What is the difference between IS and VR?

[Muse]

I see that IS is built into some camera bodies, some lenses. What are the issues? VR is built into some lenses. Bodies too? Are IS and VR the same thing?

I'm looking into a better digital photography system than my current Samsung Digimax V3 3.2 M 3x optical, probably a DSLR and am researching cameras, lenses, photography books (have Photography by Upton and London 7th edition in the mail, John Hedgecoe's "New Manual of Photography" checked out of the library, Bryan Peterson's "Understanding Exposure" as well), online sites and threads, etc.

 

[Kaido]

Same thing, different brand names. IS (Image Stabilization) is from Canon, VR (Vibration Reduction) is from Nikon.

 

[OdiN]

Yup. Same thing since Canon copyrights IS and Nikon copyrights VR.

Someone else calls it Optical Image Stability or something like that.

Tamron calls it Vibration Compensation.

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yup. Same thing since Canon copyrights IS and Nikon copyrights VR.

Someone else calls it Optical Image Stability or something like that.

Tamron calls it Vibration Compensation.

Sigma calls it Optical Stabilization.
Sony calls it Super Steady Shot.
Pentax calls it Shake Reduction.

Edit: Canon, Nikon, Tamron, and Sigma (and maybe even others) have in-lens stabilization.
Sony and Pentax have in-body stabilization.

Each seems to have its pros and cons and it's debatable which is better.

In-lens stabilization is optimized for each lens and so therefore is supposedly more effective, but the stabilization has to be included in the lens (so each lens costs more).

In-body stabilization is works with every single lens available, but supposedly is less effective. It's also cheaper since you only have to pay for the stabilization once.

 

[GoSharks]

Originally posted by: fanerman91

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yup. Same thing since Canon copyrights IS and Nikon copyrights VR.

Someone else calls it Optical Image Stability or something like that.

Tamron calls it Vibration Compensation.

Sigma calls it Optical Stabilization.
Sony calls it Super Steady Shot.
Pentax calls it Shake Reduction.

Super Steady Shot and Shake Reduction are not the same thing as IS/VR/VC/OS. SSR and SR move the sensor around in the camera body and do not adjust the path of the light through the lens, as IS, etc will.

 

[pennylane]

Originally posted by: GoSharks

Originally posted by: fanerman91

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yup. Same thing since Canon copyrights IS and Nikon copyrights VR.

Someone else calls it Optical Image Stability or something like that.

Tamron calls it Vibration Compensation.

Sigma calls it Optical Stabilization.
Sony calls it Super Steady Shot.
Pentax calls it Shake Reduction.

Super Steady Shot and Shake Reduction are not the same thing as IS/VR/VC/OS. SSR and SR move the sensor around in the camera body and do not adjust the path of the light through the lens, as IS, etc will.

Fair enough, but the OP was asking about both in-lens and in-body image stabilization techniques/names.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: fanerman91

Originally posted by: GoSharks

Originally posted by: fanerman91

Originally posted by: OdiN
Yup. Same thing since Canon copyrights IS and Nikon copyrights VR.

Someone else calls it Optical Image Stability or something like that.

Tamron calls it Vibration Compensation.

Sigma calls it Optical Stabilization.
Sony calls it Super Steady Shot.
Pentax calls it Shake Reduction.

Super Steady Shot and Shake Reduction are not the same thing as IS/VR/VC/OS. SSR and SR move the sensor around in the camera body and do not adjust the path of the light through the lens, as IS, etc will.

Fair enough, but the OP was asking about both in-lens and in-body image stabilization techniques/names.

I find all the discussion so far interesting. I knew nothing more than what I said, which is the IS and VR designations and the fact that IS can be in-lens or in-body. This is all a revelation to me, and thanks for posting.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: fanerman91

In-body stabilization is works with every single lens available, but supposedly is less effective. It's also cheaper since you only have to pay for the stabilization once.

have you seen the pricing of sony lenses?

:evil:




in lens stabilization may also help with focus and spot metering, while in body stabilization can't.



anyway, canon's IS, nikon's VR, panasonic's OIS, sigma's OS, and tamron's VC all correct for camera shake and vibration by moving lens elements. that allows anything in the optical path to see the effect of the stabilization, which includes what you see in the viewfinder, the metering sensor, and the focus sensor. the problem is that it only works in lenses that it's built into, and you have to cross your fingers that someone updates a lens without it. canikon have not typically added IS to wide angle lenses.

sony's SSS (what is so super about it? it isn't any better than anyone else's), pentax's SR, and olympus's IS all work by shifting the sensor to correct for camera shake and vibration. this doesn't improve what you see through the viewfinder, or what the metering sensor and focus sensor get. but it does get applied to every lens (well, olympus wasn't allowing it for non-4/3 lenses for a while, dunno if they've changed that policy). for lenses that don't report focal length (old lenses) you'll have to input the length by hand, which can be a pain for zoom lenses.

 

[soydios]

Canon IS and Nikon VR both work by stabilizing the image in the lens, which helps with focusing and framing. Nikon VR autodetects panning motions; I'm not sure about other systems.

 

[OdiN]

Originally posted by: soydios
Canon IS and Nikon VR both work by stabilizing the image in the lens, which helps with focusing and framing. Nikon VR autodetects panning motions; I'm not sure about other systems.

Canon's usually have a second mode to do panning that you flip a switch to get to.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: OdiN

Originally posted by: soydios
Canon IS and Nikon VR both work by stabilizing the image in the lens, which helps with focusing and framing. Nikon VR autodetects panning motions; I'm not sure about other systems.

Canon's usually have a second mode to do panning that you flip a switch to get to.

canon has panning detection on at least the 55-250 and 70-300 DO.

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
have you seen the pricing of sony lenses?

it's not so far off pricing for equiv. CaNikon & it's getting better.
The US seems to have this new Sony SURE system though where they can't advertise below srp.

sony's SSS (what is so super about it? it isn't any better than anyone else's),

well, it was the first sensor moving system (as it's KM's) & being the oldest has also had more development so generally it does seem to perform slightly better than the other similar systems.

But you know that the real answer why it's "super" is for marketing purposes.

 

[finbarqs]

Leica calls it O.I.S. (which probably is adopted by Panny)

 

[ObiDon]

Originally posted by: finbarqs
Leica calls it O.I.S. (which probably is adopted by Panny)

MEGA!!!

 

[Muse]

So, while we're talking about IS/VR/[all the other acronyms/versions] may I ask what happens when your camera body and lenses feature some version of this? Do they play nice with each other, complement each other, respect each others territory? Caveats?

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Muse
So, while we're talking about IS/VR/[all the other acronyms/versions] may I ask what happens when your camera body and lenses feature some version of this? Do they play nice with each other, complement each other, respect each others territory? Caveats?

no, not at all. turn one off.

 

[Muse]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: Muse
So, while we're talking about IS/VR/[all the other acronyms/versions] may I ask what happens when your camera body and lenses feature some version of this? Do they play nice with each other, complement each other, respect each others territory? Caveats?

no, not at all. turn one off.

Ah, OK... so you test both and decide which works better for you in that case, I presume.

 

[Heidfirst]

Originally posted by: Muse
So, while we're talking about IS/VR/[all the other acronyms/versions] may I ask what happens when your camera body and lenses feature some version of this? Do they play nice with each other, complement each other, respect each others territory? Caveats?

afaik there is only 1 system that currently can offer this (4/3 ie. Olympus/Panasonic body & a Leica OIS lens) & as already mentioned you have to pick 1 or the other to use.