Image Stabilisation: It is said if using tripod one should switch off i.s. So if i happen to have rock solid hands when handheld does that mean i should also switch it off?

tommckibbin Loc: Liverpool, England.

It is said if using tripod one should switch off i.s. So if i happen to have rock solid hands when handheld does that mean i should also switch it off? Incidentally, I don't have a tripod, think to much hassle to carry around and set up. Do have monopod though. Have taken it out once.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Sorry, but you are not nearly as "rock steady" as a tripod. You have a heartbeat...I think.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

tommckibbin wrote:

It is said if using tripod one should switch off i.s. So if i happen to have rock solid hands when handheld does that mean i should also switch it off? Incidentally, I don't have a tripod, think to much hassle to carry around and set up. Do have monopod though. Have taken it out once.

No. Leave it on. All due respect, but no one can steady like a tripod. Even shooting at very short shutter durations, tripod wins.

ebrunner Loc: New Jersey Shore

I agree that a tripod can be a bit of a pain. I just got a monopod recently, but I like it. I know that I can't come close to being as steady as a tripod. When I really, really want tack sharp, I use a tripod. It is also easier to compose landscapes from a tripod once you have it set up.

tommckibbin Loc: Liverpool, England.

Being hypothetical with the rock solid hands. So what happens if i.s. is left on when tripod is used?

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

tommckibbin wrote:

Being hypothetical with the rock solid hands. So what happens if i.s. is left on when tripod is used?

It tries to compensate and can't. I don't know if it will harm the lens-- but it could mess up your photos. I was doing some macro images for focus stacking-- and left the IS on: the software could not align the images. Now I always check.

Cadugand Loc: Houston, Texas

I heard a quote once, "only use a tripod for the pictures you want to keep."

yooperfalls

When I first started taking photos I ALWAYS wanted stabilization. Now I never use it. Most of my lenses are fast enough for good shutter speeds and I often
use a sitting position with elbows resting on an arm chair. The down side is
with climbing stairs and or hills, this will not work very well or not at all. A wheeled walker with five inch wheels and brakes plus a seat beats any tripod on flat ground. It also beats backpacks and the like for transporting your stuff plus
water and a lunch.

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

If you have IS on and using a tripod the camera/lens tries to adjust for tiny movements only problem is there is no movement so what ends up happening is while the IS is adjusting, it causes the very movement it is trying to avoid. (simply put).

tommckibbin Loc: Liverpool, England.

Sounds to me it's best not using it at all.

Swamp Gator Loc: Coastal South Carolina

I have successfully used IS while the camera is on a tripod.

The tripod does not necessarily keep the camera as rock steady still as you might think.

Using a long fairly heavy lens on a tripod with a slow shutter speed in a stiff breeze and then you hit the shutter which causes more movement?
Like I said, not near as steady as you might think.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

tommckibbin wrote:

It is said if using tripod one should switch off i.s. So if i happen to have rock solid hands when handheld does that mean i should also switch it off? Incidentally, I don't have a tripod, think to much hassle to carry around and set up. Do have monopod though. Have taken it out once.

How about testing that and posting the results?

tommckibbin Loc: Liverpool, England.

Think on my next outing will turn IS off for the first time and see what happens.

architect Loc: Chattanooga

Swamp Gator wrote:

I have successfully used IS while the camera is on a tripod.

The tripod does not necessarily keep the camera as rock steady still as you might think.

Using a long fairly heavy lens on a tripod with a slow shutter speed in a stiff breeze and then you hit the shutter which causes more movement?
Like I said, not near as steady as you might think.

I agree. In my experience and testing, using a tripod with IS or VR turned on makes no difference if the shutter speeds are quite short, 1/30 sec or shorter, or if your tripod is not that sturdy and it is windy. Long exposures are when you might want to turn it off. As for hand holding, leave it on. It really does make a difference.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

architect wrote:

quote=Swamp Gator I have successfully used IS whi... (show quote)

Maybe so.... But my experience has been this: While shooting macro for focus stacking (alignment must be spot on), I forgot to turn off the VR. I could physically see the VR moving the lens on the tripod even with it all locked down-- and the images were so far out of alignment from image to image, that I deleted them. These were 1/30 sec shutter duration shots. I suppose it comes down to how much movement is acceptable.

My challenge would be this: Shoot it both ways-- and then zoom in and check.