19Yaw really
on a roll...
The fi rst stabilisation systems
were only able to correct for
movement along two axes but
now fi ve-axis image stabilisation is
quite common. This means that a
wider range of involuntary
movements are corrected. Take
some time to understand what
these movements are. You can
then be aware of how to minimise
them when you’re shooting.X-axis or horizontal
This is a side-to-side movement in
which the camera moves parallel
to the subject. It’s commonly a
problem in close-up and macro
photography, but it can also be an
issue if you don’t have a solid
stance so you sway a little as
you shoot.Y-axis or vertical
This is movement is perpendicular
to x-axis movement and is again
an issue in macro photography.
Sensor-based stabilisation usually
addresses x-axis and y-axis
movement.Pitch
This is the tilting or pivoting that
can happen as you hold the
camera – the camera tips up or
down in your hands. It happens
with any lens but the tighter
framing of a telephoto lens makes
it more problematic with longer
optics. It’s also something that can
become more of an issue as your
arms tire at the end of a long
shoot with heavy kit.Ya w
This is like pitching but the
movement is side-to-side and
again it’s a particular issue with
long lenses – especially in
strong wind.Roll
This is a rotational movement
around the optical axis. It can arise
for many reasons, but pressing too
fi rmly or with a jerky movement on
the shutter release can cause roll.Using a long
exposure (2.
seconds) to blur the
water has helped to
add drama to this
mono image
A tripod used to be
an essential
accessory for a
large medium-
format camera, but
you can leave it at
home with the
Fujifilm GFX 100