There are two ways that cameras can stabilize themselves so that lower shutter speeds can be used: lens stabilization and in-body image stabilization, also know as IBIS. These technologies are very useful if you can’t use a tripod, but what are the differences between these two?
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Lens Stabilization
Lens stabilization works by moving the glass elements within the lens to counteract camera movement. Lenses with this technology use sensors inside to sense how the camera is moving, and they adust their elements accordingly.
Lens stabilization is refered to with different terms depending on the manufacturer, but despite these differences, they all work the same way:
| Manufacturer | Name For Lens Stabilization |
|---|---|
| Nikon | Vibration Reduction (VR) |
| Canon | Optical Image Stabilization (O.I.S) |
| Sony | Optical SteadyShot Image Stabilization (O.S.S) |
| Fuji | Optical Image Stabilization |
| OM System/Olympus | Image Stabilization (IS) |
| Panasonic | POWER Optical Image Stabilizer |
In-lens stabilization or optical stabilization has traditionally been the most common in the DSLR days when most DSLRs except Pentax did not have any form of in-body image stabilization or IBIS.
Such systems can be quite complex and on higher-end lenses, there is often a switch for various modes of stabilization. For example, on many longer lenses, there is a mode for panning and a mode for holding the lens still.
How effective are these systems? Quite effective. Most modern lenses claim approximately 4-6 stops of image stabilization, which means that instead of shooting at 1/500th of a second, you can use 1/15th of a second—assuming of course your subject remains still as well.
Lens stabilization has another benefit: it provides a calm view through the viewfinder without much shakiness. This is especially useful on DSLRs that do not have any stabilization built in.
Should You Buy a Lens with Lens Stabilization?
Lens stabilization is effective, but often it makes a lens more expensive. Sometimes, you will be faced with a choice between two similar lenses, one with stabilization and one without. This often occurs in choosing between a firsty-party lens and a third-party lens, or an autofocus lens and a manual lens.
The truth is, you may not need lens stabilization, especially if you’re always shooting in good light or on a tripod. If your camera has in-camera stabilization or IBIS that I explain below, then you also probably won’t need lens stabilization.
However, if you are shooting in dim light and your camera does not have any sort of stabilization, it’s really worth it to get a lens with stabilization because it will allow you to shoot at much lower shutter speeds, giving you much better image quality.
Sometimes, you might not even have a choice. This is usually true if you’re buying a longer lens, because almost all of such lenses have lens stabilization.
In-body Image-Stabilization or IBIS
On the other end of the spectrum, we come to in-body image-stabilization, or IBIS. Unlike lens stabilization, IBIS moves the sensor along various axes to compensate for camera movement. IBIS systems can be quite advanced and often have separate modes for video and photography.
These systems are quite effective, and typically give about 5 stops of image stabilization, with the latest cameras like the Sony a9 III promising up to 8 stops.
Not all cameras have IBIS, including some modern mirrorless cameras like the Canon R8, though all Nikon and Sony full-frame mirrorless cameras do have IBIS. IBIS is also present in almost all Pentax DSLRs as well, including their latest model, the Pentax K3 III.
Like in-lens stabilization, IBIS can usually be turned off when necessary.
Should You Buy a Camera with IBIS?
Ideally, you should get a camera with IBIS unless you will be only shooting lenses with lens or optical stabilization. Even if you do plan on shooting only with stabilized lenses, the syncronization function with first-party lenses will give you even more stabilization.
That being said, there are some other cases where you may prefer to get a camera without IBIS. Obviously, if you’re buying a DSLR, it probably won’t have IBIS. Moreover, some Canon cameras don’t come with IBIS like the Canon R8. Yet, these cameras will still work fine even with lenses lacking stabilization, as long as you are more mindful of your shutter speed or you use a tripod.
Personally, I’ve only ever shot a lens and camera combination without any form of stabilization. It was the Nikon D500 with the Nikon 50mm f/1.8G, and wow, the experience without stabilization was so strange! Nevertheless, millions of amazing shots were taken without any stabilization so I guess it is possible.
Nevertheless, there is something magical about just walking around with a wide angle lens and shooting landscapes at 1/5th of a second and have them be sharp!
Which is better?
Both in-lens optical stabilization and in-body image stabilization have their own strengths. Lens stabilization systems are built specifically for the lens, and so they are most effective. This difference is mainly noticeable on longer focal lengths.
On the other hand, IBIS works at the level of the sensor. Due to this, longer focal lengths do not work as well with IBIS. Thus, if your camera promises 5-stops of stabilization with its IBIS, then you might experience only one or two stops of stabilization if you’re shooting with a really long lens of a focal length of 400mm or more.
This is in fact why most long lenses still come with optical stabilization, even when camera IBIS systems have gotten very sophisticated. There’s just no substitute for stabilization on the lens.
IBIS has a huge advantage that it works with any lens. Many DSLR users found new life with their DSLR lenses mounted to mirrorless cameras, because they could now shoot at much lower shutter speeds than ever before.
This means that you can adapt old, manual lenses to your camera as well and get pretty good stabilization with them. IBIS also means that shorter focal length-lens designs can be simpler and potentially lighter, since the lens stabilization gadgetry does not need to be incorporated into the lens.
With first party lenses that do have lens stabilization however, they can often work with your camera’s IBIS to provide even more stabilization.
Should you always use stabilization?
Believe it or not, there are actually cases where it’s better to turn off all forms of stabilization, whether it be lens or in-body stabilization. For example, if you’re on a tripod, it may be better to turn off lens stabilization and IBIS.
That’s because there are some cases where stabilization can actually make shots worse while on a tripod. Now it is true that some stabilization systems are meant to work on a tripod, but even when so, it might be better to turn your stabilization off if you’re trying to take shots with exactly the same framing, such as when you are focus stacking.
You might also want to turn stabilization off when you are shooting video on a tripod. In that case, the subtle movement of stabilization systems can also appear, making your video definitely worse than if you had not used stabilization.
Conclusion
At one point, lens stabilization systems were the dominant form of stabilization. With the rise of mirrorless cameras, in-body image stabilization or IBIS became much more common, especially since such systems work so well with shorter focal lengths. Nevertheless, it’s unlikely that lens stabilization systems will go away due to its superior effectiveness with longer focal lengths. In any case, you don’t have to decide between one and the other because both can be used at the same time, and they often work together!
Do you use any form of stabilization? If so, let me know in the comments!