Essential Guide to Image Stabilisation

CANON

Hybrid IS

A system incorporated into Canon’s 100mm f/2.8 macro lens (and now some compacts too) which corrects for both angular and shift shake, as shown by the image below. Canon claims the system is particularly useful for macro shooting, and is effective up to 4EV stops at standard shooting distances, which reduces to up to 2EV steps when shooting at 1:1 (life-size).

IS

The company’s lens-based Image Stabilizer. This has been used in EF, EF-S and EF-M lenses, as well as those found in the company’s IXUS and PowerShot compact lines.

Motion Detection

Found in some of the company’s compacts, this is said to raise the camera’s ISO setting (and therefore the shutter speed) in response to the movement detected in a scene.

NIKON

Electronic VR

This system captures two images – one with one more blur than the other – so that the trajectory of the blur can be measured and digitally corrected in the sharper image. This is typically used in the company’s Coolpix range of compact cameras.

Hybrid VR

Lens-shift plus Electronic VR. This system first corrects for camera shake by shifting the lens, and if further correction is necessary the Electronic VR system steps in.

VR

The company’s lens-based Vibration Reduction system, found in both fixed and interchangeable lenses. This was joined by a second-generation VR II system, which promises up to four EV stops of correction over non-stabilised optics.

OLYMPUS

Image Stabilisation

The company’s sensor-based IS system, claimed to deliver up to 5EV stops of correction.

PANASONIC

Hybrid O.I.S. +

Designed for video, this system builds on the company’s lens-based Power O.I.S. technology by incorporating correction for vertical and horizontal shifting, vertical and horizontal rotation, and rotation around the optical axis.

Mega O.I.S.

Lens-based image stabilisation system, which works by shifting lens elements to counter blur. This has long featured in the the company’s Lumix compacts, and more recently in the company’s range of Micro Four Thirds lenses.

Power O.I.S.

Said to almost double the corrective power of MEGA O.I.S., this lens-based system has been used more recently in the company’s compacts to mitigate the effects of camera shake.

PENTAX

SR

Pentax’s sensor-based Shake Reduction stabilisation technology, found in DSLRs and compacts.

SIGMA

OS

Optical Stabilizer, found in a number of the company’s lenses.

SONY

Optical SteadyShot (OSS)

Lens-based image stabilisation, found within the company’s E-series lenses and some of its Cyber-shot compacts.

SteadyShot INSIDE (SSI)

Sensor-based stabilisation, found within the company’s SLT models.

TAMRON

VC

Lens-based stabilisation technology, said to offer up to four EV stops of correction.