M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

[Ross the fiddler]

Is the M.ZD300mm f4 lens going to have Optical IS?

The translation from this page seems to indicate that as follows.

Patent of the Olympus 300 mm F4 IS

I could understand Olympus doing this to capture the full M4/3's market when Panasonic bodies (normally) don't have IBIS, so I wonder if this will actually be the case in manufacture?

[drmarkf]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Interesting: it might alternatively/also be a system that works with the IBIS for additional effects (not only vibration reduction, perhaps).

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Lens stabilization of the image, while the body is moving the sensor to achieve HD Resolution - Perhaps...

[Jim Ford]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

I can't understand why Olympus would want to use a legacy 'kludge', rather than IBIS.

Lens manufacturers go to great lengths to accurately align lens elements. To then move elements out of alignment must surely compromise optical quality. I've seen this confirmed by 'Canikon' shooters.

Jim

[Graham_of_Rainham]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Ah but Olympus being smaller will have less inertia in the system...

Never let fact get in the way of a good rumor.

[pdk42]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Well, IBIS is less effective at these sort of focal lengths, so it's not a crazy idea.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

I can't understand why Olympus would want to use a legacy 'kludge', rather than IBIS.

Lens manufacturers go to great lengths to accurately align lens elements. To then move elements out of alignment must surely compromise optical quality. I've seen this confirmed by 'Canikon' shooters.

Jim

Ah but Olympus being smaller will have less inertia in the system...

Never let fact get in the way of a good rumor.

Or a patent doesn't necessarily mean it will go to production either.

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Well, IBIS is less effective at these sort of focal lengths, so it's not a crazy idea.

I wonder if this is why the 300 f4 lens has been delayed? Surely they won't sell two different models?

[Jim Ford]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Well, IBIS is less effective at these sort of focal lengths, so it's not a crazy idea.

I've seen this mentioned before, but is there any supporting evidence?

Jim

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

I've seen this mentioned before, but is there any supporting evidence?

Jim

Yes, you've probably seen this before because this patent had apparently been filed back in November 2013 according to this site with the following quoted from that page.

A new patent surfaced over the web that clearly shows a new lens by Olympus with F4 aperture and built in image optical-stabilization system,

Patent details

Patent Publication No. 2015-102810
Published 2015.6.4
Filing date 2013.11.27
Example 1
Focal length f = 294.33mm
Fno. 4.08
Angle of view 2ω = 4.31 °
Image height 11.15mm
FB 45.04mm
Total length 213.64mm
The patent was filed back in November 2013, I don’t think Olympus will now announce a optically stabilized lens now, after introduction of 5 axis image stabilization system in its cameras.

It would seem though that the improved IBIS of firstly the E-M1 & now the E-M5 Mk II has meant optical IS may not be necessary. These rumour sites find these things & this is where misleading info ends up getting out. So it seems I was also party to it too, but then it has only just been published though. Still, it can make interesting reading knowing that Olympus tries to find solutions to improving their products.

More reading on Olympus patents can be found here. http://thenewcamera.com/tag/olympus-patent/

[Jim Ford]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Yes, you've probably seen this before because this patent had apparently been filed back in November 2013

What I meant was that I'd seen before that OIS is more effective at long focal lengths than IBIS. This appears to have become accepted wisdom - but is there any real evidence?

Jim

[Ross the fiddler]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

What I meant was that I'd seen before that OIS is more effective at long focal lengths than IBIS. This appears to have become accepted wisdom - but is there any real evidence?

Jim

It possibly is better at longer focal lengths, but I wouldn't know any more than what I've linked to here. Olympus did decide to use OIS in the Stylus one with a 1/1.7" sensor & it seems the other commenters on the links may be right in that Olympus filed for a patent on OIS in case they needed to go in that direction (as well as testing it) & it may be that Olympus no longer think it necessary, except they won't get the Panasonic camera users so keen on buying it without some sort of stabilisation.

[pdk42]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

As the focal length increases, the amount you need to move the sensor increases. There is a limit at which the sensor movement required is too great to stabilise it properly. You can hear this quite clearly with any of the OM-D models if you put a long lens on - the IBIS is working hard! It's easier in OIS since the amount of movement can be tailored to the lens and can be made larger if necessary (at the expense of a bigger lens).

What's also true is that lens shake gets a bigger problem as the lens gets bigger, whereas with smaller lenses it's the body. This is simply due to the C of G moving further forward. Sensing movement such as this is easier in the lens than the body.

[Daveart]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Hi I don't know if that is true that ois works better, there was a test done with the Panasonic 100 300mm lens using an Olympus body taking shots at 300mm switching from ois to IBS and there was no identifiable difference between them. That was done on a 3 way ibis and Olympus stated upto 1000mm stabilisation.
Dave

[pdk42]

Re: M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 300 mm f / 4 IS - Optical IS?!?!

Hi I don't know if that is true that ois works better, there was a test done with the Panasonic 100 300mm lens using an Olympus body taking shots at 300mm switching from ois to IBS and there was no identifiable difference between them. That was done on a 3 way ibis and Olympus stated upto 1000mm stabilisation.
Dave

Testing image stabilisation is notoriously difficult. It may also be the case that the Panasonic 100-300 OIS is not the best there is (there are clearly very big differences in OIS performance across lenses). I still think though that OIS in principle offers potentially better results at longer focal lengths.