Optical image stabilization is a technology used to mechanically compensate for the intrinsic corner movements cameras to prevent blurring when shooting at slow shutter speeds. The optical stabilization system built into the lens serves as a kind of replacement for the lens in a certain range of shutter speeds. The gain from using optical stabilization is usually about 3 to 4 exposure stops. Thanks to the optical stabilization mechanism, in some shooting situations, the photographer can increase the shutter speed and calmly shoot handheld.

Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) technology was introduced in 1994 when Canon introduced to the mass market new system called OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer). The scheme of this optical stabilizer consisted of special lenses that corrected the direction of the light flux inside the lens and electromagnetic drives responsible for deflecting these very lenses.

The stabilizing element built into the lens was distinguished by its mobility along the vertical and horizontal axes. On a command from the sensor, it was deflected electrically so that the projection of the image on the photosensitive film (or matrix) would completely compensate for the vibrations of the camera during the exposure. Thanks to this solution, at small amplitudes of camera vibrations, the projection always remains stationary relative to the matrix, which provides the image with the necessary clarity.

The main difficulty in creating such optical stabilization was the exact synchronization of the photographer's hand tremors and the amount of deflection of the corrective lenses. However, Canon has successfully tackled this problem. True, it was not without some drawbacks. In particular, the presence of an additional optical element in the lens design reduces its aperture ratio.

The principles of operation of the optical stabilization system, laid down in the early 90s, have remained largely unchanged up to the present day. The Japanese company was followed by other leading manufacturers of photographic equipment, which presented their optical image stabilization systems, which received brand names:

Canon - Image Stabilization (IS)

Nikon - Vibration Reduction (VR)

Panasonic - MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer)

Sony - Super Steady Shot

Sony Cyber-Shot - Optical SteadyShot

Sigma - Optical Stabilization (OS)

Tamron - Vibration Compensation (VC)

Pentax - Shake Reduction (SR)

In spite of different names and descriptions to these systems, they are based on the same approach, but may differ in the degree of effectiveness of compensation for camera shake. Let's briefly go through different options optical stabilization from well-known manufacturers of photographic equipment.

Canon

Canon, as a pioneer in the field of optical image stabilization, traditionally pays great attention implementation of this system in their lenses intended for SLR and compact cameras. Proprietary lenses with a built-in optical stabilization system are marked IS (Image Stabilizer). The IS system provides an additional lens group located in the middle of the lens structure. The electromagnetic drive allows one of the lenses of this group to be instantly displaced relative to the optical axis. The vibration of the camera is recorded by means of two piezoelectric sensors, which are often called gyroscopic sensors. One of the sensors detects the horizontal displacement of the camera, while the other, respectively, is responsible for the vertical plane.

The signals from the gyroscopic sensors are processed by a microprocessor, which determines the magnitude and direction of the displacement of the image relative to the optical axis of the lens. Further, the microprocessor drives the electromagnetic drive of the stabilization unit to correct the image position by displacing the movable lens along two axes in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis of the lens. As a result, the image can be stabilized and the degree of blurring of the picture is reduced. Tests show that the IS system can be effective at shutter speeds up to 2 to 3 stops. If necessary, you can forcibly disable it.

For high-quality macro photography, Canon offers lenses with built-in Hybrid IS. Camera vibration and shake can significantly affect image quality and clarity when photographing small objects. And the standard optical stabilization system is not as effective here. New technology optical stabilization Hybrid IS provides for the addition of another sensor angular velocity to determine the degree of angle deviation due to the effect of hand shake, as well as a new acceleration sensor, which determines the degree of lens displacement in the linear plane.

It should be noted that the displacement of the camera in the linear plane has a very strong effect on the quality of macro photography. The IS block now includes four sensors, rather than two, to more effectively compensate for the smallest vibrations of the digital camera. The microprocessor analyzes the signals coming from the sensors and, according to a special algorithm, generates control signals for displacing the stabilizer lens by means of an electromagnetic drive. The Hybrid IS system allows you to reduce the influence of both types of "shake", that is, how abrupt change the angle of direction of the lens in the circular plane, and the displacement of the camera in the linear plane.

Also, the Japanese company uses the Dynamic IS optical stabilization technology, which migrated to cameras from video shooting. It is used in telephoto and wide-angle lenses when shooting movies. Dynamic Optical IS is designed to provide a more stable picture when shooting video by compensating for low-frequency vibrations such as camera shake or handheld shooting.

