What harm, if any, can you do to camera if you don't turn off image stabilization when using a tripod or solid surface. I've come across this in my manual and it doesn't say what "could" happen...... anyone familiar with this?
If you stabilise your camera by means of a tripod, then you don't need I.S. Having it on doesn't harm, but may *cause* a shake (rather than help reduce it when it's hand-held).
@tjramutkowski No problem! (I *think* I'm right!) I don't often know camera-related answers, but the guy in the shop told me this when I bought my camera last year.
Hey TJ - it won't hurt the camera, but it can hurt your photos...it would be in your lens manual, not in your camera manual. IS is designed to reduce camera shake, and when there isn't shake because you're on a tripod or flat surface,it can actually cause some blur in your images. IS allows for lens movement to counter-balance any shake - there is a lens group within the lens that is locked (IS off, no movement within the lens) and unlocked (IS on, balancing movement electronically within the lens) with the IS function...if you're on a tripod, there's nothing to counter-balance, so you may see blur in your photo because the lens is overcompensating. That's probably very simply stated, but that's the gist of it. :)
So glad I saw this thread... I will be sure to turn off IS when I get a tripod! I have enough trouble with shake/blur... I don't need my lens to help cause ti! :)
I do a lot of night photography as part of my "day job" and can confirm that accidentally leaving the IS on when using a tripod can really mess up your shots. It has never hurt my camera however, no matter how many times I've done it. ;)
If you have a tripod and it's heavily weighted down, then you don't need to worry about IS. But it's not going to hurt to have it on. I say, any benefit you can get from it, embrace it. It's not big deal. If you've got IS, then that's awesome!
@tjramutkowski Here's interesting challenge: go out and take some photos with your tripod and use both IS and non IS settings and see what difference it makes to your pictures. Then you'll know the real answer for your camera.
OOOHHHHH!!!!! This is really good to know. I have never turned my IS off even on a tripod. You can probably tell by this I'm not a manual reader. That might explain then why eyes are never as sharp as I feel they should be. Oooo, better try this out.
Interesting, I was actually wondering when looking at my photo today why a macro on a tripod, with a remote was not as sharp as I thought it should be. maybe that was the reason why....?
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