EA50 SteadyShot stabilization at DVinfo.net

Jon R. Hand · August 23rd, 2013, 07:49 PM

I am a new owner of a SONY NEX-EA50 and have been testing out the camera now for several days. I am questioning how good (adequate) is the steadyshot stabilization. With my two former camcorders (Canon XH A1 and before that the Canon XL1, optical stabilization was always superb in most situations, wide angle and all the way zoomed in (I rarely use a tripod for my documentaries). The stabilization with the EA50 and kit lens seems really poor to me, and I've done many tests now, in both standard and active mode. Just not nearly as stable as my two earlier Canon camcorders! And ALL the online handheld EA50 footage I've looked at confirms my present EA50 experience (particularly in the lateral movement). Handheld shots are just so- so at best. I used to very smooth handheld work that my former two cameras gave me repeatedly, and with ease. I would love to hear some comments about this, and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the larger sensor format (DSLR-type) system versus the former older cameras. I truly confused and worried at this point.

Chris Harding · August 23rd, 2013, 11:06 PM

Hi Jon

It's a shoulder mount camera so mine is always off. If you put a little weight behind the shoulder pad it balances very nicely and you will find that most handheld shots are pretty smooth. If you are too steady handheld then the stab circuitry can easily think you are on a tripod and make adjustments that are not necessary and that actually creates unwanted corrections.

Try some shots with OSS off and see if it makes a difference!

Chris

Jon R. Hand · August 24th, 2013, 07:10 AM

Thank you Chris. Ironically, my son, who is a blacksmith, just fabricated me a custom 4 lb. weight for the back of the shoulder pad. I will be testing this out tomorrow. I hope it helps! The Canon XL1, which was also shoulder pad design, always made by hand-held shots extra smooth with stabilization turned on. I do appreciate your quick response-help.

Also, while we're talking about stabilization, I assume steadyshot is a function of the kit zoom lens, and NOT within the SONY camera body. Correct? I just got the Metabones Speedbooster which I will be using with my Canon 24-105 zoom. The Canon lens does have a stabilizer in it, but I would assume this would have no effect on the EA50. Correct?

Chris Quevedo · August 24th, 2013, 05:20 PM

hi, incorrect. the metabones speedbooster does allow canon lenses that have image stabilization. its stabilization will work

Chris Harding · August 24th, 2013, 07:15 PM

Hi Jon

Yep it's all in the lens ...the metabones is supposed to have all functions including AF and OSS available but I see many people having great issues with various cam/lens combinations and there seems to be a constant flow of the adapters back to China.

What sort of stuff are you shooting where you need the stabilization?? It will often work well for certain shots/situations and not so well for others ... a typical scenario of where you are having issues might help.

Chris

Noa Put · August 25th, 2013, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

It's a shoulder mount camera so mine is always off.

Why would you do that? the OIS only needs to be set to off when you are on a tripod. I do shoot with primes that don't allow stabilization and there is a big difference shooting with a unstabilized lens at, say, 200mm compared with a stabilized one, like the stocklens. The fact that you are using a semi-shoulder mount camera doesn't change that.

The stabilization on the ea50 is not great, but helpful, the stabilization on my sony cx730 is a lot better. I am able to shoot handheld at 200mm on the stocklens but my shots on my cx730 at full telephoto are much smoother.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Harding

If you put a little weight behind the shoulder pad it balances very nicely

All the weight from this camera is in your hands and nothing on your shoulder if you extent the shoulder pad completely, it only gives you extra stability in such a case. If you want this camera to balance nicely on your shoulder you need a lot of weight added to the back, not a little.

Chris Harding · August 25th, 2013, 06:14 AM

Hey Noa

We obviously shoot differently. I notice that your favourite lens in your 85mm?? You wouldn't catch me using an 85mm off tripod in a million years. Guest work is usually done at 11mm (that's right I have a Tokina 11-16 F2.8 zoom) used mostly during the reception. If I'm using the stock lens handheld I'm usually at 18mm or just a little higher now and again and anything over that is on camera1 which is on tripod as the main camera for the ceremony and speeches.

At 11mm it's pretty hard to get wobbles but I can see the issue at 85mm ... a tiny bit of movement at the camera end would equate to quite drastic movement at the subject end so I can see the point of using stabilisation there.

Chris

Noa Put · August 25th, 2013, 06:32 AM

I shot with a unstabilised 80-210mm tamron yesterday and I can certainly see the image stabilisation on the sony stocklens makes a difference, not dramatically, but it helps. I just don't understand why you would turn of image stabilization if your lens supports ois and if you shoot handheld, unless you like shaky footage there is no reason to do that. The nex-ea50 is no shoulder mount camera, it just has a pad that rests on your shoulder and you carry all weight in your hands and that will introduce shake, so using the ois is not a luxury if you ask me.