Nikon

Other manufacturers are implementing similar technology solutions. In particular, Nikon uses the Vibration Reduction (VR) optical stabilization system in its lenses. An additional group of lenses with a movable element is also used here, and the magnitude and direction of camera displacement during the exposure of the image are calculated by the microprocessor. It processes data from two gyroscopic sensors at a rate of approximately 1000 readings per second. If necessary, the microprocessor, by means of two electric drives, controls the displacement of the movable lens relative to its central position.

The VR system is automatically activated when the photographer presses the shutter button halfway. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, the Image Stabilizer is less effective and can only suppress small vibrations for comfortable framing in the viewfinder or LCD monitor. At the moment of full pressing of the shutter release button, the movable lens is instantly set to the central position, which makes it possible to compensate for camera vibrations as efficiently as possible.

Thus, in the process of exposing the image, the mode of the most accurate vibration compensation is switched on, which provides a clearer picture. The use of the VR system allows the exposure time to be increased several times. Various modifications of this optical stabilization mechanism (VR and VR II) are applied in wide range lenses for Nikon SLR cameras.

Panasonic

Panasonic uses an optical stabilization system called MEGA O.I.S, which was originally developed by the company's specialists for branded video cameras, but was then adapted for photographic equipment. In particular, for use in digital cameras of the Lumix line with interchangeable lenses. To compensate for the displacement of the image projected through the lens relative to the photosensitive matrix, the optical system is supplemented with a group of lenses with a movable element. Having fixed the vibration of the camera, the built-in gyroscopic sensor sends a signal to the microprocessor to calculate the correction. The microprocessor then moves the stabilizer lens based on the data so that the light is directed exactly towards the matrix. This entire process takes a matter of fractions of a second.

Owners of Lumix cameras equipped with the MEGAO.I.S. System can switch the gimbal operation modes. The first mode provides for the constant operation of the optical stabilizer, and the second mode assumes that the stabilization system is activated only when the shutter release button is pressed. Naturally, the possibility of completely disabling the stabilization system is supported in cases where this is dictated by the shooting conditions or the desire of the photographer.

Pentax has its own proprietary stabilization system called Shake Reduction (SR). It was first introduced for commercial use in 2006, when the company launched the Optio A10 compact 8-megapixel digital camera. Pentax later started using this system stabilization not only in their compact but also in DSLR digital cameras.

Shake Reduction technology is based on the shift of the camera sensor. In this case, it is not the movable lens of the stabilizer that moves vertically and horizontally, but the photosensitive matrix of the camera.

Such a stabilization system does not affect the lens aperture or the cost of the optics, there is only one stabilizer located in the camera body and consumes less energy than the focusing systems built into the lens.

), including focus.

But still, why can photos be blurry sometimes? What else needs to be considered in the process of photographing to prevent this from happening?

Stabilizer operation in the camera

Today we will deal with the concept of image stabilizer in SLR cameras... So what is it and why is it needed?

The fact is that the lens and the camera body itself contain a set of complex internal mechanisms. Among them there are sensitive sensors that are responsible precisely for the perception of camera movement in different directions and with different speed... That is, the camera processor initially takes into account the possibility of a certain error in image acquisition.

With the help of a special device that counteracts this movement, we see the projected image on the screen clearly, without perceptible blurring.

Of course, at certain points a stabilizer is needed in the camera; without it, the photo will turn out to be of much worse quality than with it. This applies even to cheap "soap dishes". But built-in stabilization has its limits. Let's take a closer look at everything.

When stabilization is needed:

1. Hand shake and unstable position of the photographer.
2. Strong winds, motion pictures or moving objects.
3. Long focus lenses. A long focal length can give a significant "shake", which will certainly be reflected in the photo.
4. Slow shutter speed required for special visual effects in a shot or in low light. As the shutter time increases and eventually the frame is taken, the likelihood that the camera will wiggle increases accordingly.

Image destabilization invariably results in a blurry, unclear picture. These problems can be solved in some cases. So, problem number 1 and partially number 2 can be solved using a tripod when shooting, or you need to take a more stable position with support on both legs.

It is very useful to train yourself not to move, to freeze when photographing. Often beginners have difficulties with this, but the camera needs time to take a frame, and in this regard, unnecessary movements are useless.

To avoid camera shake when working with long focal lengths, as an option, you can get closer, if shooting conditions allow, then you do not have to twist the camera's zoom.

