“A shutter working at a speed of one-fourth to one-twenty-fifth of a second will answer all purposes. A little blur in a moving subject will often aid to giving the impression of action and motion.”

— Alfred Stieglitz - The Hand Camera, 1897


One of the greatest advancements of the digital age is image stabilization, also called vibration reduction. It’s a very simple concept, really. If camera movement is indicated by pre-exposure information obtained from the sensor, one or more optical elements in the lens is shifted to compensate. Because this is usually built into the lens, it can be precisely calibrated for the optics in use. It works amazingly well.

There are different types of VR (Nikon) or IS (Canon); some use a movable optical element, some shift the sensor and some perform the compensation electronically. The “lens shift” method is generally preferred, but all offer a significant advantage. If you’re a DSLR user, this advantage translates to film also, since VR lenses work just as well on the film bodies they will mount to.

Many Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras feature in-camera IS. While this feature adds the stabilization feature to every lens (even those that don’t really need it, such as wide-angle for fast normal prime lenses), it doesn’t offer the same level of customization for the individual optics as an in-lens system. Still, it’s a good, cost-saving compromise.

Performance is generally indicated as a three to four stop advantage. This means that shooting with a “normal” zoom lens at 35mm with a variable aperture of f/4.5 is more like shooting in the range of f/1.6-f/2.0… a significant advantage. But, only if your subject is not moving.

Only a high shutter speed can freeze both camera motion and subject motion. But at least VR technology has brought us halfway there. Advancements in sensor design will take us the other half, as ISO increases to ridiculously high levels. But not to worry, as Alfred Stieglitz offers some sound advice. The aesthetic at the turn of the last century is still very much relevant today. A little motion blur in your subject imparts a sense of movement so important in today’s world of full-motion video.