Which brand has best camera/lens IBIS?

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The stabilization on the Zf and Z6III is amazing. Noticeably better than the Z9.
Thanks Karl

I wish now I had tried the Z6III as I had the Z9/Z6II with the f/4.5 and extenders

I switched back to Olympus, but like I said at the beginning, conveniently forgot that one of the reasons I switched to Nikon was IBIS issues with the OM equipment.

By the way, had your lens hood on the 400 - so much better than the OEM one.
Cheers,

George
 
Thanks. I had the A1/A9 at one point with the 200-600 but again have switched so much I forgot which is which 😜

Left Sony to try and find an overall lighter option that was FF.
I have held an OM1 Olympus and honestly saw no difference in size or weight over the Sony body which sorta puzzled me. The lenses are definitely lighter on that system. I feel your pain with having an impediment because some days are extremely difficult for me with using my camera. Cold days are the worst and always have to wear heated gloves when it gets below 50 or so. My Cotton Carrier vest has been a lifesaver for trekking in the field.
 
I have held an OM1 Olympus and honestly saw no difference in size or weight over the Sony body which sorta puzzled me. The lenses are definitely lighter on that system. I feel your pain with having an impediment because some days are extremely difficult for me with using my camera. Cold days are the worst and always have to wear heated gloves when it gets below 50 or so. My Cotton Carrier vest has been a lifesaver for trekking in the field.
Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah, the cameras are close weight-wise but the lenses, in general, for FF are heavier, especially telephotos.

Cheers,

George
 
Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah, the cameras are close weight-wise but the lenses, in general, for FF are heavier, especially telephotos.

Cheers,

George
That system has tempted me many times, especially the zoom with the built in TC. Unfortunately, I haven't been around enough people that have used them long term to get much feedback. Their macro lens is top notch and probably the best on the market currently.
 
I have held an OM1 Olympus and honestly saw no difference in size or weight over the Sony body which sorta puzzled me. The lenses are definitely lighter on that system. I feel your pain with having an impediment because some days are extremely difficult for me with using my camera. Cold days are the worst and always have to wear heated gloves when it gets below 50 or so. My Cotton Carrier vest has been a lifesaver for trekking in the field.
Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah, the cameras are close weight-wise but the lenses, in general, for FF are heavier, especially telephotos.

Cheers,

George
That system has tempted me many times, especially the zoom with the built in TC. Unfortunately, I haven't been around enough people that have used them long term to get much feedback. Their macro lens is top notch and probably the best on the market currently.
The 150-400 is definitely a sweet lens. As long as you can get pixels on the subject, m43 holds its own. If you have to crop, that’s where things get dicey.
 
Thanks for the kind words.

Yeah, the cameras are close weight-wise but the lenses, in general, for FF are heavier, especially telephotos.

Cheers,

George

The 150-400 is definitely a sweet lens. As long as you can get pixels on the subject, m43 holds its own. If you have to crop, that’s where things get dicey.
I keep eyeing the OM system and the 150-400mm lens in particular, but then I think, that defeats the purpose of switching to the OM system to get a "light" lens? Almost 5 pounds with the lens hood? Wish that OM systems came out with a 400mm f/4.5 prime that was 2 to 3 pounds.
 
Ricardo,

I guess if you think of it as a 300-800 with TC and imagine what a monster it would be in FF, it is a light lens😂

But I do agree with what you’re saying.

George
 
Ricardo,

I guess if you think of it as a 300-800 with TC and imagine what a monster it would be in FF, it is a light lens😂

But I do agree with what you’re saying.

George
Maybe not. In FF it would be only an f9 lens and thus could be very light or at least comparable. The Olympus 150-400 f4.5 (300-800 f9 equiv) is 1.860kg, the Canon 200-800 f6.3-9 is 2.050kg and very similar dimensions. :)
 
Ricardo,

I guess if you think of it as a 300-800 with TC and imagine what a monster it would be in FF, it is a light lens😂

But I do agree with what you’re saying.

George
My back, knees and arms don't care how sweet a lens is. Just how heavy it is. One of the reasons I much prefer my 400mm f/4.5 over the much sweeter 800mm PF (which is only half a pound heavier than the 150-400mm).
 
My back, knees and arms don't care how sweet a lens is. Just how heavy it is. One of the reasons I much prefer my 400mm f/4.5 over the much sweeter 800mm PF (which is only half a pound heavier than the 150-400mm).
I was right where you were a couple months ago, with the Z9/Z6II and 400.

