EOS R8 Image Stabilization Stutters When Recording 4K at 120fps

[markpousee]

Hello Canon community,

hope you're all doing well!,  and I’m running into a rather frustrating issue with my Canon EOS R8. Whenever I switch to 4K (DQ) 120 fps in movie mode while using IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization), the footage exhibits noticeable stuttering, it’s particularly evident during quick panning and movement. Interestingly, the stabilization works perfectly when I shoot at 4K 60 fps, and there’s no stutter in stills or 1080p video either.

Here’s what I’ve tried so far:

1. Updated firmware to the latest version.
2. Restored camera settings to default.
3. Tested with different lenses and stabilization modes.
4. Used both SD UHS-II and CFast 2.0 media—issue persists regardless.

Has anyone experienced this same issue on the EOS R8? Could it be a buffer or processing bottleneck at 120 fps? I’d really appreciate any insights or recommendations, especially if there’s a workaround or upcoming firmware fix.

Thanks so much in advance for any help!

Mark Pousee

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Please tell us what lens or lenses you're using?  (brand, models) Are they adapted?  If so, are you using a Canon brand adapter?  Does the behavior occur with one lens or all?

The R8 supports UHS -I and UHS-II (recommended) SD cards for high frame rate video.

You mentioned CFast so tell us more about your rig.  What accessories are you using (brand, models)?  How are these things connected etc?  Please provide complete information about your environment so we can understand your issue better.  

[justadude]

I've owned the R8 for close to 2 years now, and know it does not have IBIS.  Then again, I do photography, not video.  Is there something similar to IBIS that kicks in on video only?

[FloridaDrafter]

Gary is correct. No IBIS for stills or video. What it does have, as do all MILC's (as far as I know), is "Digital Stabilization" (DS) for video. For stills, it relies on lens IS but there may be a conflict between it and DS.

Newton

[shadowsports]

Newton excellent catch.  I had no idea that Digital IS worked in stills mode as well as video.  I thought it was video only 🫣.  It might be this way on my R5 C in Cinema OS, but I'm not sure.  On Canon's other stills camera that share video/stills menus it looks like it crosses both boundaries. 

[FloridaDrafter]

Hey there, Rick! DS is for video only. I wasn't too clear on that last line "For stills, it relies on lens IS but there may be a conflict between it and DS." I meant that there may be a conflict between the lens IS and DS for movies in the camera 🙂

Newton

[Waddizzle]

“ Whenever I switch to 4K (DQ) 120 fps in movie mode while using IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization), the footage exhibits noticeable stuttering, it’s particularly evident during quick panning and movement. “

What focus mode and AF point are you using when the stutter occurs?

Also, what is the camera supposed to be focusing on as you are panning?

Are you panning a landscape or something else far away from the camera?