If you have a crop, but you need to multiply the number by the value (1.6 for Canon and 1.5 for Nikon). This gives us 1/80 and 1/75, respectively. Thus, it is not recommended to shoot below these limits in order to avoid shaking. Try to follow the rule, although it cannot be an absolute guarantor of getting a sharp shot.

With strong external vibration (shooting while running or in a moving car, in an open space in very windy weather, etc.) even a good stabilizer will hardly save you - just take this into account when shooting.

Stabilization in cameras of different models

Where to find a stabilizer in cameras? The switch is usually located on the side of the lens itself, next to the autofocus. And with him everything is simple - incl. and off.

Sometimes, however, some cameras have active and normal stabilizer modes. The first should be turned on with large fluctuations in technology, and the second during normal quiet shooting. Their differences lie in the frequencies and amplitudes of camera movement that they can suppress.

Regardless of the camera, stabilizers have one principle - to make a sharp image, to prevent the appearance of blur and blur. The only thing is that its names can be different: for example, in Canon cameras the stabilization button is called Image Stabilization, in Nikon - Vibration Reduction. The abbreviations you'll find on your cameras are IS and VR, respectively.

This is the same with the stabilizer in the lens, but there are other options that have their merits. Manufacturers of some cameras (for example, Olympus, Sony, Nikon, Canon) have made a stabilizer built into the camera's matrix itself.

We can say that stabilization in the lens is convenient, but on the other hand ... what if you come across optics without a stabilizer and there won't be one in the sensor itself?

Most likely, with such camera parameters, you will win at its lower price, but you will lose in quality. Thus, the stabilizer in the matrix is ​​more reliable, it allows you to think less about whether or not there is this function for a particular lens.

For example, this stabilizer in Nikon cameras is called “noise reduction” and is set in the menu.

External stabilizer

What can be an additional tool to stabilize the camera? Of course it is. Here we have a wide variety of choices, it can be either a trinog or a monopod. A few words about tripod requirements.

• A heavy tripod made of metal rather than plastic will be more expensive and harder to carry due to its weight, but more stable. This is a definite plus for stabilization.
• The higher you extend the tripod, the more the possibility of camera shake becomes.
• Legs: They should fit well.

Any camera weights are, in fact, do-it-yourself stabilizers. Here, craftsmen offer many options, but the main thing is good stability on the ground and the immobility of the entire structure, achieved due to its weight.

If you are interested in the information and you are ready to go further in teaching photography. If you want to learn how to photograph and receive beautiful pictures, then today it became possible. I offer you, as a guide, a video course “ My first MIRROR". This is a series of video tutorials to help you understand the basic and important points obtaining high-quality photographs.

My first MIRROR- for admirers SLR camera CANON.

DSLR for Beginner 2.0- for fans of the NIKON SLR camera.

That's all for today. I look forward to seeing you on my blog again, goodbye and see you soon!

P.S. Do not forget to subscribe to news and invite your friends and acquaintances and share in social networks, not yet canceled.

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.

Every photographer sometimes gets blurry, indistinct, as if blurry shots. This is due to camera shake at the time of shooting, which most often happens when working in low light. Indeed, in such conditions, photography, as a rule, is carried out on long exposures... And the slower the shutter speed, the more likely you are to get a blurry shot.

Image stabilization on: the frame is sharp.

So that the picture does not shake and the frames are not blurred, modern cameras, smartphones, camcorders are increasingly equipped with an image stabilization system. It helps to compensate for hand shake and get sharp shots even in difficult shooting situations. This is especially important for modern multi-megapixel cameras, because even the slightest blur will be noticeable in the frames received from them. Micro-grease can also arise from the slightest vibrations of the mechanisms of the camera itself. So stabilization today is not just an additional feature, but a necessity.

How do you know which stabilizer works better and which one is worse? It is customary to evaluate the effectiveness of stabilization in terms of exposure steps. Suppose, without stabilization, a sharp image is obtained at a shutter speed of 1/30 s. If you use a 4-stop stabilizer, you can count on sharp shots at shutter speeds up to 1/2 s. And if the declared efficiency is only two steps, a clear picture should be expected only for 1/8 s.

Types of image stabilization

Digital (electronic) stabilization

The simplest type of stabilization, which does not require any separate modules and mechanical parts, only software algorithms. When digital stabilization is turned on, a part of the matrix is ​​allocated for its operation, and the image is taken with a crop. During shooting, the picture moves across the matrix, thereby damping vibrations.

The more “aggressive” this stabilization works, the more it is cropped and the resulting image loses quality.

