5 Axis IBIS

JeffnSue

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Jeff
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I want to buy my wife a compact MFT camera for Xmas. She has a slight hand tremor so stabilisation is important. Can anyone tell me which of the Olympus Pen models has 5 axis IBIS please.
I’ve been trawling the website which seems to refer to either 3, 4 or 5 stop improvements, by implication I guess the higher ones have better stabilisation, but does anyone have a definitive answer of which Pens have 5 axis.
Thanks in advance
Jeff
 
Thanks Owen, do you have first-hand experience of using the EP5, if so how do you find it?
Jeff
 
I don't I'm afraid I bought one for me dad as he shakes sometimes though the only thing I can say is it helps him a lot and he has got some corkers with it, the only other one I know that is excellent is the sony a7 ii but it is a lot more I believe
 
I’m starting to babble now!
The EP5 looks superb, but has features I know Sue wouldn’t use, 2x2 switching, full manual etc. What I’m really seeking is a ‘simpler’ camera with 5 axis stabilisation, though I know the EP5 could simply be used on ‘P’ setting.
Are there alternatives? Bearing in mind I have a GH3 (which I might soon swap for OMD E5ii) and good Panasonic Leica lenses, it would be good to have a smaller camera with the same mount, but the 5 axis IBIS is the key feature,
Thanks again
Jeff
 
Thanks again Owen, looks like it might be a bullet that needs to be bitten! If it works for your Dad it should work for Sue. Presently she uses a Panasonic LX3 and I’m not sure what level of stabilisation that has, if any
Jeff
 
5 axis and 3 axis are incredibly close except at ridiculously low shuttr speeds. Sounds like she would be better off with an epm2. Most cameras have lenses with stabilisation so you aren't limited.
 
Just a quick thought the rx100 Sony has steady shot as well not sure if it is any good though someone else would be better placed to advise on that ;-)
 
Thanks very much ‘Twist’ & Owen, if possible I’d like an interchangeable lens MFT fit camera which narrows it down to Olympus & Panasonic, and I thought Olympus were ‘in front’ on this issue, hence I asked about the PEN range. I’ll look at the EPM2.
Jeff
 
EP = Pen
EPL = Pen Lite
EPM = Pen Mini

They get more basic as you go down so if the pen 5 is too much you could look at the EPL7 which is the latest version.

The latest pen mini is the EPM2 which only has 2 way stabilisation I think, I have one and it's quite nice but a bit basic for me (bought it for the wife), the stabilisation is pretty good but not as good as the newer 3 or 5 way versions. Good news is that image quality is identical across them all so you can base your decision on features you actually need.
 
Thank you Ned, I understand the range now, it’s all quite simple isn’t it. I’ll try and go for the simplest camera with 5 Axis
Jeff
 
For the record I bought Sue the Olympus Stylus SH-2 and the stabilisation is unbelievable! Granted it does not have the image quality of an M43 camera like the Pen, but it’s much more portable and we’re not printing to A3 every day of the week.

Both video and still quality is as much as we need and the quality of the stabilisation is the icing on the cake. Sue will get plenty of use out of it and for snapshot photography printing at 6x4 it’s more than adequate. The SH-2 has gone a long way to persuading me that an EM5ii should be my next purchase, I presently use a GH3 but now that the Olympus has an articulated screen and focus bracketing I think that’s what I’ll go for in the spring. My only worry is the physical size of the body, much smaller than the Panasonic, but I’ll make sure I handle it with a variety of lenses.

Thanks to everybody for the advice on 5-Axis IBIS
Jeff
 
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Having used the E-M1 extensively I have to say the Olympus stabilisation is way ahead of anything out there, even Sony.
 
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