I Thought I Needed Image Stabilization More Than I Really Do

Fujifilm X-T2; 16-55mm f/2.8 lens @ 17mm ; 1/15th sec. @ f/8; ISO 640

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As I've aged I've convinced myself that my photographic skills are not as sharp as when I was younger.  Specifically, I have been a bit worried that I can't handhold a camera quite as steady at slower shutter speeds as I had in the past.  And that is somewhat true.  But, when I actually look at the images I've made over the past few years, using the lenses I've owned with and without images stabilization, largely I think my worries may be exaggerated.

Being curious, I did some quick analysis of my use of stabilized and non-stabilized lenses using my Fujifilm gear; the X-T1, T2, and T3.  As most of you know, I regularly use both Fujifilm gear and Olympus gear.  Being that my Olympus cameras have incredible in-body-image-stabilization (IBIS) an analysis of using that gear would not make any sense.  

55mm; 1/5th sec. @ f/8; ISO 200

When I first purchased the X-T1 in February 2014, I also bought the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens along with the 10-24mm f/4 and the 55-100mm f/3.5-4.8 lenses.  Those lenses are all image stabilized.  By June 2016 I realized that 18mm was not quite wide enough for my style of photography (forcing me to often change to the 10-24)) so I purchased the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens, which is not image stabilized.  For all of my years shooting film, 24mm was my wide angle sweet spot and the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens provided that equivalent filed of view at the wide end.  

When I started to use the 16-55mm lens, I quickly found I was getting some unsharp images due to camera movement.  After years of using only stabilized lenses with my Nikons and IBIS with my Olympus gear, I quickly realized I had gotten a bit sloppy with my technique.  I was getting some unsharp images in situations I had taken for granted would render sharp images with stabilization employed.  Don't take anything for granted is the lesson learned then.

Identifying the problem, I consciously set out to improve my technique in two ways.  I started to pay attention to shutter speeds and I consciously worked on my handholding technique.  Within a few weeks I had once again regained my ability to handhold a camera at slower shutter speeds.  Paying attention being the key more than anything else.

Since that time, the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens almost always stays on my Fujifilm cameras.  No image stabilization is normally needed.  But, again, I pay attention—mostly!  LOL.  All the images shown in this post were made using the 16-55mm f/2.8 lens.

Reviewing the metadata of all of my images using my Fujifilm X-T1, T2 and T3 since February 2014, I have made a total of 47,811 images.  Of those, 20,971 images, or almost 44%, were made using non-IS lenses.  I'm not a big tripod user so I would estimate maybe 500 of the 20,971 images were shot using a tripod at really slow shutter speeds.  Of those 20,971 images, I would estimate (from memory of me editing my images) possibly 75 are unsharp due to camera movement at slow shutter speeds.  Many of those came when I first started using the 16-55mm lens.  I know I had about 7 or 8 this past fall on our western U.S. road trip.  That was my fault as I was not paying attention to shutter speeds!

25mm; 1/10th sec. @ f/5.6; ISO 1600

From looking at my metadata, it appears that the slowest shutter speeds that I have regularly used and still rendered sharp images is 1/20th second.  Typically images made using shutter speeds slower than that were made from a tripod but not all of them.  A few examples are posted here with the metadata listed.

The slowest shutter speed I had used and still made sharp images was with my X-T1 and the 14mm f/2.8 lens at 1/5th sec.  The same occurred with the 16-55mm lens at 1/5 second. This kind of surprises me.  May be a bit of luck is involved along with paying attention for those images?  Mostly luck, probably.

There are two techniques I have adopted over the years to get sharper images at slower shutter speeds.  I adopted them due to my routine submissions to a stock photo agency and needing to submit only the absolute sharpest images.  First, I routinely set my drive to continuous low and take three shots in a burst.  Often times, when analyzing image files for sharpness, I noticed that the second image made in the 3-shot sequence is a hair sharper than the first.  Just a hair, but noticeable when it occurs.  It wouldn't even be noticeable if I weren't comparing the two side-by-side at 100%.  It is that slight of a difference.  But I need to do that for stock.  I believe the slightly less sharp first image in the sequence is due to an almost imperceptible camera movement from pressing the shutter button.  Another area in which to improve technique.  Also, I've tried the "roll on" technique of pushing the shutter button, but it just doesn't work well with me.  

55mm; 1/13th sec. @ f/11; ISO 200

Second, I assume a slightly modified stance and breathing technique I learned as a new police officer in the early 1970s when learning how to use a firearm.  I place one foot forward of the other at shoulder width, turn my body slightly at an angle (30-45 degrees) to which the camera is pointing, pull my elbows into my sides, and press the shutter when I finish exhaling.  Turning your body at an angle and pulling your elbows in creating a triangle greatly increases stability.

The upshot of all this is that I had convinced myself that I could almost not get along without image stabilization when the analysis of the facts reveal I can very well do so indeed!  I guess the lesson to be learned is to actually take stock of what you are doing, using actual images, rather than what your mind is telling you.  That way you have empirical information and not just a psychological feeling.

That all being said, it doesn't mean my next camera won't have IBIS.  That would be foolish to categorically exclude a camera that has that useful feature.  After all, my Olympus gear bears that out.

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy! 

Dennis A. Mook 

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