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Technique
issue in low-light photography, so
whenever you’re sure that vibration
isn’t an issue, switch it off.Sharpness and stability
Remember that stabilisation comes
from you as well as any IS mode in
the camera or lens. Having this
technology is no excuse for poor
technique, and the better you hold
your camera, the sharper the shot
will be with or without IS turned on.
There are lots of things you can do
to improve handholding technique,
including bracing yourself against
objects, lying down or supporting a
longer lens closer to its front element
so the balance is better. Using burst
mode can also increase your chances
of a sharp image, as you’re more
likely to catch a moment of stillness
in your body.
In managing low-light shutter
speed and therefore the need for IS,
it’s also well worth considering
whether your subject is correctly
exposed. Some low-light scenes,
especially those with dominant
shadows, will naturally force the
shutter speed down – leading to
overexposure and unnecessarily
longer shutter speeds, unless you
take steps to compensate.What about video?
With video, shutter speed is more
restricted than it is with stills.
Typically you’ll be shooting at
1/50sec or 1/60sec for smooth 24fps,
25fps or 30fps video. While subject
movement is less of a factor, image
stabilisation is just as important for
handheld video – particularly when
using longer focal lengths and if
you’re moving the camera around.
Using the optical or mechanical
stabilisation handheld, video will
look smoother and if you don’t have
a gimbal these technologies can
smooth out vibrations from walking
and panning.
On top of the regular IS modes,
you may also find a digital or
electronic stabilisation mode for
video. This method is more about
processing the signal than stabilising
the light. Captured footage is shifted
from frame to frame to compensate
for motion, meaning that a little of
the footage is cropped. But this is
better than shaky footage.
If you’re recording with a mic close
to the camera it’s important to use a
system that’s as near to silent as
possible or it will be picked up
on the soundtrack.Above: Using
stabilisation on
very long
telephoto lenses
is a must, but
exposure settings
also matters. Here
-1EV was used
Nikon D810, 80-400mm,
1/60sec at f/6.3, ISO 400Left: Modern
mirrorless
cameras will often
use a dual IS
system that
combines sensor
shift and optical
stabilisation,
increasing the
effectiveness and
application