need stabilization help....

Nigel Barker · July 4th, 2011, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Federico Perale

thanks. my point is that because I bought the 5D primarily to shoot videos, does the IS on lenses work effectively for that?

Yes, but remember the IS is designed for still photographers to hold a stationary shot so it's very effective at taking out minor hand tremors. It's not designed to make panning smooth. If you use it on a tripod or even on a shoulder rig you should switch IS off as it can actually make movement worse as when you pan it tries to compensate as far as it is able & then gives up then tries again so you end up with very jerky footage.

Federico Perale · July 4th, 2011, 03:16 AM

thanks. I might still be in time to take the 24-70 back to the store and get the 24-105 IS instead.
I do most of the shooting handheld, and was quite shocked at how difficult it is to keep things steady without any kind of IS.

I might have been naive, but I went for the 24-70 as most people think here it's a better lens, and surely faster/
I have to say the stills are magnificent to say the least!

I guess I am trying to understand if the IS advantage is definitely noticeable and justify the swap?

Nigel Barker · July 4th, 2011, 06:19 AM

I have both lenses & think that the image is better & sharper from the 24-105mm which is an amazingly good lens. The IS is very good as long as you realise the limitations. The extra reach at the long end is good too.The only issue is that extra stop of aperture from the 24-70mm although I do prefer to use the 24-105mm if at all possible.

Federico Perale · July 4th, 2011, 07:52 AM

thanks Nigel
the store says I can bring it back

still....before doing this can you please try to give me more insight as to how much the IS really helps?
I've read contrasting reports, where some say the IS is primarily for stills, hence its effects on video is very limited.
others say it's very helpful, and the benefit tangible. - furthermore the same people say the slightly less prominent shallow DOF on the 24-105 makes it also easier to keep in focus.

by what you wrote it seems the 24-105 is your go-to lens for video.

would you say the IS gets close to using the 24-70 with a monopod?

Federico Perale · July 7th, 2011, 08:30 AM

OK I swapped the lens for a 24-105 and I am quite happy.
the IS function DOES make a noticeable difference, although there is certain something in terms of quality of the image that i think the 24-70 had over this one...apart from being a faster lens that is

strangely I am noticing that shooting without IS is even harder than with the 24-70

I also have to say the IS noise gets picked by the internal mic so much that the audio becomes unusable...

do you guys leave the IS on at all times? unless you use an external mic I don't see how the internal mic could be used with IS on

Charles Newcomb · July 7th, 2011, 09:56 AM

For a number of reasons, I personally don't even acknowledge the internal mic exists. Invest a little in a Rode VideoMic Pro and you'll be a very happy camper.

But for what it's worth, I turn off IS on my 24-105 even when using the RVMP. That's why God invented tripods. I've also discovered a new respect for the monopod, for the aforementioned reasons. A monopod shot isn't going to be as rock-solid as a tripod, but it'll be a whole lot better than handheld, and it's not as invasive as a tripod.

Peer Landa · July 7th, 2011, 10:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alf Pryor

I'm looking for a way to stabilize my 5d for hand held shoots. I've been looking for either a shoulder mounted rig or a steady/glide cam of some sorts.

Over the years I've tried quite a few contraptions for handheld -- one of which was the Varizoom Ultralite: VariZoom VZ UltraLite
(scroll down to see pictures). It took forever to set up right, and even with a bare-bone 5D2, I could not shoot more than a minute or so -- it was simply too heavy for me.

Nowadays, for my handheld I either go with a bare-bone camera with a wide lens (20mm), or use my big Redrock rig (rails, follow-focus, etc.) with a shoulder pad and handles. Here's the pad I got:

Chris Hurd · July 12th, 2011, 10:47 AM

Attachment belongs to post above...

Bill Pryor · July 15th, 2011, 09:21 PM

I have a Cavision shoulder mount rig and can do handheld shots reasonably steady with my 24mm, 35mm and in most cases the 50mm. Anything longer than that is not good. Even for Steadicam shots I use the 35mm. If for some reason you can't use a tripod for most things, consider a good monopod.

July 4th, 2011, 03:16 AM	#17
Federico Perale Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Posts: 410	Re: need stabilization help.... thanks. I might still be in time to take the 24-70 back to the store and get the 24-105 IS instead. I do most of the shooting handheld, and was quite shocked at how difficult it is to keep things steady without any kind of IS. I might have been naive, but I went for the 24-70 as most people think here it's a better lens, and surely faster/ I have to say the stills are magnificent to say the least! I guess I am trying to understand if the IS advantage is definitely noticeable and justify the swap? Last edited by Federico Perale; July 4th, 2011 at 05:25 AM.

July 4th, 2011, 06:19 AM	#18
Nigel Barker Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Posts: 3,531	Re: need stabilization help.... I have both lenses & think that the image is better & sharper from the 24-105mm which is an amazingly good lens. The IS is very good as long as you realise the limitations. The extra reach at the long end is good too.The only issue is that extra stop of aperture from the 24-70mm although I do prefer to use the 24-105mm if at all possible.

July 4th, 2011, 07:52 AM	#19
Federico Perale Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Posts: 410	Re: need stabilization help.... thanks Nigel the store says I can bring it back still....before doing this can you please try to give me more insight as to how much the IS really helps? I've read contrasting reports, where some say the IS is primarily for stills, hence its effects on video is very limited. others say it's very helpful, and the benefit tangible. - furthermore the same people say the slightly less prominent shallow DOF on the 24-105 makes it also easier to keep in focus. by what you wrote it seems the 24-105 is your go-to lens for video. would you say the IS gets close to using the 24-70 with a monopod?

July 7th, 2011, 08:30 AM	#20
Federico Perale Major Player Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: London Posts: 410	Re: need stabilization help.... OK I swapped the lens for a 24-105 and I am quite happy. the IS function DOES make a noticeable difference, although there is certain something in terms of quality of the image that i think the 24-70 had over this one...apart from being a faster lens that is strangely I am noticing that shooting without IS is even harder than with the 24-70 I also have to say the IS noise gets picked by the internal mic so much that the audio becomes unusable... do you guys leave the IS on at all times? unless you use an external mic I don't see how the internal mic could be used with IS on

July 7th, 2011, 09:56 AM	#21
Charles Newcomb Major Player Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Salida, Colorado Posts: 561	Re: need stabilization help.... For a number of reasons, I personally don't even acknowledge the internal mic exists. Invest a little in a Rode VideoMic Pro and you'll be a very happy camper. But for what it's worth, I turn off IS on my 24-105 even when using the RVMP. That's why God invented tripods. I've also discovered a new respect for the monopod, for the aforementioned reasons. A monopod shot isn't going to be as rock-solid as a tripod, but it'll be a whole lot better than handheld, and it's not as invasive as a tripod.

July 12th, 2011, 10:47 AM	#23
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,366 Images: 513	Re: need stabilization help.... Attachment belongs to post above... Attached Thumbnails __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!

July 15th, 2011, 09:21 PM	#24
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Re: need stabilization help.... I have a Cavision shoulder mount rig and can do handheld shots reasonably steady with my 24mm, 35mm and in most cases the 50mm. Anything longer than that is not good. Even for Steadicam shots I use the 35mm. If for some reason you can't use a tripod for most things, consider a good monopod.