Is "Image Stabilization" a good feature to have for u/w photography?

[curiousgeorgie]

Should I be looking for this feature in a digital camera? I'm an amateur photographer.

 

[Gilligan]

I don't think it can hurt. Even though water is more dense than air the stabilization factor may help in surge etc.
I don't have it in my Olympus camera but I understand that Canon has it in some of their models.
It would come in more handy when shooting the video clips that a still digital camera can take, especially when zooming in. The more powerful the zoom the more the stabilization feature would help.

 

[RonFrank]

Should I be looking for this feature in a digital camera? I'm an amateur photographer.

I assume you are talking STILL cameras? If so...

Image Stabilization is VERY useful for a couple applications. One is handholding longer focal length lenses. Since one must use a higher shutter speed as the focal length increases, IS/VR whatever is VERY useful, and generally built into the lens, not the camera.

The other situation IS is useful is for handholding in low light situations. So if one is trying to shoot indoors at 1/15 of a second at 85mm, a 1/85 of a second shutter would be likely needed to hold the lens still, but IS can allow generally about a 3 stop max lower shutter.

The reason I say that one should not worry too much about IS underwater is because you are generally shooting moving objects AND if the light is very low, IS is just not going to make a huge amount of difference.

1/15 sec is NOT going to stop action, so the end results will be anything moving will be blurred. When using a flash (like macro) the flash duration becomes the shutter speed, so shooting with a flash freezes action. So IS is useful when shooting without flash for non-moving subject matter at wider focal lengths.

Another thing that should be considered, but I can not answer is how effective is IS underwater. It is designed to work above water, and basically it floats either the sensor (built in) or the lens elements (in lens) to account for user shake. How this works out UW can ONLY be answered by someone who has tested it.

Anit-Shake is ONLY found in maybe one camera that I can think of (Minolta). I read that another maker is going to start putting it in camera as well (maybe Pentex?).

At this point I'd focus on available housings. IS is hardly worth a lot of thought unless the priority is above water shooting, and then really not all that important unless one plans on doing big focal length stuff, or low light.

Ron

 

[RonFrank]

I don't think it can hurt. Even though water is more dense than air the stabilization factor may help in surge etc.
I don't have it in my Olympus camera but I understand that Canon has it in some of their models.
It would come in more handy when shooting the video clips that a still digital camera can take, especially when zooming in. The more powerful the zoom the more the stabilization feature would help.

In STILL camera's, both Canon and Nikon offer IS (Canon) or VR (Nikon) in many of their lenses, but NOT the camera's.

Minolta was the first to offer it in Camera. I read that another is going to as well, maybe Pentex. These are the top level prosumer digital, and for lenses, obviously DSLR's. I don't think that anyone is making a housing for the Minolta A1.

In addition this feature does NOT seem to work all that well as a built in option where the sensor moves (A1). In the Minolta it does NOT work for panning, or for moving subjects. Reviews indicate a one stop stabilization, so not much. It works VERY well when used in lenses on DSLR's where some can get 4 stops out of it based on the users ability to handhold a lens in the first place. IS in lenses can handle panning, and moving subjects very well, and are used by mainly sports shooters, and wildlife photographers (it's big for birding) who are generally shooting 300mm+ focal lengths.

IS/VR/Anti-Shake is based on the user attempting to be completely still. Since one is never completely still UW, I'm not sure it's going to work well. Also most IS lenses are in the larger focal length range, or include bigger focal lengths (read BIG lenses) and I doubt anyone is making lens ports for these beasts.

My observations are based on my knowledge of STILL cameras, and I can not speak to the world of video.

Ron

 

[alexoki]

I have a Canon S1 IS and have found the IS system to be very useful for me. With underwater video it is first class, coupled with the x10 zoom on the S1.
I used to have an A80 without IS and I find that I am getting much clearer pics with the S1, no blur on macro shots for example.
Many people say that the big zoom is useless underwater but I disagree. Many fish take off as soon as you invade their comfort space but the zoom allows you to get in close and still get a clear shot with the IS.