Image Stabilization = How important is it for handheld work?

T

tears2040

Carbonite Member
I found some great lenses ( judging by video) but the lenses in question do not have Image Stabilization of any kind. I know if I am using a tripod it is not needed but you always want some kind of handheld shots mixed in the footage for that live look.

How hard or is it even a good thing to buy a lens that does not have image stabilization?

Here is the video and lenses that were used from a user on Vimeo ( Dang Films )






I really like the way these lenses look ( Canon 50 f/1.8 , Sigma 28-70mm ) Now I am not sure which 28-70mm it is as there are several but I know none of them have I.S. and are prone to lens flare ( Maybe an ND filter can help?) Hand held shots look very shaky but the tripod ones look great. For about $200 and to primarily film "Rap" videos I think this is more than enough for artist working on a budget


THanks for any answers
 
I assume you're using the GH1?

It starts becoming a consistent problem in the 85-100mm FULL FRAME SENSOR equivalent. So on a GH1 a 50mm lens will be quite hard to get steady shots handheld though it can be done with luck and care, but you'll have to be very careful. You won't notice it until it's on a tv screen or your computer so the 2 inch LCD can be deceptive.

Tripods aren't surefire as you still have to manually adjust the aperture and focus ring on manual lenses constantly so that will introduce hand movement jitters if the tripod isn't top notch, the sensors on these things are sensitive to movement.

So don't buy a lens longer than 50mm expecting handheld to work and even the 50mm lens won't give you rock steady consistent shots without a learning curve and some luck. You have to be careful even with the 20mm 1.7 as wide as it is.
Hanheld panning, titling and movement in general shows jitters on almost any lens without OIS, I've deleted shots where I made some pans from the 20mm on occasion. So just keep motion to a minimum if not at all on manual lenses handheld.
 
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