FOR MY final challenge I took an evening saunter along the River Thames, where I’d get a chance to explore how each system copes with the demands of shooting in low light.
My first stop was Tower Bridge, where the effectiveness of each camera’s image-stabilisation (IS) system was put to the test.
First out of the bag was the D7200 which, unlike the OM-D E-M5 II, doesn’t employ in-body stabilisation and uses an optical vibration reduction (VR) system built in to the lens to allow users to shoot up to 4 stops slower than is otherwise possible. In my case I had the Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 16-80mm f/2.8-4E ED VR coupled to the front of the D7200. This VR optic is designed to compensate for three forms of movement (vertical, horizontal and diagonal) with its angular-velocity sensors detecting camera movement every 1/1000sec.
Lining up between the hordes of tourists and their tripods, I worked my way from 1/30sec to 1sec to find out how slow I could shoot a pin-sharp handheld shot, half expecting camera shake to creep in at around 1/10sec. A magnified review on-screen revealed that with a steady hand shooting at the widest end of the lens (equivalent to 24mm), I was able to get away with shooting shake-free shots down to 1/8sec. Could the OM-D E-M5 II better this?
Comparing image stabilisation
This story is from the September 3,2016 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 3,2016 edition of Amateur Photographer.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Final Analysis
Maria Falconer considers...Cromarty. Wednesday 18 August 1993. By Mark Power
Using artificial intelligence ethically
AI-powered tools in photo-editing software can be a blessing to photographers. James Abbott demonstrates a more ethical approach to AI to save time and to simplify complex manual tasks
The gift of nature
Hungarian photographer Csaba Daróczi has enjoyed great success in a number of high-profile photography competitions. Tracy Calder talks to him about fresh challenges, originality, and what constitutes a prize-winning picture
Sigma 10-18mm F2.8 DC DN Contemporary
Andy Westlake assesses a compact, affordable, large-aperture wideangle zoom for APS-C cameras
OM System Tough TG-7
Joshua Waller reviews one of the few tough, waterproof, compact cameras left on the market
OnePlus 12
This latest flagship model boasts high-end specifications beyond its price. Amy Davies discovers more
The dream team
Julia Margaret Cameron and Francesca Woodman pushed the boundaries of photography, and have been paired up in a major new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Tracy Calder takes a look
Images to inspire action
Why is animal photography so popular and can photographs help to save species from decline or extinction? Huw Lewis-Jones, author of a new book on animal photography, talks to David Clark
Photo City: How Images Shape the Urban World
Photography and cities have long had something of a symbiotic relationship, as this exhibition explores. Ailsa McWhinnie finds out more
Final Analysis
Tracy Marshall-Grant considers... The Sun, Early Sunday Morning, by Peter Mitchell