Does a6500 stabilization work when using third-party lenses?

[yt1300]

I have an a6000 and am considering upgrading to the a6500, but I'm curious about the stabilization. I know it is in-body, but is it in anyway dependent on the lens being used? Specifically, will it work with third-party lenses? I do a lot of shooting with Tamron's 150-600mm lens (with Sony's LA-EA2 adapter).

[Pieter]

For camera-based image stabilization (IBIS) to work, the camera needs to know the focal length of the lens in use*. The LA-EA2 transfers EXIF so the camera should be able to stabilize the image. If the lens also has stabilized optics, it might conflict with IBIS so you'll have to turn one off.

*Even lenses without EXIF-transmission can use IBIS if you manually set the focal length of the lens.

[yt1300]

Thanks, so basically, any lens for which autofocus works should be able to use the stabilization?

[Pieter]

Yes, indeed.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Even a fully manual  lens will benefit from IBIS. It even helps with the task of manual focussing itself.

Edited December 10, 2020 by Thad E Ginathom

[PeterMac]

Yes, my a6500 works perfectly with my Sigma lenses. As I understand it Irrespective of whether the lens Is ‘stabilised’ the IBIS takes control. I’m very happy with my a6500 but perhaps my only gripe is the poor battery life which means, if I were to buy again, I would go for the a6600 with its bigger battery. 

[Pieter]

3 hours ago, PeterMac said:

As I understand it Irrespective of whether the lens Is ‘stabilised’ the IBIS takes control.

This is not true. This thread is specifically about using 3rd party lenses on a mount adapter. Most stabilized lenses designed for DSLRs were never intended to be used on a body with stabilized sensor. The lens is therefore not providing stabilization information to the body so the body doesn't know the lens is already trying to stabilize the image. As a result, lens and body both try to stabilize the same movement, which causes these movements to be overcompensated. Therefore I mentioned earlier:

On 12/9/2020 at 3:31 PM, Pieter said:

If the lens also has stabilized optics, it might conflict with IBIS so you'll have to turn one off.

 

[Random Castle]

A6600 with mc-11 and sigma 150-500 for canon EF, menu shows steadyshot greyed out and off, irrespective of whether OS set to on or off or AF or MF. Presumably lens is not recognised and so IBIS is off?

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Edited May 23, 2021 by Random Castle
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[Pieter]

Likely it's a failsafe for the reason I described in my earlier post: to prevent double vibration compensation.