Jon R. Hand · August 25th, 2013, 09:39 AM

I will have my custom weight for the EA50 tomorrow and will report back soon. Yesterday I shot more test footage (wedding). With stock lens, stabilization is not nearly as good as with my former 2 Canons (with the Canons I could get fabulous steady shots in full zoom!). So the SONY steadyshot I believe is not in the same league at all. Disappointed to say the least. Canon stabilization has been nearly perfect over the years and has served me well. (I've never turned off stabilization when not on a tripod, which is rare for the kind of work I do).

As for the metabones adapter, wow, worked like a charm. Best $600 I've spent in a very long time. Using a Canon 24-105 with it. Extra f-stop (2.8 throughout zoom range), and gives me a wider wide angle than the stock lens. And much sharper also. Canon L lens stabilization seems to work well also. Bokeh is stunning. This is exciting, money well spent. Power zoom does NOT work with the metabones and this lens. But that is not an issue for me. Super easy to manual zoom and focus!!! EA50 LCD screen is top notch, clarity. You win some, and you lose some.

Also, gain beyond -18 is not usable in my opinion, and even at that range it's just so-so. This is not a great low light camera, which has been reported. But such is life. The general feel of the EA50 is very good (with the weight behind the shoulder pad, it should be even better).

I appreciate all the feedback. Much thanks. Stay tuned.

Steven Digges · August 25th, 2013, 01:15 PM

1. A large sensor shot with shallow DOF will show your movement more. With the background out of focus and just the subject in focus there is less of the image for the brain and eye to focus on, effectively magnifying movement.

2. The Kit lens and many other lenses you guys are using are optically stabilized. Even though stabilization takes place in the lens it still needs to communicate with the body for several reasons. Not the least of which is power to function.

3. There are not any camera options I know of that are worthy of keeping turned on at all times. If you don’t need it, turn it off. If Chris is comfortable handheld with his wide lens and no stabilization then he is extending his battery life and not dealing with compositional changes stabilization can cause. Personally, I keep it on when going shoulder mounted. I believe it helps a lot, but he shoots wide with small apertures so each to their own taste.

4. To actually “see” your stabilization put the camera on a tripod and do a slow pan. Stop the pan dead and you will see the image drift past the point of your stop. It will look like the pan is still moving. If you forget to turn it off when tracking a subject like someone pacing on a stage it will mess up your composition and make you crazy.

5. Too much of a good thing is bad. That is why active mode is selectable. It should only be used when you and the camera are in motion, IE: in a car or boat, or walking.

Steve

Jon R. Hand · August 25th, 2013, 02:52 PM

Thank you Steven for your thoughts and expertise.

Steven Digges · August 25th, 2013, 03:14 PM

Hey Jon,

I am a Canon guy by choice and still would be if they would not have abandoned XL form factor. I went through the whole series beginning with the XL1. Great cameras.

I recently chose the EA50 for two main reasons, interchangeable lenses and form factor. It is a good camera. And lots of bang for the buck. You will get used to it. Never forget it is essentially a DSLR in the proper packaging to make it a functional video camera.

There is a ton of information here. Several of us regulars have chronicled our entire experience with it, since it is new release.

This morning I saw that B&H Photo has them down to $2,999.00 for a limited supply. That is $500.00 less than I paid for mine, from them.

Steve

Jon R. Hand · August 26th, 2013, 08:27 PM

Well, the custom 4-pound weight my blacksmith son made for the back of the shoulder pad has certainly helped with stabilizing the kit lens (with camera standard steadyshot ON). Not perfect (nor as good as Canon stabilizers), but a marked improvement nevertheless. Having more weight in back is the only way to go. This will work for me.

Interestingly, when working with the metabones speedbooster adapter and Canon 24-105 (lens stabilizer ON), it is even 'more' steady, up to full zoom. I believe this will become my standard camera-lens combo with the EA50, as someone who can't be confined to tripod or monopod (since my days long ago shooting 16mm documentaries with Eclair ACL and NPRs, and electric Bolexs with shoulder harness rigs!).

Have shot about about three hours test footage now. Rolling shutter is easily handled (fixed) in Adobe Premiere. No problem there. But the moire is driving me crazy! I have found NO solution fixing this in post. Can't believe after 40 years motion picture-video experience, I have to watch out for 'certain' patterns!

Peter Rush · August 27th, 2013, 08:30 AM

Jon - the speedbooster is also the best thing i've bought for this camera - my canon 24-105 now at f2.8 is my go to lens for indoor shooting - i also use my 70-200mm hand held for evening reception shots as it goes down to f1.9 - great for getting candid stuff without resorting to my on camera light. Regarding moire well i was watching the BBC news a few nights ago and the weather man's jacket was shimmering all over the place - if the bbc can't stop it then what hope do we have? I see moire quite often on broadcast tv - to be honest i don't give it much thought.