Electronic stabilization in the Canon EOS 77D:

Basically, this type of stabilization is used for video recording. Interestingly, advanced video editors such as Adobe After Effects can also do digital stabilization.

This type of stabilization can often be found in budget equipment - smartphones, some action cameras, amateur camcorders, compact cameras. In system cameras, it is present, perhaps, as additional opportunity for video filming.

Much greater efficiency is demonstrated by technologies not of digital, but of optical stabilization.

Optical stabilization in the lens

In photographic equipment, optical stabilization is more often found not in the camera itself, but in its lens. The same type of stabilization is the oldest - it began to be used at the end of the last century. Canon was the first to introduce such technology in 1995, calling it Image Stabilization (IS). Today, every self-respecting manufacturer of photographic lenses has its own optical stabilization technology. But since the name Image Stabilization remained with Canon, the rest of the companies called their developments differently. Below is a list of the names of the optical stabilization technology in lenses from various manufacturers.

• Canon - IS (Image Stabilization)
• Nikon - VR (Vibration Reduction)
• Sony - OSS (Optical SteadyShot)
• Panasonic - MEGA O.I.S.
• Fujifilm - OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer)
• Sigma - OS (Optical Stabilization)
• Tamron - VC (Vibration Compensation)
• Tokina - VCM (Vibration Compensation Module)

As a rule, if a lens is equipped with an optical stabilization system, this is reflected in its name, where the corresponding abbreviation is indicated. For example, CANON EF-S 18-55MM F / 4-5.6 IS STM, AF-P DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f / 3.5-5.6G VR.

How does optical stabilization work in a lens? In its scheme there is a special module with a movable optical element. During photographing, the module detects camera vibrations and, in order to compensate for them, moves the optical element accordingly. As a result, the image remains sharp.

Pros:

• Mirrored and mirrorless cameras have interchangeable lenses. And if you often get blurry shots, you can easily upgrade your old camera by adding a lens with optical stabilization... This will increase the number of clear shots.
• OIS systems in modern lenses can usually save 3-5 stops of exposure.
• In SLR cameras, the stabilizer in the lens will help you see a stabilized image in the viewfinder right away - without image shake, it is much more convenient to compose frames.

Minuses:

• Lenses with stabilization are more expensive, they are heavier in weight and larger in size than counterparts without a stabilizer.
• An additional optical element in the optical design can negatively affect the image quality, light transmission, aperture, bokeh of the lens.
• Stabilizers in different lenses demonstrate different efficiency, have their own subtleties of work. You have to take into account when shooting that one lens has an effective stabilizer, the other is not so good at stabilizing, and the third does not have it at all.
• In many lenses, the stabilizer emits a buzzing sound, which can be critical when recording video.

Optical stabilization in the camera

Why add an additional module to the optics when you can stabilize the sensor itself in the camera? With the development of technology, it has become possible to place the matrix on a special movable mechanism, which, following the vibrations of the camera, moves the sensor itself. Stabilization on the matrix allows you to damp up and down movements and tilts, clockwise and counterclockwise turns. The latter, by the way, is not possible with the stabilizer in the lens. Not all manufacturers equip their cameras with this technology. So far, only the following companies have stabilization on the matrix:

• Sony - Super Steady Shot (SSS), SteadyShot Inside (SSI);
• Pentax - Shake Reduction (SR);
• Olympus and Panasonic - In Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS).

Stabilization system Sony camerasα7 II:

But what if you put a lens with its own stabilization module on a device with internal stabilization? Sony, Olympus and Panasonic allow both stabilizers to be used simultaneously, thereby achieving greater efficiency in image sharpness.

Pros:

• State-of-the-art on-sensor stabilization systems compensate for camera shake in all possible directions. Depending on the manufacturer and model of the camera, the effectiveness of stabilization on the matrix can be up to five exposure stops.
• Versatility. If the camera has a built-in stabilizer, you can choose more compact lenses without stabilization. On it, any lens will become "stabilized", even the old "Helios" from "Zenith".
• Matrix stabilization systems are almost silent. This means that they can be fully used for video recording.
• The stabilized image can be seen immediately through the electronic viewfinder or camera screen. But in DSLRs, in an optical viewfinder, you will not be able to see a stabilized picture.
• The ability to implement many additional functions... For example, the tracking function starry sky for photographing it at long exposures.

Minuses:

• Less efficiency when working with long focus optics. When working with it, the matrix has to move too quickly and over too long distances. In the case of telephoto lenses, lens stabilization is considered more effective.

In conclusion, I would like to wish our readers to take only sharp shots and may the image stabilization systems help you with this!

