The following article was sent exclusively to VIP Readers from the blog several months ago. Today I publish it open for all readers.
Some SLR cameras have the image stabilizer built into the camera body, while others have it built into the lens. And the truth is that, whether the stabilizer is in one place or another, the important thing is that when buying a reflex camera or lens, we make sure that it has an image stabilizer. Essential. In the lens, in the camera body, it doesn’t matter, the important thing is to have a stabilizer.
Today I am going to explain some details that will help you understand the reason for my insistence, to what extent stabilizers are effective, and if they are always recommended or not.
In the camera or in the lens?
As I was saying, there are cameras that have an integrated stabilizer in the body of the camera. The advantage that this offers us is that we don’t have to worry about looking for a lens that has it, because the camera already has it. In addition, lenses without a stabilizer are somewhat cheaper. Brands like Sony or Pentax have the stabilizer in the camera body.
The other type of stabilizers is found in the lens. This causes us a dilemma when we want to buy a new lens: do we buy one with a stabilizer, more expensive, or without a stabilizer and therefore more affordable? Brands that have it on the lens are for example Nikon (abbreviated VR) and Canon (IS).
The truth is that, they say, lens stabilizers work and STABILIZE better than camera body stabilizers. It is not proven, because it is difficult to measure, but I only transmit what is said so that you take it into account 😉
Is a stabilizer always necessary?
No. But there are situations that are more prone to the photo being blurred and moved: for example, if it is a photo with low lighting, it is most likely that we will need the help of a stabilizer. Also if we are shooting at long focal lengths such as 100 or 200mm, it is usually convenient to activate the stabilizer. On the other hand, shooting at 18mm or 25mm generally does not require a stabilizer since there is less chance of the photo being blurred. Remember, the greater the focal length, the more possibility of a blurred photo.
In other words, having a stabilizer on an 18-55mm lens would not be a bad idea, but having one on a 70-300mm would be a must.
Is it ALWAYS good to use stabilizer?
No. Try that the camera or the lens has the stabilizer function so that you can use it when you consider it necessary, but do not always leave it activated. My advice is to use the stabilizer when you really need it. If you start a photo session and no photo is blurry, why turn it on? There is an urban legend that says that the image stabilizer corrects the photo and helps to avoid/hide the movement but instead It subtracts a little quality from the image. So be careful.
Moral: You know, try to always have the stabilizer at hand, but without abusing it 😀