Sony A7II Stabilization- my first test; Your tests?

[photodan]

Still Photo Sensor Stabilization test: with 35mm f/2.8 FE lens (the only lens I have for the camera right now).  Test object was a clock face several feet away. All test shots were handheld as carefully and steadily as I could, using center small spot AF with focusing for each shot. Viewed results of extra fine JPEGs at 100% on my 25” monitor.

I counted anything but the very slightest difference in sharpness from my control shots at high shutter speeds as being blurred. This is admittedly a fairly stringent criteria.   

Stabilization OFF: 1/40sec all were sharp, 1/20sec  1/2 of the shots came out  sharp , 1/10 sec none were sharp.
Stabilization ON: 1/40 sec all sharp, 1/20 all sharp, 1/10sec 1/2 sharp, 1/5 sec  1/8  of the shots came out fairly sharp (though not absolutely pin sharp). 

My interpretation is that the stabilization represents perhaps  a 1 1/2 stops improvement, and although beneficial is not quite what I was hoping for. Perhaps my testing is flawed in some respect or my expectations/testing criteria were just too high.  Or, maybe using a longer focal length lens would yield a larger improvement?

Does anyone have their own test result conclusions of the A7II they’d like to share?

How about results from using the Pentax K-3; or other brand cameras with image stabilized lenses?

Thank you.
Dan 

[barryfitzgerald]

I can't comment on the A7II as I've not used one but for A mount bodies I would expect to get around 3 stops, this can vary but that's about average I think using bodies for many years
I personally found the Pentax cameras a little less effective for IBIS.

It might be possible that due to the limited space for teh sensor to move the IBIS on E mount might be less effective I just can't say. I'd easily expect to get most shots good at a focal length of 35mm at 1/10 sec. Did you update the firmware I thought Sony released one that improved the IBIS?

[AlterEgo]

Does anyone have their own test result conclusions of the A7II they’d like to share?

check blog.kasson.com

[Jim Kasson]

Does anyone have their own test result conclusions of the A7II they’d like to share?

55mm Zony FE Handheld: http://blog.kasson.com/?p=8344
180mm Apo-Telyt handheld: http://blog.kasson.com/?p=8358
180mm Apo-Telyt on a tripod: http://blog.kasson.com/?p=8391

One thing that doesn't come across in these tests is what a difference IBIS makes for enlarged focusing handheld.

Jim

[photodan]

My thanks to everyone who replied.

To answer barryfitzgerald’s good question - yes I had already updated to the current firmware version before the tests.

As a side note, or rant, actually: as some others such Jim  and Lloyd Chambers have mentioned I also feel the Sony updating procedure is kludgy and subject to malware risks.  But then I guess what else we should expect from the originators of the music CD root kit (you’d think they’d have learned their lessons by now, but then some things don’t seem to change much in this strange world of ours).  What would make my day, actually it would make the year 2015 for me, would be if Sony not only changes their firmware updating mechanism to the more common and safer practice used by Nikon and others, but that they most especially to stop using lossy compression for raw files; and, as a nice bonus, also start using true 14-bit.  

Back on topic:

I found Jim’s scientific tests on A7II stabilization with 55mm and 180mm lenses very illuminating.  The A7II stabilization with the 180mm lens is very impressive. So all in all those tests auger well for using the camera with a wide variety of lenses. Also, now that Jim mentioned it, it is indeed a very good benefit that magnified-view handheld manual focusing is made much easier due to the stabilization.

[Jim Kasson]

Details: http://blog.kasson.com/?p=8554

Really good performance, to my way of thinking.

Jim

[photodan]

Details: http://blog.kasson.com/?p=8554

Really good performance, to my way of thinking.

Jim

Thanks Jim re your results testing the 28mm lens on the A7II. I also saw your results for a 16mm lens. I would like to compliment you on the wealth of useful information you have on your blog The Last Word.  I guess it's your engineering background (combined with your particular skills and experience) that has resulted in performing technical tests in specific areas that are much more detailed and useful than any others I've seen.

On your blog I saw your reference to the late Fred Picker. I would venture that not that many people know of him nowadays. I remember talking to him on the phone way back when.  Ah yes, it brings fond back memories of my first 4x5 camera and my Pentax digital Zone VI modified spotmeter :-)

[Jim Kasson]

Thanks Jim re your results testing the 28mm lens on the A7II. I also saw your results for a 16mm lens. I would like to compliment you on the wealth of useful information you have on your blog The Last Word.  I guess it's your engineering background (combined with your particular skills and experience) that has resulted in performing technical tests in specific areas that are much more detailed and useful than any others I've seen.

