Leica Q Series Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS)

[Jskywalker]

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Am wondering why Leica uses Optical Image Stabilisation instead of In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) or a combination of both?

Maybe in the new Q ?

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[Le Chef]

Because in the Qs everything is integrated to make the whole as small as possible. The lens has the leaf shutter built into it. The OIS is built into the lens obviously, all of which makes it more compact and allows the sensor to be more precisely located. 
 

If you wanted it done differently you would need to start from scratch. The Q series has been successful because of its integrated design. Do it differently and it would likely be bigger, bulkier and heavier. 

Edited June 30, 2024 by Le Chef

[David Wien]

7 hours ago, Jskywalker said:

Am wondering why Leica uses Optical Image Stabilisation instead of In Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) or a combination of both?

Maybe in the new Q ?

Does it matter how it is done, if it works?

David

[Simone_DF]

Leica gets most of its tech from Panasonic. IBIS is one of them. By looking at the timeline, in 2015, when the Q was released, Panasonic didn’t have any full frame IBIS technology available. The S line, Panasonic’s full frame line with IBIS, was launched in 2019.
Remember that the first Leica SL was also released in 2015 without IBIS, so it’s not a matter of not enough space, which certainly has a part to play in the matter, but most likely a matter of tech not being readily available to Leica. 
Switching the Q to IBIS now would mean a substantial redesign of the innards of the camera and also the lens, a significant cost of R&D that may not be worth the cost to Leica. Or maybe yes, who knows, after all they’ll need to give some reason to people to upgrade to a Q4 or Q5 when the time comes, and IBIS is more effective at wider focal lengths than OIS.