Pany 100-300 OIS Mode on or off? (1 Viewer)

Hi everyone. I've been using the 100-300 for over a year now on my GH1. I'm very happy with the results but I've noticed that at higher shutter speeds (over 1000) sometimes the images are not as sharp as I would expect. This led me to wonder if the image stabilization is ineffective at higher shutter speeds or if it even makes things worse. My normal mode of shooting is always OIS on and mode 1.

I did a series of tests before the firmware upgrade at 1/640 and 1/1250 but the results were inconclusive due to a poor selection of the target. A sign with text but the text was too large. After the firmware upgrade at the end of January I did another series of tests. I took a series of shots of a sign with small text at a distance of about 10 meters.

The test was 5 shots each handheld at 1/400 with OIS mode 1, OIS mode 2, OIS off for a total of 15 shots. Second test was same series handheld but shutter speed of 1/800 for another 15 shots.

What I found was that at 1/400, OIS helped. There was no discernable difference between mode 1 and mode 2. I use mode 1 because it helps in framing the shot. Three of the OIS off shots were acceptably sharp.

At 1/800 all 15 shots were acceptably sharp. All 5 of the OIS off were sharp and a few seemed sharper then the shots with OIS on.

I'll be going out again in the next few days and try shots on birds with the OIS off and shutter speed 1/800 and higher and see what I get.

Questions for the group. Do any of you shoot with OIS off and what is your experience? Have any of you seen a discussion in any forum on effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness) of OIS at higher shutter speeds?

Paul
2012 Adds and Upgrades to photo life list: http://rustyblades.smugmug.com/Natu...-Adds/20805592_F9RZ5t#!i=1702467310&k=Px6Rgkv

There has been several thread in BF before on similar issues, mostly I think in the Canon forum, and maybe also in the Sigma and others forum. All of them have concluded that on really high shutter speeds the OS will not help and possible harm. I personally tend to stay at 1/640 or slower, so I have never personally made any tests. (I rarely have light to make it possible to faster)

Niels

I found some additional info on this in a few forums and Thom Hogan had some good discussion related to Nikon. Opinion seems to be split. Some people leave IS on all the time, others turn it off at hgher shutter speeds. There doesn't seem to be any hard science on this.

Today I managed to get out to do some live testing. The weather was perfect, bright sun, minus 5 celsius and a bit of a wind. I shot over 200 images of mostly ducks and a few of a resident mockingbird that lets you get to within 4 to 5 meters. I shot a mix of shutter priority and aperture priority. The shutter priority had IS off, auto ISO and most speeds were at 1/1000 with a few at 1/2000. Aperture priority had IS on, mode 1 and 2 and intelligent ISO.

The aperture priority did not give good results due to subject movement. That has been my experience in the past and I only shoot aperture with manual setting of the iSO to give a higher shutter speed than th ecamera selected speed.

The shutter priority with IS off yielded images with acceptable sharpness but a fairly large number were not sharp. Of the close ins with the mockingbird, who sat still, less than half were tack sharp.

My own conclusion is that IS helps at all speeds or certainly doesn't do any harm to leave it on. As to mode 1 or 2, I know theoretically 2 should be used for still images but I still prefer mode 1. I couldn't see any difference in the images and mode 1 helps to frame the scene and spot focus on the bird's head.

In spite of this I did manage to get an upgraded image of a Gadwall, shot with the IS off.

Paul

Paul Tavares said:

I found some additional info on this in a few forums and Thom Hogan had some good discussion related to Nikon. Opinion seems to be split. Some people leave IS on all the time, others turn it off at hgher shutter speeds. There doesn't seem to be any hard science on this.

Today I managed to get out to do some live testing. The weather was perfect, bright sun, minus 5 celsius and a bit of a wind. I shot over 200 images of mostly ducks and a few of a resident mockingbird that lets you get to within 4 to 5 meters. I shot a mix of shutter priority and aperture priority. The shutter priority had IS off, auto ISO and most speeds were at 1/1000 with a few at 1/2000. Aperture priority had IS on, mode 1 and 2 and intelligent ISO.

The aperture priority did not give good results due to subject movement. That has been my experience in the past and I only shoot aperture with manual setting of the iSO to give a higher shutter speed than th ecamera selected speed.

The shutter priority with IS off yielded images with acceptable sharpness but a fairly large number were not sharp. Of the close ins with the mockingbird, who sat still, less than half were tack sharp.

My own conclusion is that IS helps at all speeds or certainly doesn't do any harm to leave it on. As to mode 1 or 2, I know theoretically 2 should be used for still images but I still prefer mode 1. I couldn't see any difference in the images and mode 1 helps to frame the scene and spot focus on the bird's head.

In spite of this I did manage to get an upgraded image of a Gadwall, shot with the IS off.

Paul

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Thanks for sharing your research Paul. Very helpful. Congrats on getting a good Gadwall shot too - they're always way too far away from me for photographs .
All the best
Hobbes