# New firmware feature: IS auto-off at high shutter speeds



## Marsu42 (Apr 19, 2015)

After being w/o my trusty 70-300L for a week I had to shoot with the 100L for everything ... and realized that the frame stabilization effect isn't really worth turning IS on unless you really want to use slower shutter speeds. On the other hand, using IS for tripod work or with high shutter speeds arguably can hurt iq.

As I don't want to turn the physical switch on/off all the time, I intend to write a small module for Magic Lantern doing just that in software: Turn IS off in M & Tv mode if your pre-selected shutter speed exceeds a user-defined threshold. For Av, I still have to figure out how to do it as the camera shouldn't toggle IS every second if metering around the threshold limit. 

But: After some experience with trying to get some ML modules merged (like an un-broken auto iso), I'm not going to take this pain unless there's actual request for this feature _before_ I put the source in the ML queue. Otherwise discussing with devs who don't need a feature is just a waste of time. If I'm the only one to use it, that's fine, as just compiling it for my personal ML build is way less hassle.


----------



## Deleted member 91053 (Apr 19, 2015)

I rarely, if ever, use IS on any of my lenses. My Long lenses (300 and 800mm) have IS but I haven't used it in the last 15 moths since I discovered that the lenses function better without IS. 
Having IS switch on and off at a given shutter speed is a nice idea and may help some photographers.


----------



## East Wind Photography (Apr 19, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> After being w/o my trusty 70-300L for a week I had to shoot with the 100L for everything ... and realized that the frame stabilization effect isn't really worth turning IS on unless you really want to use slower shutter speeds. On the other hand, using IS for tripod work or with high shutter speeds arguably can hurt iq.
> 
> As I don't want to turn the physical switch on/off all the time, I intend to write a small module for Magic Lantern doing just that in software: Turn IS off in M & Tv mode if your pre-selected shutter speed exceeds a user-defined threshold. For Av, I still have to figure out how to do it as the camera shouldn't toggle IS every second if metering around the threshold limit.
> 
> But: After some experience with trying to get some ML modules merged (like an un-broken auto iso), I'm not going to take this pain unless there's actual request for this feature _before_ I put the source in the ML queue. Otherwise discussing with devs who don't need a feature is just a waste of time. If I'm the only one to use it, that's fine, as just compiling it for my personal ML build is way less hassle.



I think it would be ok to do that and have a time to live setting. Shutter speed drops to a certain point and kick in IS for a preset time frame say 15 seconds then re-evaluate the shutter speed.


----------



## RGF (Apr 19, 2015)

Interesting idea. But not sure how valuable it would be. Like to see an A/B comparison between lens w/ and w/o IS on at high shutter speed.


----------



## Richard Parker junior (Apr 19, 2015)

Hi,

IS on or off is not available at the EF-Mount.
It is not in the EXIF-Data nor can it be controlled by the camera body.


----------



## neuroanatomist (Apr 19, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> ...using IS for tripod work or with high shutter speeds arguably can hurt iq.



I've tested this with the 100L and 600L, and found that leaving IS on has no effect on IQ, provided you give it the ~0.5 s half-press of the shutter to activate. If you just mash down the shutter button, you'll want IS off.


----------



## Marsu42 (Apr 19, 2015)

Richard Parker junior said:


> IS on or off is not available at the EF-Mount. It is not in the EXIF-Data nor can it be controlled by the camera body.



Surprisingly it is, but it's rather hidden or otherwise I'd found out sooner: If you put the "IS ON" function on a button like dof preview, this in reverse means that it's off until you press it. Neat. So all that has to be done by Magic Lantern is to switch this key config from "IS ON" to either "OFF" or better something more meaningful like "ONE SHOT <-> AI SERVO".

As for exif data: Yes, a lot of potentially useful settings are missing from Canon's maker notes, but you can always write a .xmp sidecar with Magic Lantern to add any metadata you want - so I could (in theory) write out the state of auto_is which would then be read by anything understanding .xmp like ACR.



East Wind Photography said:


> I think it would be ok to do that and have a time to live setting. Shutter speed drops to a certain point and kick in IS for a preset time frame say 15 seconds then re-evaluate the shutter speed.



Yeah, that would be my solution too - but it's not as easy and needs more testing as switching the key config based on Tv/M pre-selection ... and I don't have a lot of time for unpaid work anymore, pets have to be fed and all. The bare-bones auto_is module would be - just as all ML devs do it - mainly for me and I'd happen to share it.



neuroanatomist said:


> Marsu42 said:
> 
> 
> > ...using IS for tripod work or with high shutter speeds arguably can hurt iq.
> ...



