prime lenses why no image stabilization?

[Tinderbox (UK)]

I think you should be given the option of buying an IS/VR version, 35mm or 50mm or even 85mm and they don't have IS/VR , i was reading a post that said that Ansel Adams recommend that you used 5x the focal length for your minimum shutter speed for shooting hand held. :mrgreen:

John

 

[robbins.photo]

I think you should be given the option of buying an IS/VR version, 35mm or 50mm or even 85mm and they don't have IS/VR , i was reading a post that said that Ansel Adams recommend that you used 5x the focal length for your minimum shutter speed for shooting hand held. :mrgreen:

John

My guess would be market research. Since the primes are normally pretty fast lenses, 1.4 or 1.8, keeping a good shutter speed is generally a fairly easy task. My guess would also be that they've probably looked at the marketing data and realized that while there might be a few people interested, the increased size, weight and cost of adding IS or VR wouldn't appeal to a lot of the people who buy the fast primes now.

I'm guess that there research shows them that sort of lens isn't the thing your average home user buys, it is most likely a market made up of predominately professionals and advanced amateurs who know their way around a camera. Most of them are already going to be using tripods for landscape/waterfall type shots with long shutter speeds. As a result they probably see the VR or IS on a prime like that to be of fairly limited practical use and won't be willing to spend almost twice as much on a lens with that feature built in

I could be wrong of course, just an educated guess, but that would be my guess.

 

[Overread]

The rule of thumb is 1/focal length for the slowest possible shutter speed - at least for 35mm sensor/film cameras. Ansel Adams was likely talking about larger format cameras where the sensor is far bigger and thus the evidence of shake in the shot greater.


At that rough rule you'll be well into the area where subject motion blur is a problem before handshake is with anything less than 100mm. It's just not a strong demand for the feature for stills photography. Now with video on the scene some primes are getting IS in the shorter focal lengths for video recording - but otherwise for stills its generally not a practical limitation that puts greater demand on having IS

 

[Tinderbox (UK)]

Would adding the IS/VR system reduce the lenses speed, maybe a reason they don't have that feature.

John.

 

[Overread]

Well there isn't such a thing as "lens speed". The maximum aperture of the lens might be affected; but in general its a case of complexity, price and weight. Adding IS increases the complexity, costs and weight of the lens so either some other things have to be cut (like closer focusing elements) or they have to shift it up to a higher price bracket. Since there isn't the strong demand and more people want the wide aperture over IS they simply prioritize.

 

[JTPhotography]

Also, ISO performance is constantly improving, so higher shutter speeds are easier to achieve. I happen to agree with Adams thought, I have always thought the "1/FL" rule was too slow, I try to at least double or triple that if possible, but I am picky about super sharp photos.

 

[gsgary]

I think you should be given the option of buying an IS/VR version, 35mm or 50mm or even 85mm and they don't have IS/VR , i was reading a post that said that Ansel Adams recommend that you used 5x the focal length for your minimum shutter speed for shooting hand held. :mrgreen:

John

People who know how to use their cameras dont need is/vr my 300f2.8L is non is and it has never been a problem i can go down to 1/120 my Leicas i can go down to 1/20

Sent from my GT-I9100P using Tapatalk 2

 

[shadowlands]

I've never needed or missed "VR" on any of my glass... I liked it when I had variable zooms, but I don't miss it on my 1.8 or 2.8's.

 

[hamlet]

I think you should be given the option of buying an IS/VR version

Exactly my thought. People who are willing to pay out a little more money for the neat extras like VR should be given the option to do so. For me personally, i would want the most amount of extras in the lens that i buy, because that lens will be with me for decades.

 

[KmH]

Why pay for a feature that has no practical use the vast majority of the time?

In most uses VR needs to be turned off.
At shutter speeds greater than 1/500 - VR does nothing useful.

 

[dxqcanada]

"prime lenses why no image stabilization?"

... cause that's what we had in the olden days.
We were handholding our fixed focal length rangefinders at 1/10s with 25 ASA film ... no problem !!

 

[Tinderbox (UK)]

Lead free solder contains tin and tin after a few years grows tiny whiskers that can short out electronics, i have heard 10 years is the estimated lifespan, see the links below for more information.

John

Danger to lead-free electronics: tin whiskers - Technology & science - Science | NBC News

NASA Goddard Tin Whisker Homepage

I think you should be given the option of buying an IS/VR version

Exactly my thought. People who are willing to pay out a little more money for the neat extras like VR should be given the option to do so. For me personally, i would want the most amount of extras in the lens that i buy, because that lens will be with me for decades.

 

[Juga]

There are Canon primes with IS.

See...Canon is BETTER :mrgreen:

 

[Tinderbox (UK)]

Can anybody identify this logo on my new lens, according to ken rockwell it means the lens will only last up to 10 years because of "tin whiskers"

I though it might be a plastic recycling type number, but i cannot find a type 10



Thanks

John.

 

[hamlet]

Can anybody identify this logo on my new lens, according to ken rockwell it means the lens will only last up to 10 years because of "tin whiskers"

I though it might be a plastic recycling type number, but i cannot find a type 10

View attachment 59918

Thanks

John.

"The 10 inside recycling circles means that Nikon expects that this lens will be thrown into the dump in 10 years. I hope not, but that's what the "10" means."-http://www.kenrockwell.com