August 23rd, 2013, 07:49 PM	#1
Jon R. Hand Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 33	EA50 SteadyShot stabilization I am a new owner of a SONY NEX-EA50 and have been testing out the camera now for several days. I am questioning how good (adequate) is the steadyshot stabilization. With my two former camcorders (Canon XH A1 and before that the Canon XL1, optical stabilization was always superb in most situations, wide angle and all the way zoomed in (I rarely use a tripod for my documentaries). The stabilization with the EA50 and kit lens seems really poor to me, and I've done many tests now, in both standard and active mode. Just not nearly as stable as my two earlier Canon camcorders! And ALL the online handheld EA50 footage I've looked at confirms my present EA50 experience (particularly in the lateral movement). Handheld shots are just so- so at best. I used to very smooth handheld work that my former two cameras gave me repeatedly, and with ease. I would love to hear some comments about this, and I'm wondering if this has something to do with the larger sensor format (DSLR-type) system versus the former older cameras. I truly confused and worried at this point.

August 23rd, 2013, 11:06 PM	#2
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Hi Jon It's a shoulder mount camera so mine is always off. If you put a little weight behind the shoulder pad it balances very nicely and you will find that most handheld shots are pretty smooth. If you are too steady handheld then the stab circuitry can easily think you are on a tripod and make adjustments that are not necessary and that actually creates unwanted corrections. Try some shots with OSS off and see if it makes a difference! Chris

August 24th, 2013, 07:10 AM	#3
Jon R. Hand Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 33	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Thank you Chris. Ironically, my son, who is a blacksmith, just fabricated me a custom 4 lb. weight for the back of the shoulder pad. I will be testing this out tomorrow. I hope it helps! The Canon XL1, which was also shoulder pad design, always made by hand-held shots extra smooth with stabilization turned on. I do appreciate your quick response-help. Also, while we're talking about stabilization, I assume steadyshot is a function of the kit zoom lens, and NOT within the SONY camera body. Correct? I just got the Metabones Speedbooster which I will be using with my Canon 24-105 zoom. The Canon lens does have a stabilizer in it, but I would assume this would have no effect on the EA50. Correct?

August 24th, 2013, 05:20 PM	#4
Chris Quevedo Regular Crew Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Paradise, CA Posts: 158	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization hi, incorrect. the metabones speedbooster does allow canon lenses that have image stabilization. its stabilization will work

August 24th, 2013, 07:15 PM	#5
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Hi Jon Yep it's all in the lens ...the metabones is supposed to have all functions including AF and OSS available but I see many people having great issues with various cam/lens combinations and there seems to be a constant flow of the adapters back to China. What sort of stuff are you shooting where you need the stabilization?? It will often work well for certain shots/situations and not so well for others ... a typical scenario of where you are having issues might help. Chris

August 25th, 2013, 06:14 AM	#7
Chris Harding Inner Circle Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 8,441	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Hey Noa We obviously shoot differently. I notice that your favourite lens in your 85mm?? You wouldn't catch me using an 85mm off tripod in a million years. Guest work is usually done at 11mm (that's right I have a Tokina 11-16 F2.8 zoom) used mostly during the reception. If I'm using the stock lens handheld I'm usually at 18mm or just a little higher now and again and anything over that is on camera1 which is on tripod as the main camera for the ceremony and speeches. At 11mm it's pretty hard to get wobbles but I can see the issue at 85mm ... a tiny bit of movement at the camera end would equate to quite drastic movement at the subject end so I can see the point of using stabilisation there. Chris

August 25th, 2013, 06:32 AM	#8
Noa Put Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Belgium Posts: 9,509	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization I shot with a unstabilised 80-210mm tamron yesterday and I can certainly see the image stabilisation on the sony stocklens makes a difference, not dramatically, but it helps. I just don't understand why you would turn of image stabilization if your lens supports ois and if you shoot handheld, unless you like shaky footage there is no reason to do that. The nex-ea50 is no shoulder mount camera, it just has a pad that rests on your shoulder and you carry all weight in your hands and that will introduce shake, so using the ois is not a luxury if you ask me.

