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Blur Caused by Image Stabilization
Image stabilization (IS) is a terrific feature, but it can cause blur on a stable tripod.
That’s because the IS/VR will detect and attempt to correct vibrations caused by the shutter. Using mirror lockup, I was able to reproduce the effect shown here at will, over and over again: sharp without IS, very blurry with it (Canon 200mm f/2L IS).
There are some exceptions that might vary by camera and lens: when shooting at 400mm on up, even the sturdiest tripod might not matter, because even the shutter itself causes vibration. Experimentation is in order for extreme cases; image stabilization might help, or might make things worse.
Nikon calls their image stabilization “VR” (Vibration Reduction), and Canon calls it “IS” (Image Stabilization). Both are optical image stabilization using a special lens group in the lens itself.
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- Technique section discusses every aspect of making a sharp image handheld or on a tripod.
- Depth of field and how to bypass depth of field limitations via focus stacking.
- Optical aberrations: what they are, what they look like, and what to do about them.
- MTF, field curvature, focus shift: insight into the limitations of lab tests and why imaging performance is far more complex than it appears.
- Optical aberrations: what they are, what they look like, and what to do about them.
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Intrigued? See Focusing Zeiss DSLR Lenses For Peak Performance, PART ONE: The Challenges, or (one topic of many) field curvature.