Image Stabilization Testing, version 2.0
By
Dave Etchells
(Monday, October 11, 2010 - 10:51 EDT)
We've revived image stabilization (IS) testing over on SLRgear, using a simpler process, but still using the all-important quantitative measures to decide thresholds between various levels of blurring.
After almost a year of not having posted any image stabilization (IS) test results on SLRgear, we had to finally admit that schedule and limited resources meant there wasn't any way to integrate our uniquely quantitative IS test methodology into our day to day operations.
IS is an important aspect of lens performance though, so have developed a new protocol that greatly reduces the amount of labor and time required. We've retained our use of objective blur measurements, though, as essential to having any consistency in the results, as well as to being able to fairly compare lenses with different underlying sharpness.
For those interested, we've written a description of the current SLRgear IS testing methodology that describes some of the considerations involved and explains our approach.
We've posted four IS tests with the new methodology, and you'll see IS tests as a normal part of our lens testing going forward. (Watch for tests of body-based IS systems from time to time as well.)
The new image stabilization tests are included as a new tab to our standard lens review layout (marked 'IS Test'). Here are links to results of our first four new-format IS tests; stay tuned for more!
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