Canon reveals the Hybrid Stabilizer

Canon has unveiled an optical anti-shake sytem designed to compensate for two different types of camera shake. In addition to 'shift' as addressed by Canon's IS and Nikons VR the new Hybrid Stabilizer will also address 'angular' or 'rotational' shake

Named the Hybrid Image Stabilizer it's a system Canon claims we'll see before the end of 2009 in at least one of it's 'new' D-SLR lenses.

This latest technology uses angular velocity and acceleration sensors to detect the degree of the shake before moving elements of the lens to counter the movement. It is designed to offer improved stabilization performance at closer subject distances, and particularly for macro shooting.

Canon say this new technology will prove it's commitment to improving optical image stabilisation in lens and is far more effective than their existing (IS) system. Canon first began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world's first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake.

Will this be for in-camera or lens Phil?

Thanks for the info!

That's a great question Azz.......

Notice how I put in bold that Canon says we'll see this before the end of 2009 in at least one of it's 'new' D-SLR lenses.

Ages ago I started a thread about whether Canon's IS / Nikon's VR was best done in lens or in the camera body itself ???????

The reason I asked was because Sony decided to pop IS/VR into their camera body.


As silly as it seems now - that has proved to be a massive point as the price difference between IS/VR lenses and none IS/VR lenses is huge so why not shove the technology into the body ???

Well - As soon as Sony said that it's dealt with the issue 'in camera' Canon and then Nikon were very quick to point out (and there's a video of some boffins explaining this) why 'in camera' IS/VS isn't ideal................

Shake varies so much.......If you're using a 500mm IS/VR lens then shake differs to that of a 12mm IS/VR lens. Whilst a camera (like Sony) can adopt a system to deal with shake in general - it's much better for shake to be treated Specifically (loads of techy stuff) to the lens in question.....

To date - in camera shake works fine but not as good (but cheaper) than per lens...

Make of that what you will........

I think we'll need to see some real world tests to see how effective the new system is. Personally I hope they can make the in-camera vr to be as good as the in-lens ones we have now. Sometimes I think they're holding back technology just so they can keep making us buy expensive lenses

Lens stabilisation (it seems) has already been proven to be better than camera stabilisation.

It's pretty simple.

If you want is/vr on a 500mm lens then you buy a lens that does it.

If you want is/vr on a 12mm lens then you buy a lens that does it.

Whilst it's a custom solution ideally suited to each and every lens it makes lenses expensive.

Having it in the camera is the way Sony went however Nikon and Canon say there's no way the camera can apply the exact anti shake for all the different lenses as physical weight, lens length, lens focal length etc etc all require different treatment.

They say 'in camera' anti shake is like auto white balance rather than having the ability to set your own.

The cynics however will have you think that 'in camera' is fine and 'in lens' is a way to print money.

Would like a Canon DSLR with antishake - and that incredible macro lens. Then I'd be happy.

For a while!



xx