What is an Image Stabilizer in a camera for and what is it? With the use of new technologies, cameras are becoming lighter and more likely to get blurry images due to hand shake or other accidental factors affecting the stable position of the lens, especially when shooting distant objects with their magnification. It is to solve such problems that a camera device such as an image stabilizer is used (in some companies, the name may be used: vibration compensator).

Of course, it does an excellent job with image stabilization, but its use due to its size is not always justified, and a tripod cannot always be carried with you. But if there is a possibility, then you should not give up the tripod for the camera.

Another simple way to stabilize is to reduce the shutter speed to a value slower than the inverse of the focal length (for example, at a focal length of 108 mm, the shutter speed should be less than 1/125) and increase the sensitivity, but this may appear grain in the image. Yes, and low illumination does not always allow to reduce the shutter speed.

Image stabilizer can be optical or digital.

Optical system

With optical stabilization, work with a lens unit is in progress, that is, they move to the required distance in the direction opposite to the movement of the camera itself.

Such devices are more expensive than others. But the advantage optical system it can be that the stabilized image that falls on the matrix is ​​transmitted both to the viewfinder and to the autofocus system.

There is also a system based on the movement of the matrix. This system allows you to use almost any lens (the optical stabilization system in the lens is no longer necessary), which is important for cameras with interchangeable lenses, because lenses are not cheap. But with such stabilization, an unstabilized image will fall into the viewfinder and the autofocus system, and at a large focal length such a system loses its effectiveness, because at large distances from the object the matrix has to move too quickly and it ceases to keep up with the movement of the image.

Optical Image Stabilizer

The optical stabilizer does not affect photo quality and works well at any magnification. But it can increase the size of the camera and increase its power consumption.

Digital system

With digital stabilization (EIS Electronic (Digital) Image Stabilizer) the shift is being calculated by the processor using the programs recorded in the camera, while part of the information on the edges of the matrix is ​​lost.

That is, an image is taken larger in size than we see in the photograph, and when the camera is displaced, the visible area of ​​the image has the ability to shift on the matrix in the opposite direction, but within the actual captured image.

In cheap cameras, when digital stabilization is turned on, some of the matrix elements go into the reserve for the stabilizer operation, which can reduce the clarity of the photo. In expensive models, during stabilization, those elements of the matrix are used that do not take part in the formation of the image in the usual mode, and therefore the clarity will not decrease.

Shift analysis is based on video analysis algorithms that can recognize and compensate for shift in an image. In order to prevent image jerking when shooting, the stabilizer must have built-in functions to distinguish a moving object from camera movement, that is, moving objects should not affect image stabilization.

The disadvantage of digital image stabilization is that bad job together with digital zoom, which manifests itself in the appearance of noise in the image.

More on image stabilization

For the operation of the stabilizers, sensors are built into the camera that register the camera displacement and its speed and give signals either to the drives for displacement of the stabilization element or to the processor for further processing in the case of digital stabilization.

The image stabilization system can suppress vibrations with an amplitude of 0.6-0.8 mm.

The use of image stabilization systems allows you to increase the shutter speed by 3-4 stops, which will allow you to shoot in low light and at long distances to the subject.

Canon first introduced optical image stabilization in 1994. And it got the name: Image Stabilization (IS).

Other firms also began to use this innovation and called it in their own way:

• Nikon - Vibration Reduction (VR),
• Panasonic - MEGA O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilizer),
• Sony - Optical Steady Shot.

Stabilization based on a movable matrix was first used by Konica Minolta in 2003, then it was called Anti-Shake.

Other companies also produced such systems and called it so:

• Sony - Super Steady Shot (SSS) - Revised Anti-Shake System,
• Pentax - Shake Reduction (SR) - developed by Pentax,
• Olympus - Image Stabilizer (IS) - is used in some models of SLR cameras and "ultrazoom" Olympus.

Optical Image Stabilizer shows top scores than digital... And if you have funds and not a strict requirement for the size of the device, choose a camera with optical image stabilization.

Every novice amateur photographer is dizzy with a wealth of choice, if everything is more or less clear with cameras, then there is no patience or strength left to choose a lens. And most of the happy buyers of the first DSLR leave the choice of lens on the conscience of the store manager (does he have one?). And now they bring you a box from which a frightening black pipe is removed, sprinkling your hearing with magic spells - "ultrazoom (a topic for a separate investigation)" and "stabilizer" and you, of course, give up before the onslaught of technical progress. You spent several days studying the subject, found a store with the most advantageous offer by the camera that interested you, but you have just been warmed up for several thousand rubles and you did not even notice how.

