of the reasons he is sticking with a DSLR for now.

With Canon manuals, the most critical information is often under footnotes and cautions instead of in the primary text.

Rodger

[KirkD]

I checked my manual and must have a different one that he did. My page 143 is just a title page for chapter 4, "Playback". So I downloaded an advanced manual on the Canon website, and it is on page 143 of the "Advanced" manual. As far as "eating batteries", maybe if one is shooting all day, but I'm just an amateur landscape and bird photographer, and my first charge lasted over a week. However, I do not like the idea of my IS wearing itself out unnecessarily 10 times  faster than if it only switched on when actually taking a photo.

[RobertTheFat]

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@KirkD wrote:

I checked my manual and must have a different one that he did. My page 143 is just a title page for chapter 4, "Playback". So I downloaded an advanced manual on the Canon website, and it is on page 143 of the "Advanced" manual. As far as "eating batteries", maybe if one is shooting all day, but I'm just an amateur landscape and bird photographer, and my first charge lasted over a week. However, I do not like the idea of my IS wearing itself out unnecessarily 10 times  faster than if it only switched on when actually taking a photo.

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Staying in focus is a greater challenge on a mirrorless camera, because some of the tricks utilized on a DSLR can't be applied. So focus reliability may be increased by having IS run all the time. But it's a bit surprising that the feature can't be turned off, since power consumption can be an "A" issue on a mirrorless.

With some Canon cameras, the printed manual is an abbreviated version. You might try looking for a more complete version on Canon's Web site.

[ebiggs1]

"I do not like the idea of my IS wearing itself out unnecessarily 10 times  faster ..."

I have no first hand experience with this but I don't think you need to worry about it wearing out any noticeably faster.  Sometimes starting and stopping several thousand times it far more tasking on the system than just leaving it on.

[KirkD]

"Sometimes starting and stopping several thousand times it far more tasking on the system than just leaving it on."

I wondered about that myself. You might be right.

[CarlG]

Put it power saving mode and it is a non issue. AS far as battery eating...I have an 80D as well and there is no difference in the battery life....they use the same battery, which is handy. Besides a lot of times I don't use IS. I have 4 out of ten lenses that don't have it that I use most often. One of them being a 70-200mm 1:4 L USM that handles great on this camera. Been shooting for 42 years...The sensor and digic 8 processor make this a great camera if given a chance. Don't believe all of the Sony You Tubers out there bad mouthing the camera. Turn off image preview crank up the iso and shutter speed with the right lens and this works great as a sports camera. Took a series of just over 100 action shots of my Border Collie and her favorite toy running around the yard and only 1 was not in focus and none were out of frame,,,,and that was with the non IS 70-200mm attached. Oh and video....I use a dedicated video camera for that so whatever someone says about it being cropped at 4K or whatever I say buy a video camera or put a EFS 10-18 STM lens on the camera and have at it. There are too many out there bad mouthing a camera that they haven't REALLY tried to learn it's functionality.Oh and I have no R lenses only EF and EFS lenses and the Ring control adapter. Have it set for ISO and the touch bar set to focus preference. Neat thing I found that if in P, AV or TV the mode thumb wheel becomes exposure comp on shutter half press. Neat feature. One thong I don't like is the touch screen focus. I find myself inadvertantly moving the focus point. So I just keep the back screen closed until I need it.

Sorry this got so long.

[KirkD]

"Eco mode" will turn everything off (including IS in the lens) after a few seconds. I shoot a lot of birds, where every fraction of a second can make a difference, so that is not really an option when actually shooting birds.

[CarlG]

Ok so shutting off the IS is a problem when you are shooting birds....got it.....but you are complaining that IS runs continuously... which is great for shooting birds....just trying to understand. There is a switch on the lens.

[KirkD]

The switch works, but I quit using it because my memory doesn't always work and I forget to turn it on and lose the shot. So if Im spending an hour in a blind, and get a total of 10 bursts, my IS runs for an hour straight, rather than just 200 seconds with my old 6D ... 18 times longer. My concern is that I wear out the IS 10 times faster (more or less). On the other hand, someone else suggested that the starting and stopping of IS may be where the most wear occurs, so it will actually last longer. I don't know. One thing I do know is that constant IS doesn't seem to be much of an issue as far as battery power.