Camera Support vs. IS

drd1135

Zen Snapshooter
Location
Virginia
Name
Steve
Although I have a nice tripod and monopod, I almost never use them. Most of my photo opportunities/trips require me to travel light and I never have time to actually setup a shot with a tripod. If it weren't for IBIS/OIS I would have no way to stabilize the camera. How common is my situation and what do other folks do instead?
 
At the moment I only engage it for moon shots, nothing else but that's because I worked on hand held technique a while ago and never looked back. Having said that, stabilisation on a 100mm-400mm lens was very useful and appreciated and I know as I get a lot older I might need it so it's nice not having a reliance on it for the time being. For me, image output is generally better with a tripod than with stabilisation.
 
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Although I have a nice tripod and monopod, I almost never use them. Most of my photo opportunities/trips require me to travel light and I never have time to actually setup a shot with a tripod. If it weren't for IBIS/OIS I would have no way to stabilize the camera. How common is my situation and what do other folks do instead?
It may actually be common, at least based on what I've observed.

I use the old human tripod technique + breathing. I, too, prefer traveling light and I only bring at most 2 lenses, one prime and one WR plus a Manfrotto table/mini tripod, which I seldom use but it's always in the bottle holder of my bag. I only use it for astro and long-exposure shots. 97% of the time I just wear the camera cross-body wherever I go, even in meetings.
 
I carry a small Joby tripod. It isn't even rated to hold the weight I put on it, but the super bend arms mean you can use them to help stabilize the camera.

Hard to explain, as I don't have a picture, but what I do is find a decent rock/stump/etc and attach the tripod to the camera. Then I bend the two front legs forward to support the lens and the rear foot as an out rigger the stabilize the left-right axis.

Only has a working height of an inch or two, but when hiking it is an acceptable compromise as it works fine for landscape and night sky pictures. Not so good for macro.

Using a small Joby (500g'ish limit) I have taken star pictures with an e-m1 mki and a 40-150/2.8. They weren't very good because that lens really needs a tracking mount, but they were sharp.

I've had lots of success with a smaller lens like the 15/1.7.

My point is, if your are reasonably creative you can work wonders with an under rated Joby and delayed release settings (diamond mode on Olympus cameras).

Edit:
I realize I never circled backed to the topic... 😝

I rely on IS most of the time, and then get creative for long exposures.
 
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I normally brings with a Manfrotto 209 table top tripod, it fits into the bag and weights nothing, but I seldom brings the large Mefoto.

Bringing the large tripod with me is something that is on the agenda for 2023, not necessarily for the steadiness provided but more as a tool for slowing down and force myself be more considerate in my work process, so to speak.

If I should go all mumbo-jumbo, I will try it as a tool for being in the moment.
 
Rarely use my tripods outside of the house these days and YES IBIS is a large part of the reason. Prior to IBIS I would think, do need to take that? Now? Nope.

2 seconds hand help in the cold with gloves on.

EM120249.jpg
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Rarely use my tripods outside of the house these days and YES IBIS is a large part of the reason. Prior to IBIS I would think, do need to take that? Now? Nope.

2 seconds hand help in the cold with gloves on.

View attachment 370961
Olympus IBIS is still remarkably good. I remember getting the original EM5 and once they had a few firmware updates that IS seemed magical.
 
I sold my tripod 12 years ago and have never missed it. Not having a tripod encouraged me to work on my own technique for holding the camera and to improvise where needed - leaning against a tree or lamp post, bracing the camera on a fence or wall etc. With IBIS/OIS as good as it is these days I can't think of any circumstances on which I would want a tripod.
 
I have 2 tripods and I cannot tell you the last time I actually used it…even for Christmas portraits I ended up using my gorilla pod and a camera on the counter top.

I guess the gorilla pod is even a tripod.

The full size ones, one is in the trunk of my car and the other is in the office.

I use IBIS / VR as needed , but most of the time there is no reason for me to not have a sufficient shutter speed to make hand holding the norm.

I do take the occasional landscape shots, but even then, I’m not so much into the slow shutter speed stuff.

I’ll probably always have at least one tripod, because you never really know when you might need one but if I use one once or twice a year even….that’s a stretch.
 
I have two tripods. I use them inside when photographing my wife's quilts. I usually forget to turn the IBIS off when using them and have never had a problem.
I haven't had a chance yet to photograph a quilt with my hi res camera so don't know how that will work out. I have used a tripod outside to take a family portrait shot when all my kids and grandkids were here at the same time. IR remote came in handy then. My only hope is that we can all get together again some day to take another picture of all of us.
 
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