As you know, this was the cue to invite you to this thread! Alas, my plan failed miserably and you just left with your usual statement . As for tripod, as discussed lotsa times, my experience is otherwise as a breeze of wind or the flapping of butterfly wings somehow manages to activate IS - or it's some other effect that degrades iq when focus stacking.


----------



## candc (Apr 19, 2015)

I think it would be a great feature. I have often wished I could control the "is" with the camera. I use the custom modes for bif and moving subjects. I like to have is off for that. I forget to turn it back on half the time when I switch to a slow shutter speed mode.

P.s I also have wished that the camera would recognize that "is" is active and set the shutter speed in auto ISO accordingly. So instead of 1/fl it would be 1(fl/4) or 1(fl/8) .


----------



## tpatana (Apr 20, 2015)

For the Av mode, either hysteresis or make minimum timer how soon it's allowed to switch again.


----------



## Marsu42 (Apr 20, 2015)

candc said:


> I think it would be a great feature. I have often wished I could control the "is" with the camera. I use the custom modes for bif and moving subjects. I like to have is off for that. I forget to turn it back on half the time when I switch to a slow shutter speed mode.



You're in luck, you don't me or Magic Lantern for that  ... just put the "IS ON" function on some button like dof preview for a c mode (then save), tada: IS is off. And since the button mapping is unchanged outside this c mode. 

I'm already using it, unfortunately for the 70-300L I'd like IS on for 300mm and off for 70mm. But ML cannot help atm as they didn't reverse-engineer Canon's af logic (yet), only the digic - that's why ML has only access to the focal length in live view.


----------



## candc (Apr 20, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> candc said:
> 
> 
> > I think it would be a great feature. I have often wished I could control the "is" with the camera. I use the custom modes for bif and moving subjects. I like to have is off for that. I forget to turn it back on half the time when I switch to a slow shutter speed mode.
> ...



Great tip.

I did not know there was any link at all between the camera and the lens is switching.

Thanks

edit.
seems to work with 3rd party lenses as well. i set up my 70d with tamron 150-600 with "is start" on the dof preview button in c mode. the tamron does not have a panning mode or mode 3 like the canon lenses so having is on while you are swinging it around like a light saber causes problems. 

so now with the is switch on the lens to on, it is not active in c mode but like you said, rotate the dial to another mode and its active.


----------



## Tinky (Apr 21, 2015)

I would not use this feature...

a few reasons why:

- I have one lens with IS. That I don't use.

- Even if I had more lenses with IS, there is a physical switch.

- My experience of IS on binoculars, my compact and on the one lens I own that does have it, is that it is actually quite useful in some situations for framing, *for stills*, which would be the case regardless of whether I was capturing at 1/30th or 1/8000th.

- I shoot video in the main. So I'm used to using supports. Even on my days off when I'm shooting stills.

- Would you be able to programme the switch to take account of detected focal length?


----------



## East Wind Photography (Apr 21, 2015)

Marsu42 said:


> candc said:
> 
> 
> > I think it would be a great feature. I have often wished I could control the "is" with the camera. I use the custom modes for bif and moving subjects. I like to have is off for that. I forget to turn it back on half the time when I switch to a slow shutter speed mode.
> ...



So that's kind of interesting. I almost see the Low speed shutter IS mod more useful for video than stills. Particularly when you are getting down to really low light levels and need to hand hold. Using a tripod for video is so old school.

I'm sure someone will come up with some creative uses for it.


----------



## sanj (Apr 21, 2015)

Cool idea! Really cool.


----------



## Deleted member 91053 (Apr 22, 2015)

neuroanatomist said:


> Marsu42 said:
> 
> 
> > ...using IS for tripod work or with high shutter speeds arguably can hurt iq.
> ...



I agree that IS has no effect on IQ whether it is on or off, but the lens will achieve focus faster and track better without it.
There are circumstances, however, when it can be very useful - I just haven't come across them for a while, but it is always there in reserve.


----------



## East Wind Photography (Apr 22, 2015)

johnf3f said:


> neuroanatomist said:
> 
> 
> > Marsu42 said:
> ...



Actually, I see that IS helps with achieving focus faster and keeping it locked by allowing the camera to keep the AF sensor more precisely located over the subject or point you want to keep in focus. This is more apparent when using long focal length lenses.


----------



## Deleted member 91053 (Apr 23, 2015)

East Wind Photography said:


> johnf3f said:
> 
> 
> > neuroanatomist said:
> ...



Interesting EastWind.
It was on my Canon 800 F5.6 L IS and previously on the Canon 600 F4 L IS that I found the IS to interfere with AF and tracking the most. It is only a slight difference but that can be all the difference. Anyway I am happier with IS off (though it is there for emergencies) and am now getting a better keeper rate.
If your experience differs that's fine - we are all different so it is whatever works for the individual.


----------

