How much handheld low-light advantage does the Sony A7 II's in-body stabilization have over the A7R?
Asked 9/23/2016
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I'm comparing the Sony A7 II and A7R for handheld low-light shooting. Specifically, how much extra shutter-speed latitude can I expect from the A7 II's 5-axis in-body image stabilization versus:
- an A7R with no stabilization
- an A7R with a stabilized lens
I'm trying to understand the approximate stop/EV difference in real use. Also, if I use adapted lenses, will lens-based stabilization still work on the A7R, and does the A7 II's in-body stabilization work with adapted lenses as well?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
4
The official number if a 4.5 stop gain from the 5-axis image-stabilization system in the A7 II. This is the difference compared to having no stabilization.
For lens based stabilization, it varies and it is different for each lens. Expect 2 stops at least but there are lenses which claim 4 stops or so too.
The A7 II has built-in stabilization, so it works with all lenses, including adapted ones. With the A7R, adapted lenses extremely unlikely to work since adapters would need good communication between the camera and lens. Many adapters do not even have electric contacts which would be needed to power lens stabilization.
So to answer the final part of your question:
- A7 II vs A7 with unstabilized lens: 4.5 stops.
- A7 II vs A7 with stabilized lenses: 0 to 2.5 stops.
- A7 with unstabilized lens vs A7 with stabilized lenses: 2 to 4 stops.
Keep in mind that these are official numbers usually measured according to the CIPA standard. Your mileage will certainly vary. From experience, I rarely reach the numbers quoted. I don't consider myself shaky but it seems official numbers are based on best-case performance.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Sony rates the A7 II's 5-axis in-body stabilization at about 4.5 stops versus using no stabilization at all. So compared with an unstabilized A7R, the A7 II should give roughly a 4.5-stop handheld advantage.
With stabilized lenses on the A7R, the gain depends on the lens. A reasonable expectation is around 2 stops minimum, with some lenses claiming around 4 stops. That means the A7 II's advantage over an A7R with lens stabilization could range from essentially none up to about 2.5 stops, depending on the lens.
For adapted lenses: the A7 II's in-body stabilization works with adapted lenses because stabilization is in the camera body. On the A7R, lens-based stabilization with adapted lenses is much less certain. It depends on the adapter providing proper electronic communication and power to the lens, and many adapters do not. So in practice, adapted-lens stabilization is far more reliable on the A7 II than on the A7R.
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