Fujifilm GFX100 Sensor Stabilization (IBIS): Beware Destruction of Image Sharpness on a Tripod
Related: digital sensor, Eastern Sierra, Expose Somewhat To Right, Expose To The Right, Fujifilm, Fujifilm GFX100, Fujifilm medium format, Fujifilm mirrorless, image stabilization, In-Body Image Stabilization, medium format, Mt Dana area, peak bagging, tripods and support
Awesome quality from the Fujifilm GFX100 on my trip (I am now back home). But a number of bugs and operational issues with the Fujifilm GFX100 cost me a lot of time and frustration. I worked around most issues, but Fujifilm needs to get its act together.
You always remember to turn off image stabilization when shooting on a tripod after shooting handheld, don’t you? I mean, on a 14-hour daylong hike, you have perfect memory for setting it appropriately every time, right? Well, I don’t, which is why I prefer to leave IBIS off rather than risk it.
In this example, the GFX100 cost me images that are multi-day effort to redo, and only then if weather conditions cooperate, even if I had a GFX100 to re-try.
Fujifilm GFX100 image stabilization (IBIS) can work wonders.
But it also does bad things, like destroy images taken on a tripod.
Fujifilm GFX100: Image Stabilization (IBIS) Damages or Destroys Images on Tripod
Context: all cameras with image stabilization (IBIS or optical) that I have tested all damage images when shot on a tripod at slower shutter speeds (one second or slower). The solution is pretty simple: disable image stabilization at some cutoff shutter speed or at the least warn the user. No camera does this, which is baffling.
High up at 12600' with a hike down in the dark over unstable terrain awaiting me, I took this 8-minute exposure (plus 8-minute LENR) a few hundred feet lower on a wondrously windless and warm early night—truly rare up here; I felt lucky. But the GFX100 had other ideas.
Fujifilm GFX100 + Fujifilm GF 45mm f/2.8 R WR @ 37mm equiv (45mm)
ENV: Dana Plateau, altitude 12400 ft / 3780 m, 60°F / 15°C
RAW: LACA corrected, distortion corrected, vignetting corrected
[low-res image for bot]
iPhone 7 Plus + iPhone 7 Plus 4.0 mm f/1.8 @ 4mm
ENV: Dana Plateau, altitude 12500 ft / 3810 m, 55°F / 12°C
[low-res image for bot]
Frank D writes:
Just a quick FYI on my new Ricoh GR III camera that has options to disable IBIS when the timer is used for selfie or tripod shooting etc. The second option is the default in current firmware.
From Ricoh GR III Operating Manual page 90...
• If [Shake Reduction] is set to [Fn Button Setting] in the D2 menu, the Shake Reduction function can be turned on and off with button operation only. (p.123)
• When [Self-timer] is set in [Drive Mode], [Shake Reduction] is automatically set to [Off]. To fix the setting to [On], set [Auto SR Off ] to [Disable Auto SR Off ] in the A7 menu.All this reminds me of the fine work you did on the Ricoh GR II, HINT! Keep up the great work.
DIGLLOYD: the Ricoh engineers seem to think things through—I really liked the original Ricoh GR when I reviewed the Ricoh GR six years ago.
