How does smartphone optical image stabilization compare with DSLR lens stabilization?
Asked 4/29/2015
204 views
2 answers
0
Many smartphones now advertise OIS. How does smartphone image stabilization compare with the optical stabilization used in DSLR systems? Is the principle the same, and can smartphone OIS be described in “stops” the way DSLR lenses often are (for example 3–4 stops)? Is it generally as effective?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
1
You have to distinguish between software and hardware image stabilisation, often referred to OIS - Optical Image Stabilisation - for the hardware kind, where the lens or sensor moves to counteract camera shake and perhaps just IS for the software kind, where software techniques are used to remove the effect of shake. However, Canon's stabilised lenses have traditionally been simply labelled 'IS', despite being a hardware-based optically stabilised system implemented in their IS lenses.
There are 2 ways to implement IS in hardware - move the lens elements or move the sensor. With in-lens IS, every lens has to have the IS capability; with sensor based IS, the IS hardware is in the camera and benefits every lens fitted. As far as I am aware, all phone cameras that implement IS have sensor-based systems.
Software-based IS only works (I think) for video and attempts to identify a consistent part of the image and keep it aligned from frame-to-frame, cropping the image slightly. This can be done as the video is recorded or afterwords in video editing software. The former method required that the camera implements software IS; the latter doesn't.
Traditionally, stabilisation for D-SLRs has been lens based and was mainly seen on Canon (IS - Image Stabilisation) and Nikon (VR - Vibration Reduction) lenses. Now most lens manufactures offer stabilised lenses whilst body-based stabilisation is becoming more common, although not by Canon and Nikon, who stick with a lens-based solution.
Proper hardware based IS is just becoming more common in phones, and is exclusively sensor based, but the systems are largely equivalent.
Originally by user34900. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user34900
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The basic idea is the same: optical stabilization uses moving hardware to counteract camera shake, either by shifting lens elements or the sensor. DSLR systems may use in-lens stabilization, while phones commonly use sensor-shift or a tiny lens module.
In practice, comparing effectiveness directly is difficult. “Stops” ratings are common for DSLR lenses, but smartphone makers don’t always publish stabilization in the same way, so there isn’t a clean one-to-one comparison.
Also, phones usually use very wide-angle lenses, which are naturally less sensitive to hand shake than longer focal lengths. That means they need less stabilization to get a sharp handheld shot than, say, a 200mm DSLR lens. On the other hand, phones have tiny sensors and limited low-light performance, so stabilization is still useful because it allows slower shutter speeds without raising ISO as much.
Like DSLR stabilization, phone OIS helps mainly with camera shake, not subject motion. If your subject moves, you can still get motion blur.
So yes, smartphone OIS is real and works on the same principle, but it’s not directly comparable to DSLR stabilization claims, and its practical benefit depends heavily on the much wider lenses phones use.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI11y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How does OIS change the safe handheld shutter speed on a Fujifilm APS-C camera?
What do '3-stop' or '4-stop' image stabilization ratings mean?
Why do some stabilized lenses make a constant noise when the camera is on?
Can optical image stabilization reduce image quality?
What is 5-axis image stabilization, and how is it different from 2-axis or lens-based stabilization?