To prevent this from happening, let me introduce you to one of these marketing spells, the Image Stabilizer.

So, we are all people and all people are characterized by movement, we cannot freeze like a stone, the heart will beat, and that means we will move. The camera has problems of a different nature, it always lacks light, and if light cannot be added, then it can compensate for its lack of time. There are extremely small periods of time in which human movements do not have significant impact for the clarity of the camera picture. But the darker, the more time is needed for the camera and at some point we can no longer move long enough for the camera to receive enough light. This contradiction is intended to be solved by the optical image stabilizer.

It is generally accepted that the maximum shutter speed (for handheld photography, without blurring the image) for each specific focal length is a fraction of a second, equal to this very distance. That is, for a lens with a focal length of 50mm, the maximum exposure time will be 1/50 s, and for a lens with a focal length of 135mm, the maximum shutter speed will be 1/135 s.

The stabilizer is able to compensate for your own fluctuations and allows you to fairly confidently shoot at shutter speeds exceeding the standard allowable values ​​for each focal length. Another question is what exactly we shoot, and we often shoot people who are also characterized by movement. There is only one way to make a person freeze like a stone, we will not say how. It has been experimentally found that the calm movements of a person are compensated for by shutter speeds from 1/100 - 1 / 135s. At longer exposures, it is much more difficult to "freeze" a person and most of frames will fly into the basket.

Now let's compare the required shutter speed for different focal lengths and the shutter speed sufficient for photographing a person. It turns out that at focal lengths up to 100mm, we can shoot quite calmly without any stabilizer.

Of course, a stabilizer can come in handy in some cases, for example, in landscapes or subject photography, where we are not limited in exposure due to the stillness of the subject. But even here the stabilizer is not a panacea. 2 - 4 shutter speeds are often not enough either for an evening landscape or for a subject, a tripod and even a monopod provide much more possibilities.

But it would seem, why not buy a lens with a stub, just so that it was? But here another problem arises. For some reason, it so happened that the overwhelming majority of lenses with stabilizer suffer from sharpness, or rather its absence. This is most likely due to the very movable lens unit that compensates for the movement. It is physically impossible to install the movable element in the starting position with the same precision as stationary glass. And the minimum displacement of the lenses relative to the optical axis has an extremely negative effect on the final picture.

If this does not look convincing, then there are many examples. professional lenses... Let's take a look at the widest and most widely used line of top-end lenses, the Canon EF L:

Lenses without stabilizer:

EF16-35mm f / 2.8L

EF24-70mm f / 2.8L

EF70-200mm f / 2.8L

Lenses with stabilizer of the same L series

EF300mm f / 2.8 L IS

EF300mm f / 4 L IS

EF400mm f / 2.8 L IS

EF500mm f / 4.5 L IS

EF600mm f / 4 L IS

EF800mm f / 5.6 L IS

EF24-105mm f / 4 L IS

EF28-300mm f / 3.5-5.6 L IS

EF70-200mm f / 2.8 L IS

EF70-200mm f / 4 L IS

EF70-300mm f / 4-5.6 L IS

EF100-400mm f / 4.5-5.6 L IS

You can see that even in the ultra-telephoto range, there are quite a few lenses without a stabilizer. And in the wide-angle and portrait ranges, there is no stabilizer at all. Then why is the vast majority of budget, so-called KIT lenses equipped with stabilizers in all focal length ranges? Why are photographers selling an expensive function that is needed only in rare cases, for which it spoils the picture on a regular basis? The answer is simple - marketing is just another reason to make money on an uninformed buyer.

Of course, the stabilizer is not an absolute evil. In some modern lenses, this function is implemented with dignity and does not harm the main optical properties, in the same second version of the EF70-200mm f / 2.8L IS II. However, my advice to you - if you have a choice of two lenses with the same focal length, in the same price segment, with the only difference - one has a stabilizer, and the other has a luminosity one stop higher, make a choice in favor of aperture ratio.

p.s. The article does not consider such a function of the image stabilizer as stabilization in panning mode (the so-called shooting with wiring), in which the stabilizer compensates only for vertical vibrations, this is a topic for a separate discussion. This stabilizer mode is only available on lenses high level which are bought by adult boys and girls, and these people will figure out what to buy without our inventions. We are talking exclusively about the standard stabilizer, which is indiscriminately inserted into all modern kit lenses.