<blush>

On your blog I saw your reference to the late Fred Picker. I would venture that not that many people know of him nowadays. I remember talking to him on the phone way back when.  Ah yes, it brings fond back memories of my first 4x5 camera and my Pentax digital Zone VI modified spotmeter :-)

I never bought one of his cameras, but I did buy the spotmeter. He also had a little collar with the zones marked on it so you could directly set the zone to the reading. Very useful. I bought one, then made ones for my other lightmeters.

The thing the he sold that saved me the most time, paper, and aggravation was a timer with a probe you put in the paper developer tray. As the developer heated up, the timer ran faster to compensate. Brilliant! Oops, that was the paper, wasn't it?

I bought the white-on-the outside-black-on-the-inside focusing cloth, too. The problem with that was that the corners were weighted with washers, and, if it was windy, they could attack your face. It attracted the wrong kind of attention to be swearing at your focusing cloth in the parking lot of Tunnel View. I still have Fred's cloth, but prefer a lighter, poly-something one to which I've attached Velcro in critical places to match the Velcro on the camera.

Crusty old guy. Good writer. Good proponent and explainer of the Zone System. I first learned it from The Negative, and Fred's step-by-step was much easier to understand.

Jim

[Herbc]

Jim, did you see any edge degrading in the 28mm Leitz test?  I have just got a 28mm Leica M mount, have not had a chance to test it.  Seems there was some comments about sensor cover glass and rangefinder lenses, I forget where.

I had the full boat of Zone VI stuff, excellent in many ways.  His 4x5 was like a piece of art you showed off in the house.

[Jim Kasson]

Jim, did you see any edge degrading in the 28mm Leitz test?  I have just got a 28mm Leica M mount, have not had a chance to test it.  Seems there was some comments about sensor cover glass and rangefinder lenses, I forget where.

Sorry, the corners on the 28mm Elmarit-M are awful on the alpha 7 cameras. The R version is fine.

http://blog.kasson.com/?p=6329

I had the full boat of Zone VI stuff, excellent in many ways.  His 4x5 was like a piece of art you showed off in the house.

Yes, wooden cameras are tactile, beautiful, and they smell good, too. I've got an Ebony. But when you open it up, you have to fiddle for a couple of minutes to get everything the way you want it. When I want a 4x5 that just works, I use a Linhof Tecnhika.

Jim

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I loved my Zone VI 4x5, and I still have my Picker-modified Spotmeter, mainly for nostalgia.

[Herbc]

Sorry, the corners on the 28mm Elmarit-M are awful on the alpha 7 cameras. The R version is fine.

http://blog.kasson.com/?p=6329

Yes, wooden cameras are tactile, beautiful, and they smell good, too. I've got an Ebony. But when you open it up, you have to fiddle for a couple of minutes to get everything the way you want it. When I want a 4x5 that just works, I use a Linhof Tecnhika.

Jim

H

I read the lens rental blog, and one must conclude that the Leica M mount are going to be a problem on A7x cameras, although it does seem that wide angle is a bigger problem.
Would you think that Leica R lenses would not be a problem on A7x cameras?

[Telecaster]

Would you think that Leica R lenses would not be a problem on A7x cameras?

In my experience the wider R lenses are fine. I've used the 24/2.8 (which I own) and v.2 of the 19mm.

-Dave-

[Jim Kasson]

H

I read the lens rental blog, and one must conclude that the Leica M mount are going to be a problem on A7x cameras, although it does seem that wide angle is a bigger problem.
Would you think that Leica R lenses would not be a problem on A7x cameras?

Some of the M-s are fine. The WATE, the 90mm 'cron, the 135mm Apo-Telyt. Even the short Elmars aren't bad.

http://blog.kasson.com/?p=6447

I've not had problems with any lens designed to avoid being hit by a swinging mirror, and that includes the Leica R-series lenses.

Jim

[Manoli]

Some of the M-s are fine.

I would add the 75's as well. both the APO and the 'Lux .

[Jim Kasson]

I would add the 75's as well. both the APO and the 'Lux .

And, while I've never used it, the 50 'cron is good. I have examined raw files from that lens on an a7, and they were outstanding.

Jim

[Manoli]

And, while I've never used it, the 50 'cron is good. I have examined raw files from that lens on an a7, and they were outstanding.

Jim,

Wasn't that the 'allegretto' experiment - I thought that was on an A7s ?
I assumed that the fatter pixels helped the 'corners' compared to the standard A7 ( which I've never used).

M

[Herbc]

I was particularly interested in the 28 Elmarit due to its small size.  My next choice would be a Zeiss ZF.2
I use with Nikon, but it it pretty big.  Looks like it is back to the drawing board.
Thanks for the reply.

[Jim Kasson]

Wasn't that the 'allegretto' experiment - I thought that was on an A7s ?
I assumed that the fatter pixels helped the 'corners' compared to the standard A7 ( which I've never used).

You're right. Sorry.

Jim

[NancyP]

Has anyone tried macrophotography with IBIS?