Another "Does IS help with low light?" question

[bascom]

A frequent question on this board is: which helps with low light shots more, Image Stabliziation (IS) or high ISO? The usual answer is that high ISO helps more because IS only reduces blur due to hand shake and doesn't help with low light.

However, in two recent articles on the web I read that IS helps "add stops" to your ability to shoot hand held. I think this means with IS you can shoot at a slower shutter speeds which lets in more light to the exposure so it brightens. This makes it sounds like IS does indeed help in low light shots. Here are the articles:

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4615/image-stabilization-special-stop-the-shake.html

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona570is/page7.asp

So should the correct answer be that both IS and high ISO help with low light shots, but high ISO helps more?

[TheWengler]

I think your final answer and original answer are the same. :confused:

[Jason25]

Yes, it helps, but not with moving subjects.

[Prospero]

IS is definitly usefull for lowlight shots. Especially if there is little subject movement.

High ISO can be considered more important for low light shooting though. Image Stabilisation can be replaced by a tripod, better handholding technique and drinking less coffee. High ISO, on the other hand, is irreplacable.

I was recently shooting at a ceremony in a dimly lit chapel with my 135 f/2.8 lens (roughly 200mm equivalent vocal length). I had the lens wide open and the ISO at 1600 and the best shutterspeed I could get that way was 1/50th second.
Image stabilization could have helped here. It would have made 1/50s a lot easier to handhold. However, without using ISO 1600 I could not have taken the shot (with a correct exposure that is). A shutterspeed of 1/25s - which would have been needed if ISO 800 had been the maximum ISO of my camera - would have caused subject motion to show up in the shot.

So, for moving subjects, Image Stabilization is nice to have, but high ISO is a necessity.

Of course if you are shooting stationary inanimate subjects, this changes. In that case, handholding slower shutterspeeds with IS is more desirable than using High ISO as it will result in a cleaner image.

[Razr]

A frequent question on this board is: which helps with low light shots more, Image Stabliziation (IS) or high ISO? The usual answer is that high ISO helps more because IS only reduces blur due to hand shake and doesn't help with low light.


http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4615/image-stabilization-special-stop-the-shake.html

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona570is/page7.asp

So should the correct answer be that both IS and high ISO help with low light shots, but high ISO helps more?
IS is always good below 1/250th sec shutter speed. But tripod first, regardless of ISO.
Next, Monopod.
Next fast lens (f/1.4 or f/1.8) with tripod/monopd & IS.
IS whenever possible, regardless of shutter speed.
You should only use high ISO with or without IS when you cannot deliver the shot any onther way.

Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.
Monopod with f/1.8 (any) lens usually delivers the shot in particular if tripod or monopod mounted.
Monopod jammed against the seat ahead of you in an indoor venue works.
A bungeee cord wrapped around a fence-balcony rail then tied to your monopod mounted rig works, as does a bunger corded monopod on nearly anything, inclding the armrest on a chair/seat.
Tabletop pod, Clamp-pods-all work to stabilze low light shots, even as leaning aginst something like a wall stabilzes day or low light shots.

[BBPhoto]

Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.

Mind explaining this?

[JTL]

Mind explaining this?As I understand it, it's the same as "blah, blah, blah, blah blah blah". It's really very simple. I'm very surprised that you didn't catch that! I think you should spend more time on Wikipedia to increase your knowledge! :D:p:D

[Rooz]

Mind explaining this?

it's a 4/3rd's thing. lol

[Razr]

Mind explaining this?
Explaining "this" what?

[Viky]

IS is always good below 1/250th sec shutter speed. But tripod first, regardless of ISO.
Next, Monopod.
Next fast lens (f/1.4 or f/1.8) with tripod/monopd & IS.
IS whenever possible, regardless of shutter speed.
You should only use high ISO with or without IS when you cannot deliver the shot any onther way.

Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.
Monopod with f/1.8 (any) lens usually delivers the shot in particular if tripod or monopod mounted.


:confused::confused::confused::confused:

What the hell was that!!:eek::eek::eek:

[tim11]

Oh Damn.:D

[BBPhoto]

Explaining "this" what?

Well, what is in the quote. 'Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.'

Why does a monopod, IS and a 2.8 or faster lens give you 2 stops? What is the correlation between those three things that allows one to precisely calculate a 2 stop gain?

