I made a test today to establish whether it would make any difference to the picture quality if IS is on or off when the camera is on a tripod. (It has been suggested, but now I exaggerate, that IS would almost run berserk if switched on with the camera on tripod.)

 

The simple answer is that it makes no difference to the image quality if IS is on or off when the camera is on a tripod.

 

My test method: I used an A7r2 and shot RAW @ 100 ISO.  I used a 55mm Sonnar and a 85mm Batis at f/8.  The Sonnar does not have in-lens IS, but the Batis has. Exposure time was 1/5s and I shot a USAF chart placed at a distance of 30x the focal length (to make the chart the same size on the sensor irrespective of focal length). I made ten shot for each variant (Batis with IS on and off; and the same for the Sonnar), a total of 40 shots. I used Capture One to open the RAWs, sharpened slightly and adjusted exposure a little bit  and compared at 100% on my Retina screen using a large reading glass. (At this aperture, there was no relevant difference between Sonnar and Batis.)

You will not see it with the USAF chart. Need to take a photo of something with a fine textured surface, such as large rocks.

You will not see it with the USAF chart. Need to take a photo of something with a fine textured surface, such as large rocks.

 

 

Will do. And report back. Thanks timde!

 

https://500px.com/nix-pix

micro-jitter is what you are looking for.

 

 

The simple answer is that it makes no difference to the image quality if IS is on or off when the camera is on a tripod.

Because in most cases the camera realizes it when it's on a tripod and automatically turns off IS.

 

 

Sent from my Aquaris X5 using Tapatalk

You will not see it with the USAF chart. Need to

take a photo of something with a fine textured

surface, such as large rocks.

Man speaks truth. I was shooting some textile

and forgot to turn of the IBIS. Couldn't figger

out why the "edge" was off of the sharpness. I

will not specify the exact lens in use, nor the

tonnage of my tripod. Suffice it to say that

these items are toadally immune from blame

for any compromising of IQ. I will also not

recite my "test conditions". Fugdat. This is a

Real World situation,

 

Then, I looked at an image with silk screening

on the cloth. The screen ink makes tiny little

micro-highlights. Seen under magnification, the

micro-highlights were all elongated, and all in

the same direction ! This told me the IBIS was

streaking the image. Acoarst I turned it off and

dope slapped myselves. Problem solved.

 

..... in most cases the camera realizes it when

it's on a tripod and automatically turns off IS.

OK. I am very distrustful of most automatic

functions. I admit my IBIS is set to the lens

FL, not to "Auto". Since the lens in use is not

coupled electronically to the camera, I really

can't set the IBIS to "Auto" anywho.