V-Lux1 Image stabilizer

[leica dream]

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Getting familiar with my new V-Lux 1 I am not convinced about whether the image stabilizer feature actually affects the focus sharpness of the final image.

There was a recent thread about focus sharpness of V-Lux 1 images. I have tried both settings (and OFF setting) of the stabilizer and it looks to me that the images are marginally sharper without it! Otherwise, should one use that facility only when there is perceived vibration rather than as a constant feature against camera shake.

I think what I do not understand is if the feature is so good why is it not just built in as a given rather than switchable. Perhaps I have misunderstood benefits/restrictions of the feature.

Any other experience out there?

Richard

[stuny]

Being electronic the image stabilization feature must consume electricity. MAYBE allowing it to be switched off extends the number of exposures one can get on a battery charge -- Just speculation.

[sdommin]

Being electronic the image stabilization feature must consume electricity. MAYBE allowing it to be switched off extends the number of exposures one can get on a battery charge -- Just speculation.

 

That's exactly why. In fact, in a Canon lens instruction booklet that I have, they say that turning the IS feature OFF will save you 20% on your charge. I don't know what it is on the V-Lux, but its probably similar.

[dugby]

I can only comment on OIS for both the D3/L1 and D-Lux2 that I own, I also have a D2 which has no OIS.

 

With the D3/L1 set to OIS Mode-2, I have regularly shot low light images hand held of 0.6 sec and longer, which I have posted here. (Search for L1 and OIS).

 

I can say that with my D2 and my reasonably steady hand, I cannot get satisfactory shots longer than 0.1 sec

 

In January with the L1, I did ponder whether images may be sharper with OIS-off for suitable low-moderate lighting conditions. The tests that I undertook showed no improvement with OIS off.

 

The D3/L1 manual does state that Mode-2 is the most desirable of the OIS settings. Mode-2 only enables OIS after the shutter is pressed. This implied Mode-1, which has OIS operational all the time, was not as good..... So I wondered if Mode-1 has a different OIS algorithm.

 

My conclusion for OIS on the D3/L1 and also the D-Lux2 is that it's very useful in low/poor light conditions.

 

Are there similar options for the V-Lux1 ?

[mjh]

The D3/L1 manual does state that Mode-2 is the most desirable of the OIS settings. Mode-2 only enables OIS after the shutter is pressed. This implied Mode-1, which has OIS operational all the time, was not as good..... So I wondered if Mode-1 has a different OIS algorithm.

The algorithm is the same, but an image stabilizier that only gets activated immediately prior to exposure will always be more effective, regardless of the algorithm or the technology used.

 

There is a limit to the amount of camera movement the stabilizer can correct for; with Panasonic’s OIS, the movable lens group has a fixed radius limiting its movements. If the stabilizer is always active, the movable lenses may be at any position within this radius when the exposure starts, and most likely not at the center. For this reason, there will usually be one direction of camera movement where the maximum correction is limited even further; in the worst case, the movable lenses have already hit the limit in one direction, and when the camera continues to move in the same direction during exposure, the stabilizer cannot help.

[mjh]

I have tried both settings (and OFF setting) of the stabilizer and it looks to me that the images are marginally sharper without it! Otherwise, should one use that facility only when there is perceived vibration rather than as a constant feature against camera shake.

Actually, there are three setting plus OFF, as the V-Lux supports a panning mode limiting the stabilizer to the correction of vertical movement. The stabilizer is most effective in mode 2; mode 1 (always on) is less effective, but marginally useful when the shake in the viewfinder image gets distracting. I wouldn’t use it, though. Turning the OIS off may be useful when the camera is mounted on a tripod, but in my experience with Panasonic cameras, this isn’t really necessary. With DSLRs with stabilized lenses, you should always turn the image stabilizer of when using a tripod, as the stabilizer can do more harm then good then; also, this is more conservative on battery power.

[leica dream]

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Thanks for that input everyone. I now understand the OIS a bit more.

Richard