Switch off IBIS for tripod?

[DBAUDUI1]

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Hello,

In Video mode on a Tripod, would you use IBIS on the Leica SL2? I have used a Macro Elmar R 35-70mm and obtained some blurry videos at 70mm, but still very good at 35mm, in a dark environment. In other video of the same concert, but in full light were perfectly sharp at 35mm and at 70mm. Is it possible that IBIS blurred the video at 70 mm in a dark environment? Other possibility is that I did not set the distance on the lens correctly of course, but at 35mm the video was perfecty sharp.

[BernardC]

1 hour ago, DBAUDUI1 said:

In Video mode on a Tripod, would you use IBIS on the Leica SL2? I have used a Macro Elmar R 35-70mm and obtained some blurry videos at 70mm, but still very good at 35mm, in a dark environment.

Are you using a ROM lens with Leica's adapter? If not, the camera won't know where you are in the zoom range, so it can't match stabilization to focal length.

I personally wouldn't bother with IBIS on a tripod. Some cameras and lenses have special tripod modes in their stabilization options, but even then it might interfere with deliberate camera movements.

[Stuart Richardson]

On 4/22/2025 at 12:46 PM, DBAUDUI1 said:

Hello,

In Video mode on a Tripod, would you use IBIS on the Leica SL2? I have used a Macro Elmar R 35-70mm and obtained some blurry videos at 70mm, but still very good at 35mm, in a dark environment. In other video of the same concert, but in full light were perfectly sharp at 35mm and at 70mm. Is it possible that IBIS blurred the video at 70 mm in a dark environment? Other possibility is that I did not set the distance on the lens correctly of course, but at 35mm the video was perfecty sharp.

No, you don't want to use IBIS with video on a tripod. You will see it moving around slightly. I have unfortunately had that happen before. The longer the lens, the more obvious it is.

[jaapv]

All manuals advise to switch off stabilization when on a tripod 

[TVP]

I shoot tethered and on a tripod for 80% of my images. I used to always just leave it on.  That has since changed.  If I leave stabilization on, you can occasionally see the image "jump" a tiny bit in composition.  Sometimes the stabilization will slightly jitter as it adjusts.  It's definitely visible.  I have seen it negatively impact images on a tripod at certain longer shutter speeds around twilight hours.  I turn it off now.  

Also, I recommend not touching the camera.  If it is on a tripod, use a self timer or a wireless remote release.  Don't touch the camera when making an exposure unless your shutter speed is decently high for the focal length.  Electronic shutter helps too at certain shutter speeds.  I have tested and definitely seen differences in the shot with electronic shutters when shooting between 1 second and 1/60th for instance.  Definitely makes a difference.  Anything that vibrates, including the sensor, is adding vibration.  If your scene is static but now the camera or sensor is moving... it seems logical that we are not getting the sharpest image.  

[Mak67]

In multishot mode, you get a warning when the camera detect any mouvement... so it mean the camera know if you're on tripod or not and probably can turn off ibis ...

But who knows if it's only working in multishot ? In singleshot ? In vidéo ? 

 

 

 

[jaapv]

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1 hour ago, Mak67 said:

In multishot mode, you get a warning when the camera detect any mouvement... so it mean the camera know if you're on tripod or not and probably can turn off ibis ...

But who knows if it's only working in multishot ? In singleshot ? In vidéo ? 

 

 

 

That is a different situation. The camera is comparing files. 

[Stuart Richardson]

5 hours ago, Mak67 said:

In multishot mode, you get a warning when the camera detect any mouvement... so it mean the camera know if you're on tripod or not and probably can turn off ibis ...

But who knows if it's only working in multishot ? In singleshot ? In vidéo ? 

 

 

 

Yes, in multishot mode the camera is not using the stabilizer to stabilizer the shot, it is using it to shift the pixels slightly and recombine them. It can't do both at the same time...that is why the camera must be absolutely still in order for multishot to work best. I think for handheld multishot seen in some cameras they have some mechanism to account for the movement that happens when the camera is held...probably something like digital stabilization. I would be very surprised if it was possible for it is equal the quality of regular multishot with a strong tripod.