One thing I really liked about the OM zoom is that it was very well balanced.
 
Off actual topic - Here is something you don't really care to know - Best IBIS camera I have is the GoPro Hero12! I use it on the Harley mounted on the fork where it is on constant movement and the vids are so so so smooth!! Shocking, really!
The IBIS in the Z9 is fine for me.
 
I was right where you were a couple months ago, with the Z9/Z6II and 400.

One thing I really liked about the OM zoom is that it was very well balanced.
Balance doesn't help when the weight is in a backpack on my back or knees. Besides all of Nikon's new lenses (ie. the 400mm f/4.5, 600mm PF and 800mm PF) iw well balanced. But someday may give the OM system a try, but personally would prefer to try when a lighter "great" lens is available.
 
Like I tried to say in my initial post. The OM does provide good IBIS in terms of getting a sharp result, but in my application it doesn’t do a good job in stabilizing the view in the viewfinder.

Cheers,

George
At 83 I'm nowhere near as steady as I used to be and I use Olympus gear for the lighter weight and IS. As soon as the IBIS kicks on in my cameras the image in the viewfinder stabilizes. If the image in the viewfinder isn't stable the final image won't be sharp at low shutter speeds. Of course it really helps if the camera's IBIS and the lens's OIS synchronize, only a few Olympus lenses will do that although the camera's IBIS alone is often sufficient.
 
At 83 I'm nowhere near as steady as I used to be and I use Olympus gear for the lighter weight and IS. As soon as the IBIS kicks on in my cameras the image in the viewfinder stabilizes. If the image in the viewfinder isn't stable the final image won't be sharp at low shutter speeds. Of course it really helps if the camera's IBIS and the lens's OIS synchronize, only a few Olympus lenses will do that although the camera's IBIS alone is often sufficient.
Thanks Woody

Which IS settings do you use?

George
 
I use both Sony a1 with 200-600 and OMDS OM-1 with 300 F4 Pro.
For both stills and video, the OM combo has way better IS.
It's possible that 200-600's in-lens OS is not that great and I read reports that, for example, Sony 300 F2.8 is significantly better, although I have not found head-to-head comparisons.
 
The stabilization on the Zf and Z6III is amazing. Noticeably better than the Z9.
I was going to suggest those two cameras also. I have both. With arthritis in my hands I am not as steady as I used to be, but both cameras are great for steadiness. They are very different cameras, so the choice would be a matter of taste. Is weight a consideration also? These cameras are pretty light, especially the Z6iii. The 28-400 lens is feather weight, though not quite as good as more expensive lenses. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1818948-REG/nikon_nikkor_z_28_400mm_f_4_8.html Good luck!
 
Being respectful of the no brand bashing rule…

I have a significant essential tremor and require good IBIS not just for getting sharp images, but also for steadying the viewfinder.

In my haste to switch back to the lighter OM system, I had forgotten that the OM system doesn’t provide me with the steady view finder. It leaves me feeling like a bit of an idiot.

Unfortunately in using Sony, Canon and Nikon I didn’t keep any records of how they were.

My Z9/Z6II with 400 f/4.5 was definitely better than my OM-1 Marks I and II and 300 mm f/4.5.

I appreciate any opinions you folks may have.

Cheers,

George
Cotton Carrier vest carrying system has an arm attachment that serves to hold the camera, somewhat like a tripod on your body. I phoned them to inquire and what they told me was that they have a good return policy if you don’t like it. They told me that some people don’t like it because the vertical component may feel to some people like it is digging into your stomach. I personally have not used it, but have contemplated it. Here’s a link for specific information. if you try it, please let us know what you think about it. Thank you. https://www.cottoncarrier.com/colle...products/steadyshot-camera-harness-with-mount
 
Cotton Carrier vest carrying system has an arm attachment that serves to hold the camera, somewhat like a tripod on your body. I phoned them to inquire and what they told me was that they have a good return policy if you don’t like it. They told me that some people don’t like it because the vertical component may feel to some people like it is digging into your stomach. I personally have not used it, but have contemplated it. Here’s a link for specific information. if you try it, please let us know what you think about it. Thank you. https://www.cottoncarrier.com/colle...products/steadyshot-camera-harness-with-mount
The cotton carrier vest is without a doubt the best photography gear purchase I’ve ever made. I use mine 5-6 days a week 2-4 hours at a time even with a 600 f4 lens and two bodies on it at the same time with no issues. I’ve hiked 5-6 miles numerous times with no issues. I use the teather straps on the vest to attach to my camera/lens in case of a drop. 10/10 for me in every regard
 
Thanks Woody

Which IS settings do you use?

