EOS R7: Lens IS without IBIS enabled

[Ronomy]

Why does Canon combine IBIS with lens IS only?  They say they don't support third party lenses and even don't support there own EF lenses and in some cases IBIS is broken with some lenses.  So we should have the option to use the lens IS without IBIS. What bugs me is the sell an adapter to use EF lenses on RF but when you call support they say they don't support it.  Go figure!  I have the R7 and have read a lot of complaints and plenty complain on YouTube too.  So far I cant complain i started using the R7 with  1.5 firmware which seems fixed a lot of ibis issues with ef lenses.  But I do have a sigma lens that doesn't work well with IBIS.  The lens is very good on my 6D using its own IS.  But I cant use it on my R7. 

[deebatman316]

Canon does support there own EF lenses still at least ones that are current production. Or that are newer but old lenses no. Lens IS and IBIS are coordinated to work in tandem. Note with older EF lenses + IBIS. The amount of stabilization depends on the lens. Older lenses don’t provide as much stabilization as newer lenses. You simply can’t turn off lens IS and use IBIS or vice versa. All EF lenses I’ve adapted have always performed better. Now the adapter is just an extension tube that put an EF lens at the correct distance from the image sensor. The camera can tell if an EF lens is mounted and switch to EF Mount communication instead of RF Mount communication. A lot EF lenses DO NOT fully support all features of EOS R series cameras such as 12 fps. Very old Arc Form Drive (AFD) AF motor lenses from the beginning of the EF Mount are limited to 3-4 FPS. This is because the AF and aperture control are carried out sequentially instead of at the same time. Most manufacturers combine lens IS + IBIS together. They cannot be used separately. 

[Ronomy]

I am aware of what you said regarding the lenses old and new and about what the adapter accomplishes.  As far as supporting ef lenses I got that answer from someone who called Canon and that's what Canons support team told them.  But regarding the fact that you cant select ibis only and lense IS only instead of both combined...it can be done.  They just don't want to offer it.  Look...If a lens has no IS... You can use ibis.  There you go...ibis works by itself!  The camera just needs to ignore or disable the lens IS if you select ibis only.  Then with ibis off let the lense IS function by itself.  It can be done its just that they don't want to offer it.   That's annoying to many that have lenses that don't work well enough with both stabilization methods permanently joined. 

[deebatman316]

That’s not true my friend had a problem with her EF lenses locking up her EOS R6 (Classic). She sent it into Canon and they fixed it under warranty. I also confirmed that they support their own EF lenses on the RF Mount. As long as the lens is within its service life. No IBIS and lens IS cannot be used separately. The lens doesn’t simply tell the camera that IS is on or Off. Lens IS is a feature of the lens not the camera. It’s controlled by the lens it has nothing to do with the camera. That’s why early EOS film bodies such as the EOS 650 (released in 1987) work with IS lenses. That camera came out before IS was available. The first IS lens came out in 1995. But the first EF Mount cameras were released in 1987. All the camera does is send power and data to the lens. Then the lens carries out IS. So you cannot use it separately. Sony E Mount, Sigma, Leica & Panasonic L Mount, Nikon Z work the same way. You cannot turn off one system and use the other. The camera cannot simply ignore it because lens IS and IBIS will fight each other and cause violent shaking. Also IBIS works with non-IS Canon EF lenses because they communicate to the body and tell it has no IS. If you try using fully manual lens with no electronic communication IBIS doesn’t work. Some older SLR lens mounts such as Pentax K and Minolta/ Sony A Mount never went the Optical IS route. They do IBIS only in fact you cannot find IS lenses for those cameras. Since they choose IBIS over lens based IS.

[Ronomy]

But you just said Lens IS works by itself and the camera only applies power to the lens for it.  We know IBIS works by itself too.  And IBIS works with manual lenses too.  It just has a bug and forgets or doesn't read the focal length setting we set in the IS menu in the camera when the camera is first powered on.  You have to manually go reset it even after the camera goes to sleep.  But IBIS does work with dumb lenses. 

[deebatman316]

The problem is if they’re out of sync it will cause the image to shake violently. When you turn off lens IS it holds the elements in a specific position. So the lens has to power IS all the time. But it won’t be stabilizing. The case is the same for lenses with electronic focus rings. Even though the lens is set to MF. The lens’ AF motor needs power for MF to work. Canon has had Focus By Wire lenses since 1987. The first of such lenses was the EF 300mm F/2.8L USM lens. Early EF Mount Ring Type USM, Nano USM and STM utilize this design. All RF lenses are Focus By Wire designs. Also IBIS doesn’t work with fully manual lenses. I’ve tried it already the image violently shakes. So it’s not a bug it’s functioning correctly. I used TS-E and MP-E lenses on the EOS R series and they work just fine. These a specialty lenses with NO AF or IS just electronic aperture control. So they still communicate with the camera. IBIS is fully functional and works. All EF lenses require power and data to work. Or the camera can’t interface with the camera. Such as controlling the aperture blades. 

[Ronomy]

Interesting discussion... Thanks... Although at least with the R7 I can get IBIS to work with my TTartisan all manual lenses.  The issue is it jumps around after you power off and back on.  You have to resetup the focal length but after you take one picture first.  Very weird.  But once its stable it continues to work just fine as long as the camera doesnt go to sleep or you power cycle it.   Its a known problem now for two years... This issue has been discussed for two years.   You can get it to work.  Granted only with manual primes that have one focal length.  Zooms will never work unless you want to reset the focal length in the IBIS setting after you change the lenses focal length.  You would still be guessing tho so that really doesn't work with manual zooms. 

[Stephen]

We brought up the camera "forgetting" the manual lens settings to the engineers many years ago. We were informed that it was a conscious decision to have this happen. I can't remember exactly why, but leaving it enabled presented some issues that Canon, Inc. deemed it was necessary to have that setting stored in volatile storage (temporary, not lasting beyond the time the camera is powered on). 

[Ronomy]

Oh wow...at least an answer...thank you!  Still weird that when first powered on...its working!  But after one shot its lost.  But after your comment I bet they designed it to do this...  Still they should force IBIS off instead of enabled and the sensor jumping like crazy.  That cant be a good state to stay in for IBIS... 

[Waddizzle]

Did you have a specific lens in mind that is giving you problems?

IBIS equipped camera bodies can work with lenses that have IS as well as those that do not.  Manufacturers integrate IBIS with the IS in lenses to extend the range of Image Stabilization.  For example, the lens IS might give 3-4 stops of Stabilization, while integrating with IBIS can give you 7-8 stops of stabilization.  ‘

I believe every major camera manufacturer integrates IBIS with lens IS in that way, to extend the range of the lens.