[Ray Schnoor]

A frequent question on this board is: which helps with low light shots more, Image Stabliziation (IS) or high ISO? The usual answer is that high ISO helps more because IS only reduces blur due to hand shake and doesn't help with low light.

However, in two recent articles on the web I read that IS helps "add stops" to your ability to shoot hand held. I think this means with IS you can shoot at a slower shutter speeds which lets in more light to the exposure so it brightens. This makes it sounds like IS does indeed help in low light shots. Here are the articles:

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4615/image-stabilization-special-stop-the-shake.html

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona570is/page7.asp

So should the correct answer be that both IS and high ISO help with low light shots, but high ISO helps more?
I agree with Prospero on this. IS can be replaced by other means such as using a tripod. If you can't go under a certain shutter speed, though, without getting unwanted motion blur(not camera shake) from moving objects, a higher ISO is the only way to counteract the unwanted motion blur.

Ray.

[bascom]

Thanks for the replies. As I understand it now, IS helps with low light shots for stationary subjects but not moving subjects. A tripod gives the same benefit as IS. So when people ask on this board which helps more with low light, IS or high ISO?, the answer should be: they both help and it depends on the situation which helps more.

[Ray Schnoor]

Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.

Mind explaining this?

Explaining "this" what?
Razr,

It seems that there are 3 possible reasons to explain your inability to understand what "this" means.

1 - You cannot see quotes when they are included with a post.
2 - You don't read the post before you type your reply.
3 - You like to cause trouble.

I believe that everyone in this forum already knows/suspects the answer, but in the unlikely event the answer is actually #1, I will include the quotes in my typing...

Quote by Razr "Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops."

Quote by nqjudo "Mind explaining this?"

Quote by Razr "Explaining "this" what?"

Translation :nqjudo would like you to explain how you come to the conclusion that a "Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops."

I would also like you to further explain your quote of

"Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops,"

especially since lens manufacturers are already advertising that current IS/VR/OS systems will already get you a correction of 3-5 stops regardless of the speed of the lens or whether it is on a monopod.

Here is an example of a manufacturer's claim with an included link to a Nikon AF-S DX VR Zoom-NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens: "VR II system offers the equivalent of using a shutter speed 4 stops faster (http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=5&productNr=2159)"

Ray.

[Ray Schnoor]

Thanks for the replies. As I understand it now, IS helps with low light shots for stationary subjects but not moving subjects. A tripod gives the same benefit as IS. So when people ask on this board which helps more with low light, IS or high ISO?, the answer should be: they both help and it depends on the situation which helps more.
Exactly...

Ray.

[pas49ras]

Monopod jammed against the seat ahead of you in an indoor venue works.
.

I'm sure the person sitting in the seat ahead of you will love this technique.:confused:

[Prospero]

I'm sure the person sitting in the seat ahead of you will love this technique.:confused:

The person is actually lucky that Razr only jams his monopod against the seat and does not tie his bungeechord around the person's neck for additional stabilization :).

fast lens + IS + monopod jammed against a seat + Bungeechord around someone's neck = at least 4 stops :)

-------

I don't see how the situation Razr talks about would only give a two stop advantage in handholding over shooting unsupported withouth IS. IS will generally give 2-4 stops advantage in handholding on it's own. Add a monopod and good technique and you may be able to push it as far as 6 stops.

Also, using a tripod and IS at the same time is for many lenses not recommended. It may cause the IS to correct vibrations that are simply not there.

[BBPhoto]

fast lens + IS + monopod jammed against a seat + Bungeechord around someone's neck = at least 4 stops :)

OK, I've been getting a lot of good laughs out of this forum recently but this has to be the best. I actually laughed out loud.

[BBPhoto]

Well, what is in the quote. 'Monopod with IS and f/2.8 or faster lens gets you 2 stops.'

Why does a monopod, IS and a 2.8 or faster lens give you 2 stops? What is the correlation between those three things that allows one to precisely calculate a 2 stop gain?

HHhmmm. Still haven't gotten an answer here.

[Prospero]

Yeah, I'm kind of dissapointed by the lack of Razr's participation in this thread. He no longer has the enthusiasm he showed us in the other threads :).

Also, I'm a bit interested in how the bungee chord method really works...

[Rooz]

Razr,

It seems that there are 3 possible reasons to explain your inability to understand what "this" means.

1 - You cannot see quotes when they are included with a post.
2 - You don't read the post before you type your reply.
3 - You like to cause trouble.

there is another possible reason.