George
I always use IS #1 "All Direction Shake" in the camera. The only lens I have that has OIS that doesn't sync with the camera's IBIS is the Olympus 100-400, with that I get the best photos with the lens's OIS off, but others do it other ways -- we don't all see alike and individual cameras and lenses seem to have their idiosyncrasies. Seldom do I use a tripod, when I do the IBIS is still on -- is that the absolute best way for my Olympus cameras ????
 
Maybe not. In FF it would be only an f9 lens and thus could be very light or at least comparable. The Olympus 150-400 f4.5 (300-800 f9 equiv) is 1.860kg, the Canon 200-800 f6.3-9 is 2.050kg and very similar dimensions. :)
The 200-800 doesn't have the same dimensions when it's zoomed out to 800mm. And from what I've read the IQ doesn't appear to match the 150-400.
 
I use both Sony a1 with 200-600 and OMDS OM-1 with 300 F4 Pro.
For both stills and video, the OM combo has way better IS.
It's possible that 200-600's in-lens OS is not that great and I read reports that, for example, Sony 300 F2.8 is significantly better, although I have not found head-to-head comparisons.
I believe the a9III has improved IS. Assuming the a1ii is the a9iii with a 50mb sensor I could see switching back to Sony from the OM-1 & 150-400.
 
I used my wife's Olympus camera, EM-1 and the Olympus 300mm f/4 and this combo has the equivalent of Nikon's Synchro VR lenses with Z cameras. I took a number of pictures of a lizard on a stone wall at a distance of roughly 2 meters and filled the frame with it. At 1/10s exposures the results were perfectly sharp images.

With blurring it can be either camera motion as with mirror slap or subject motion. Even with people who are standing still I have found I need a shutter speed of 1/80s or faster to avoid subject motion blur in my images. I also realized that I needed to slow down and be more deliberate with shutter releases at slower shutter speeds. I needed to pause for a second or two and then press the shutter release. At 1/50s I needed a different approach than at 1/250s with my cameras.

I have also needed to worry less about the ISO setting and rely on faster shutter speeds to get sharp images. Having used many Nikon cameras that were not able to produce clean images at ISO 800 or greater I had become reluctant to use higher ISO settings out of habit.

I get sharp images of woodpeckers in the trees with the 800mm PF and Z9 combination and shooting hand held. The Synchro VR adds an f-stop but the in-camera stabilization is excellent and a huge improvement over DSLR cameras.

• NIKKOR Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR
• NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S
• NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S
• NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S
• NIKKOR Z 400mm f/4.5 VR S
• NIKKOR Z 600mm f/4 TC VR S
• NIKKOR Z 600mm f/6.3 VR S
• NIKKOR Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S
• NIKKOR Z MC 105mm f/2.8 VR S

With Sony the a7 and a1 have excellent optical stabilization that is on par with the Nikon Z cameras. Technique is still very important.

One aspect often overlooked is that with these internally stabilized cameras the ability to shoot video without a tripod is a great asset.
 
With Sony the a7 and a1 have excellent optical stabilization that is on par with the Nikon Z cameras. Technique is still very important.
The Sony bodies with stabilized sensors (all recent models if I'm not mistaken) synchronize with the lens optical stabilization.
 
One aspect often overlooked is that with these internally stabilized cameras the ability to shoot video without a tripod is a great asset.
For several Nikon bodies (I do not know about other brands) electronic VR adds extra stabilisation by slightly cropping the image and moving the image within the crop to add a second level of stabilisation.
 
Maybe you should try to decrease the tremor, rather than try to find the "best" IBIS. Do you drink coffee? If so, change to decaffeinated. Same for soft drinks. Dark chocolate is a surprising source of caffeine. Medications can also help. Have you tried any (usually beta blockers)?
With regard to IBIS, I can only echo what I hear from camera reviews and I only listen to reviews of Nikon, Sony, and Canon camera: Nikon is best, Sony is close, and Canon is not so good. However, recent reviews of the recently released Canon R5 II suggest that it is much better than previous Canon models.
I have a Nikon Z9 and am able to get sharp images at 600mm and 1/100 second hand held with regularity.
 
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