In-Body IS takes handheld shooting to a new level. Not only does it allow you to use lenses that don’t have built-in image stabilisation in ways that you couldn’t use them before, it also makes certain scenes easier to achieve even without a tripod! Here are three types of scenes to explore with your new In-Body IS-ready camera. (Reported by: Kazuo Nakahara, Digital Camera Magazine)

Shutter speed: 5 seconds
EOS R5/ RF24-105mm f/4L IS USM/ FL: 24mm/ Shutter-priority AE (f/10, 5 sec, EV -0.3)/ ISO 100/ WB: Tungsten

 

Scene 1: Long exposures at night

Light trails like the ones in this 5-second exposure above usually require a tripod to keep the camera steady, but I managed to capture it by hand. The image stabilisation effect was around seven shutter speed stops’ equivalent. You might still see a bit of camera shake if you look very closely, but otherwise, the image is sharp enough for use.

Up to 8 stops of image stabilisation means you can use a shutter speed that is around 256x slower!

Simple math shows that being able to shoot eight stops’ slower means a shutter speed that is roughly 2^8= 256 times slower than what you normally use if you didn’t have image stabilisation.

Under the reciprocal rule, without image stabilisation, your shutter speed should be at least 1/x seconds (where x = your focal length) to get a sharp image. This means that when using a wide angle lens (35mm or shorter) in combination with In-Body IS or Coordinated Control IS, you can achieve sharp handheld shots even at shutter speeds up to a few seconds long!

 

Scene 2: Dim indoor lighting

ISO 250
EOS R5/ RF24-105mm f/4L IS USM/ FL: 105mm/ Aperture-priority AE (f/4, 0.5 sec, EV -0.3)/ ISO 250/ WB: Daylight

The chances of camera shake are higher at long focal lengths. A scene like this usually requires at least ISO 6400 to keep the shutter speed sufficiently fast. However, with In-Body IS, the shot was sharp even at 0.5 sec, allowing me to keep the ISO low at 250 to ensure the best image quality.

You no longer have to sacrifice image quality for a sharper shot

There are many poorly lit scenes where you might not be able to use a tripod—cafes, bars, and museums are just some examples. Usually, to keep the image sharp, you would have to use a faster shutter speed and a high ISO speed, resigning yourself to more image noise. However, with in-camera image stabilisation (In-Body IS), you can prioritise image quality by using a lower ISO setting and slower shutter speed than before.

Tip: Go even further and avoid camera shake from shutter shock by using the electronic shutter. Shooting will be silent, which might just be perfect for the situation!

Also see:
Shutter Modes & Continuous Shooting Modes: When to Use Which?

 

Scene 3: Shooting with super telephoto lenses

FL: 800mm
EOS R6/ RF800mm f/11 IS STM/ Shutter-priority AE (f/11, 1/400 sec, EV -0.3)/ ISO 200/ WB: Auto
Photo by: Charlie Furusho

The RF800mm f/11 IS STM and RF600mm f/11 IS STM are unique for their light weight and compactness, and the best way to take advantage of that is by shooting handheld with them! This image was taken at 1/400 second to retain the motion blur in the propeller blades, and would have been harder to achieve with the lens-based Optical IS alone.

Making the once-impossible possible

Not only does camera shake increase tremendously when shooting with a long lens, it can also cause the viewfinder image to look a little jerky. That’s why having powerful image stabilisation on hand is especially important when shooting with a super telephoto lens. It makes it easier to capture scenes where you don’t want to use a shutter speed that is too fast, such as when you want to retain a bit of movement for a dynamic effect, and also ensures a stable viewfinder image.

Canon’s recent super telephoto lenses are all equipped with Optical IS. When you use them with a camera with In-Body IS, such as the EOS R5 and EOS R6, the two IS systems work together to ensure more effective image stabilisation.

Find out how In-Body IS changed the way a landscape photographer shoots in:
Why the EOS R5 is My Ideal Camera for Landscape Photography

For more handheld photography ideas, check out:
Shoot Beautiful Night Portraits with No Tripod, No Flash
Slow Shutter Art: 2 Ideas to Make Your Panning Shots More Interesting

 

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