How Steady is SteadyShot?

[Ed Rooney]

I'm having a lack of success in trying to find out specifics about Sony's image stabilization, SteadyShot. Doing some tabletop in a cramped area, where I cannot set up a tripod, I've been relying on the image stabilization on my Sony RX100-3 and RX10. I suspect that this feature works better at shutter speeds of 1/10 to 1/15 and not as well at 1/30 or 1/60. Does anyone have any facts about this?

 

Thanks, Edo

[ReeRay]

Ed, I don't have any facts but I've got a lot of shots well below the times you suggest. Ironically I found myself in a very dimly lit temple yesterday with a large golden Buddha. Using my Sony RX100-4 I shot off 6 frames @ ISO 125 And 0.1 sec. using Nightmode. All sharp and ready to upload. No tripod, nothing to brace against........ and I'm 70 years old.

 

I'd say Steady shot is steady.

[wiskerke]

Have you tried SCN - Hand-held twilight?

 

wim

[Ed Rooney]

Yeah, fellas, I've tried all those modes with mixed reactions. What I'm really curious about is . . . at what point the IS is activated.  ???

 

(Gee, I wish I was a lad of 70 again.) 

[John Mitchell]

I've always thought that IS is activated whenever the camera or lens detects camera shake, regardless of shutter speed used. But that could be fake news.

[Rhyfeddod]

I always leave steady shot on (using Sony a350) but I did once try it without and I can't say it made a difference for me?

[John Mitchell]

I always leave steady shot on (using Sony a350) but I did once try it without and I can't say it made a difference for me?

I find that I gain at least two to three f-stops when shooting in low light with my Sony e-mount Optical Steady Shot lenses. Same was true with my Sony DSLR (sold it after I switched to mirrorless), which had in-camera stabilization.

 

If you are shooting in "normal" light at average shutter speeds, then image stabilization isn't going to make any difference -- i.e. you won't see any changes in the results if you turn it off.

[Rhyfeddod]

 

I always leave steady shot on (using Sony a350) but I did once try it without and I can't say it made a difference for me?

I find that I gain at least two to three f-stops when shooting in low light with my Sony e-mount Optical Steady Shot lenses. Same was true with my Sony DSLR (sold it after I switched to mirrorless), which had in-camera stabilization.

 

If you are shooting in "normal" light at average shutter speeds, then image stabilization isn't going to make any difference -- i.e. you won't see any changes in the results if you turn it off.

 

That will be why then thank you! I always try to shoot in the best possible conditions. I'll using it less in the light to save battery and see if I can notice the difference in the dark. 

[John Mitchell]

Interesting tear-down of a Sony Optical Steady Shot lens here.

 

It seems that it's all in the wobble rather than in the shutter speed.

[DDoug]

Remember the days before stabilization, when one approach was to step on a string attached to a tripod screw and pull it taut.

edit: P.S., it seems that it would be useful in combination with stabilization, adding a stop or two.

[Ed Rooney]

Interesting tear-down of a Sony Optical Steady Shot lens here.

 

It seems that it's all in the wobble rather than in the shutter speed.

 

 

Thanks, John.

 

You've cleared up the confusion (for me at least). It turns out that I've been doing as well as possible with Sony IS . . . and it has been helpful and effective when I find myself needing to shoot with shutter speeds of 1/10th to 1/60th. When I do this with tabletop I make sure to concentrate on my breathing and capture 5 or 6 frames. So the answer to my original question is: SteadyShot is activated when a wobble is felt by the system.