IS or no IS?

[David W]

Hi there

I've recently got myself a monopod and ballhead. I know that when using a tripod it's recommended that you turn off image stabilisation but do you do the same with a monopod?

The reason I'm unsure is that whilst I appreciate a monopod helps to keep the camera reasonably steady, unlike a tripod there is still a chance of movement.

Look forward to your advice.

[Speedway]

The lens has IS, leave it on. The IS OS (on my 3 lenses with it) is always turned on whether hand held, monopod or tripod mounted. Some early IS lenses gave problems when mounted on a tripod but the newer ones don’t have a problem.
Keith.

[ricktas]

Most IS/OS/VR systems on new lenses have a couple of options. Off, On 1, On 2. Read your lens manual (usually a sheet) that will advise the difference between On 1 and On 2, as generally one of them is designed for panning (horizontal movement) use, and only detects and tries to compensate for vertical movement. You may find one On mode is better than the other for monopod use, depending on what you are shooting and doing.

[David W]

Thanks Speedway and Rick for your input.

Both my Canon (15-85mm) and Tamron (70-300mm) only have an IS/VC On/Off control but I gather from your response Speedway and to some extent Rick that it's better left On.

[twister]

As Rick said, most lenses today can auto-detect panning and only try and compensate in the required direction; However, a monopod is not as stable as a tripod, and I would think IS would be beneficial unless you are doing very long exposures...

[stevedaher]

I have just purchased an 70-200mm F4 IS lens. Will the IS allow me to take photos at a lower shutter speed but still stop action?

[William]

No, You will still have to use a faster shutter speed to stop the action , One option is to pan the shot on fast moving subjects

[Speedway]

What William said! IS helps counter hand shake when using slower shutter speeds for low light shots, high shutter speeds are the only way to freeze action, with a lot of practice you can get sharp panned action shots and the IS will help here too but the main point is the panning.
Keith.

[TLC286]

Hi Everyone, what a great topic! I'm kinda new to DSLR photography and found this thread very interesting. I use a monopod quite often. Would never of thought about changing the IS on the lens either way when using the monopod. It was suggested I should turn it off when using my Tripod however. The heaviest lens I own so far is probably my 10-22 wide angle, so not that heavy. Guess I'll leave IS on from now on. Thanks again!