Does turning on IS when release's halfway pressed help improve the stabilization?

[rogergu]

I kind of feel a little weird when I half press the shutter to focus first and shift the camera to reconstruct the frame with this feature turned on, so I disable it. I am wondering if anyone has found this feature help improve the stabilization? I understand when shooting with telephoto lens, this feature helps stabilize the frame when focusing.

Thanks!

 

[Rudy]

To expand on this, I was wondering the same thing.
When you first do the half press the image sometimes jiggles a bit while the IBIS kicks in.
So the question is, what does the camera do when the "half-press" is disabled, but IBIS is on.
Does it power it up and wait a little bit for it to come on introducing an additional shutter lag?
If not, then how does the camera avoid having the turn-on "jiggle" mess with the image?
Or, is the time to close the shutter before the actual exposure long enough for IBIS to settle so as to not add any extra delay?
Rudy

 

[Wisertime]

IBIS is on full time by default (and you will hear the faint hiss sound). I recently switched over to IBIS during half press to see if it would conserve battery power and reduce any unwanted heat inside the camera. Now it only hisses during the half press. I haven't used it enough since to notice a difference in battery life.

Not sure I understand the question, but the half press merely activates the IS instead of having it on full time from what I gather.

IS stabilizes the recorded image from camera shake. It's purpose isn't just about stabilizing the frame during focusing (or maybe I'm interpreting what you said incorrectly). Either way (full time/half press) I focus and recompose fine though.

 

[Wisertime]

To expand on this, I was wondering the same thing.
When you first do the half press the image sometimes jiggles a bit while the IBIS kicks in.
So the question is, what does the camera do when the "half-press" is disabled, but IBIS is on.
Does it power it up and wait a little bit for it to come on introducing an additional shutter lag?
If not, then how does the camera avoid having the turn-on "jiggle" mess with the image?
Or, is the time to close the shutter before the actual exposure long enough for IBIS to settle so as to not add any extra delay?
Rudy

To summarize IBIS is on full time, so half press has no impact or lag.

 

[rogergu]

Hi Wisertime, it is not true for E-M1. The IS is not turned on when the shutter is not pressed. I used to have E-M5 and know the IS noise, but on E-M1, it only sounds when the shutter is pressed. In addition, E-M1 menu has the option to only turn on IS when shutter is fired vs. half pressed.

IBIS is on full time by default (and you will hear the faint hiss sound). I recently switched over to IBIS during half press to see if it would conserve battery power and reduce any unwanted heat inside the camera. Now it only hisses during the half press. I haven't used it enough since to notice a difference in battery life.

Not sure I understand the question, but the half press merely activates the IS instead of having it on full time from what I gather.

IS stabilizes the recorded image from camera shake. It's purpose isn't just about stabilizing the frame during focusing (or maybe I'm interpreting what you said incorrectly). Either way (full time/half press) I focus and recompose fine though.

 

[mjw]

Hi Wisertime, it is not true for E-M1. The IS is not turned on when the shutter is not pressed. I used to have E-M5 and know the IS noise, but on E-M1, it only sounds when the shutter is pressed. In addition, E-M1 menu has the option to only turn on IS when shutter is fired vs. half pressed.

Yeah, it's clearly not true for the E-M5 as well. There is a menu option somewhere (naturally) for full time IBIS, but it's disabled by default.

As to the OP's question, I don't believe there is any benefit to the half-shutter press IBIS outside of framing your shot with a telephoto lens.

 

[Rudy]

IBIS is on full time by default (and you will hear the faint hiss sound). I recently switched over to IBIS during half press to see if it would conserve battery power and reduce any unwanted heat inside the camera. Now it only hisses during the half press. I haven't used it enough since to notice a difference in battery life.

Not sure I understand the question, but the half press merely activates the IS instead of having it on full time from what I gather.

IS stabilizes the recorded image from camera shake. It's purpose isn't just about stabilizing the frame during focusing (or maybe I'm interpreting what you said incorrectly). Either way (full time/half press) I focus and recompose fine though.

I just tried this out on my E-M5. There are two levels to the hissing sound. The faint one is audible whenever the camera is turned on even if IBIS is completely turned off. This might be to partially power up the servo magnets to avoid the sensor from flopping around.
The louder one is on:
A) during exposure (even when IBIS is turned off, try a manual exposure of 1 second with the camera up to your ear if you don't believe this)
B) when IBIS is enabled and you do a half-press and have that feature turned on
Point 'A' is interesting since it indicates that the magnetic stabilizers are needed to hold the sensor in place during exposure. If IBIS is on it tracks, if not the sensor is just held in place.
'B' is obviously needed to stabilize the image for viewing before the exposure.
Now, answering my own question, there should not be an additional shutter lag when the IBIS on half press is off, compared to IBIS being completely turned off, since the magnets will turn on for the exposure no matter what.
Still in theory having IBIS on half press turned on could improve the image, since the magnets are already on full power before the shutter is fully pressed and therefore there won't be a turn on shock.
Rudy
p.s. to your first point: IBIS on half press will increase battery consumption, not decrease it, since IBIS will be on full power for longer periods.

 

[Wisertime]

http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/oima_cckb/E-M5_Instruction_Manual_EN.pdf

See pages 49, 87 for EM5 manual.

No one mentioned the EM1 in the original post BTW. I'm only familiar w/EM5.

Considering I never knew about the half press option til a few weeks ago, I think full time is default.

 

[Rudy]

http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/oima_cckb/E-M5_Instruction_Manual_EN.pdf

See pages 49, 87 for EM5 manual.

No one mentioned the EM1 in the original post BTW. I'm only familiar w/EM5.

Considering I never knew about the half press option til a few weeks ago, I think full time is default.

I think you are misinterpreting this.
When the half-press option is off, but IBIS is enabled then IBIS will only be on during the exposure.
When the half press option is on the stabilization period starts with the half-press (and extends through the exposure)
As mentioned before there is a quieter hissing sound whenever the camera is on in any or all modes.
It is the noise generated by the actuators to hold the sensor roughly centered.
You can get proof of this by powering up the camera without a lens. Looking at the sensor you will see it move to a central location.
Rudy

 

[pdk42]

Point 'A' is interesting [louder hissing noise] since it indicates that the magnetic stabilizers are needed to hold the sensor in place during exposure.

What's even more interesting is that if you enable IBIS in video mode, it still offers stabilisation, but the hissing sound is much reduced.

 

[mjw]

This is easy to test. Turn on your camera. Manually focus something. Is the view stabilized? It's not on my E-M5.

 

[pdk42]

This is easy to test. Turn on your camera. Manually focus something. Is the view stabilized? It's not on my E-M5.

Then you've got "Half Way Rls With IS" set to off!

 

[mjw]

Then you've got "Half Way Rls With IS" set to off!

I do indeed!