Buying a Digital Camera With Image Stabilisation

Image stabilisation has been appearing in more and more digital cameras over the past year to eighteen months. In the beginning it was primarily available on cameras with super zoom lenses, typically 10x zoom or more. Lately it has started to turn up on cameras with shorter, more standard length lenses.

Why do you Need Image Stabilisation?

Whenever you take a handheld shot there is the possibility that you will not be able to hold the camera completely still. These small movements can cause a loss of sharpness in a photo. This can lead to the photo looking blurred.

How Does Image Stabilisation Work?

There are two main types of image stabilisation the first is known as optical image stabilisation. This works by a series of tiny gyroscopes in the lens making compensating movements for any shake caused by hand holding. The second type works in a similar way, but it is the CCD unit inside the camera body that makes the small compensating movements.

Watch Out For Anti Blur!

Some manufacturers trumpet anti blur and you may get the idea that this is similar to image stabilisation. If you see this in a specification read very carefully about how this works. If it works by increasing the camera’s ISO setting then I would recommend not using this method. This is because although increasing the ISO setting may help to decrease camera shake it is likely to cause a drop in overall picture quality as higher ISO settings can lead to noise creeping into a photo.

Do I Really Need Image Stabilisation?

To a large degree this depends on the length of lens the camera has and also what conditions you are most likely to use your camera in. If your camera has a long zoom lens and is heavier this makes it harder to hold the camera steady. On top of this the more you zoom in the longer the camera’s shutter needs to be open to allow enough light in. The longer the shutter is open for the greater the risk of camera shake and blurred photos. Therefore if you are planning to buy a camera with a longer lens then image stabilisation is more relevant.

If you buy a camera with a shorter lens it is of less importance. Even so if you are planning to take a good proportion of your photos in lower light then image stabilisation can help. In lower light the camera’s shutter has to open for longer to allow enough light in, so camera shake can be an issue.

If you are planning to take mainly outdoor photos, in good light, with a digital camera with a standard length lens then image stabilisation is of less importance.

Digital SLRs and Image Stabilisation

The same methods of stabilisation are available for Digital SLRS. There are lenses that have the gyroscopes built in and there are also a small number of camera bodies that have a shifting CCD mechanism. Buying a Digital SLR with a shifting CCD mechanism means that you do not need to pay a premium for stabilisation on every lens you buy.

My Camera Does Not Have Image Stabilisation. What Can I Do?

Placing your camera on a tripod and using either a remote control (very rare for a consumer digital camera) or setting the self timer will ensure the camera is rock steady when a photo is taken. Be aware that if your camera already has image stabilisation and you are using a tripod it is best to turn stabilisation off.

Summary

Look out for cameras offering optical image stabilisation or stabilisation through CCD shift. This feature is more important for longer lenses and shooting in low light.