[jaapv]

1 hour ago, Stuart Richardson said:

Yes, in multishot mode the camera is not using the stabilizer to stabilizer the shot, it is using it to shift the pixels slightly and recombine them. It can't do both at the same time...that is why the camera must be absolutely still in order for multishot to work best. I think for handheld multishot seen in some cameras they have some mechanism to account for the movement that happens when the camera is held...probably something like digital stabilization. I would be very surprised if it was possible for it is equal the quality of regular multishot with a strong tripod.

Actually ( Panasonic has it) it is not bad at all, but one does need stable hands. The compensation is fully digital using reference pixels. 

[Photoworks]

6 hours ago, jaapv said:

That is a different situation. The camera is comparing files. 

Not really, you get an alert of movement even before you take a photo.

[jaapv]

Maybe, but during the exposures the IBIS mechanism is otherwise engaged. See Stuart’s post. 

[Stuart Richardson]

34 minutes ago, jaapv said:

Actually ( Panasonic has it) it is not bad at all, but one does need stable hands. The compensation is fully digital using reference pixels. 

I am sure it is usable or they wouldn't provide it at all. I am just skeptical that it is as good as one made with a very solid tripod. When I was testing the Leica version, the mode that provided motion correction was noticeably worse than the uncompensated version, but the uncompensated version was subject to artifacts if there was even the slightest vibration. Anyway, we are talking incredibly small, precise movements here. Anything that can be done to minimize vibration and movement will result in better quality...it may not be visible unless you are pixel peeping, but if you are not pixel-peeping then there is little point using this kind of multishot at all, at least with a 47mp+ camera.

[jaapv]

As a high-MP skeptic (except for cropping)  I don't see much use for multi-shot at all. I used it a few times on my Panasonics and saw nothing worth the bother. 

[Mak67]

9 hours ago, Mak67 said:

In multishot mode, you get a warning when the camera detect any mouvement... so it mean the camera know if you're on tripod or not and probably can turn off ibis ...

But who knows if it's only working in multishot ? In singleshot ? In vidéo ? 

 

 

 

What i was saying, was just that the camera can detect before any shot if it's stable or not and so for exemple if on tripod, it could automaticaly turn off ibis ... But not sure if it's does it or doesn't ?

[Stuart Richardson]

59 minutes ago, Mak67 said:

What i was saying, was just that the camera can detect before any shot if it's stable or not and so for exemple if on tripod, it could automaticaly turn off ibis ... But not sure if it's does it or doesn't ?

It does not seem to. As mentioned above, if you have IBIS on while you are making long exposures at night, the star trails are clearly affected (they like a seismograph), and if you put the camera on a tripod and do video, it wanders slightly. I can’t say why it is not smart enough to figure out it is on a tripod, I can only tell you what it does. But it is definitely still trying to compensate even on a tripod. 

[TVP]

You would be amazed at the range of movement that image stabilization actually has.  I also use an Olympus system and that stabilization is for sure the best out there.  I;ve handheld 4 seconds before with sharp results.  Regardless... on a tripod using fine adjustments of a geared head for instance, that stabilization system will compensate out small movements on the head and change my composition back to where it "was" if I leave IBIS on.  The stuff in the corners of the frame will clearly change.  On a big landscape it might not be noticeable it its all leaves or sky, but in interiors where I just remove a light switch from the frame or some other distinct corner feature like a light...and magically its back...  it's the sensor moving itself.  Again, millimeters count in some photography and the sensor has a surprising amount of movement.  It's why the Olympus/OMDS hand held high res works so well, same with Pentax and their star tracking mode.  The sensor is moving enough to compensate rotation for a limited degree apparently.  I haven't used that so...only what's been relayed to me.  However, the range of motion the sensor actually has is far bigger than "it just wiggles in place."

[jaapv]

You are basically right, but the Olympus IBIS is at least double as effective because of the smaller sensor format. 

[TVP]

The Pentax with the astro tracer function is 35mm.  Again, not sure how much latitude all brands build in... but I've seen plenty of shifting of the scene on my SL3 as well.  It also comes down to how exact are we trying to be and what the scene is, and how long are our exposures.

Often shooting portraits from a tripod with my hand on the camera (just using the tripod for scene repeatability and consistency) ive often left IBIS on to deal with me shaking things.

It always comes back to knowing what result you are after, what can impact it, and how to adjust best practices to get that end result.  Simple awareness.