August 25th, 2013, 09:39 AM	#9
Jon R. Hand Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 33	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization I will have my custom weight for the EA50 tomorrow and will report back soon. Yesterday I shot more test footage (wedding). With stock lens, stabilization is not nearly as good as with my former 2 Canons (with the Canons I could get fabulous steady shots in full zoom!). So the SONY steadyshot I believe is not in the same league at all. Disappointed to say the least. Canon stabilization has been nearly perfect over the years and has served me well. (I've never turned off stabilization when not on a tripod, which is rare for the kind of work I do). As for the metabones adapter, wow, worked like a charm. Best $600 I've spent in a very long time. Using a Canon 24-105 with it. Extra f-stop (2.8 throughout zoom range), and gives me a wider wide angle than the stock lens. And much sharper also. Canon L lens stabilization seems to work well also. Bokeh is stunning. This is exciting, money well spent. Power zoom does NOT work with the metabones and this lens. But that is not an issue for me. Super easy to manual zoom and focus!!! EA50 LCD screen is top notch, clarity. You win some, and you lose some. Also, gain beyond -18 is not usable in my opinion, and even at that range it's just so-so. This is not a great low light camera, which has been reported. But such is life. The general feel of the EA50 is very good (with the weight behind the shoulder pad, it should be even better). I appreciate all the feedback. Much thanks. Stay tuned.

August 25th, 2013, 01:15 PM	#10
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization 1. A large sensor shot with shallow DOF will show your movement more. With the background out of focus and just the subject in focus there is less of the image for the brain and eye to focus on, effectively magnifying movement. 2. The Kit lens and many other lenses you guys are using are optically stabilized. Even though stabilization takes place in the lens it still needs to communicate with the body for several reasons. Not the least of which is power to function. 3. There are not any camera options I know of that are worthy of keeping turned on at all times. If you don’t need it, turn it off. If Chris is comfortable handheld with his wide lens and no stabilization then he is extending his battery life and not dealing with compositional changes stabilization can cause. Personally, I keep it on when going shoulder mounted. I believe it helps a lot, but he shoots wide with small apertures so each to their own taste. 4. To actually “see” your stabilization put the camera on a tripod and do a slow pan. Stop the pan dead and you will see the image drift past the point of your stop. It will look like the pan is still moving. If you forget to turn it off when tracking a subject like someone pacing on a stage it will mess up your composition and make you crazy. 5. Too much of a good thing is bad. That is why active mode is selectable. It should only be used when you and the camera are in motion, IE: in a car or boat, or walking. Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

August 25th, 2013, 02:52 PM	#11
Jon R. Hand Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 33	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Thank you Steven for your thoughts and expertise.

August 25th, 2013, 03:14 PM	#12
Steven Digges Trustee Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 1,828	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Hey Jon, I am a Canon guy by choice and still would be if they would not have abandoned XL form factor. I went through the whole series beginning with the XL1. Great cameras. I recently chose the EA50 for two main reasons, interchangeable lenses and form factor. It is a good camera. And lots of bang for the buck. You will get used to it. Never forget it is essentially a DSLR in the proper packaging to make it a functional video camera. There is a ton of information here. Several of us regulars have chronicled our entire experience with it, since it is new release. This morning I saw that B&H Photo has them down to $2,999.00 for a limited supply. That is $500.00 less than I paid for mine, from them. Steve __________________ www.CorporateShow.com Been at this so long I'm rounding my years of experience down...not up!

August 26th, 2013, 08:27 PM	#13
Jon R. Hand Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Buffalo NY Posts: 33	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Well, the custom 4-pound weight my blacksmith son made for the back of the shoulder pad has certainly helped with stabilizing the kit lens (with camera standard steadyshot ON). Not perfect (nor as good as Canon stabilizers), but a marked improvement nevertheless. Having more weight in back is the only way to go. This will work for me. Interestingly, when working with the metabones speedbooster adapter and Canon 24-105 (lens stabilizer ON), it is even 'more' steady, up to full zoom. I believe this will become my standard camera-lens combo with the EA50, as someone who can't be confined to tripod or monopod (since my days long ago shooting 16mm documentaries with Eclair ACL and NPRs, and electric Bolexs with shoulder harness rigs!). Have shot about about three hours test footage now. Rolling shutter is easily handled (fixed) in Adobe Premiere. No problem there. But the moire is driving me crazy! I have found NO solution fixing this in post. Can't believe after 40 years motion picture-video experience, I have to watch out for 'certain' patterns!

August 27th, 2013, 08:30 AM	#14
Peter Rush Inner Circle Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: UK/Yorkshire Posts: 2,069	Re: EA50 SteadyShot stabilization Jon - the speedbooster is also the best thing i've bought for this camera - my canon 24-105 now at f2.8 is my go to lens for indoor shooting - i also use my 70-200mm hand held for evening reception shots as it goes down to f1.9 - great for getting candid stuff without resorting to my on camera light. Regarding moire well i was watching the BBC news a few nights ago and the weather man's jacket was shimmering all over the place - if the bbc can't stop it then what hope do we have? I see moire quite often on broadcast tv - to be honest i don't give it much thought.