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RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Badger
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Just purchased the RF 100 - 500 - very excited to get going! When reading the manual was surprised to find that stabiliser mode 3 was recommended for animals/wildlife. Does anyone know the difference between the two modes and have any experience of the effectiveness of either mode 1 or mode 3 (or both?) on wildlife and can support the recommendation?

From the manual:

" Mode 3 Shooting irregularly moving objects
- Sports photography or soccer, basketball etc.
- Photography of animals"

My targets are most likely to be birds in the short term.

Thanks in advance

Mar 10, 2023 at 01:55 AM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Mode 2 and 3 are identical in how they stabilize. In mode 3 the IS does not engage until you start shooting. This is so AF does not struggle with erratic subjects. So for static objects use mode 1. For moving use 2 or 3, depending on the subject. For example panning a bird that just flies across the EVF use mode 2.

Mar 10, 2023 at 03:50 AM

Sy Sez
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

If "one" chooses to believe that Canon's Manual instructions are always undisputedly correct:

They will have shot every still shot with their DSLR in either 1-shot, or IA Focus, the latter of which even Canon Tech. Reps said to avoid.

And with their R series cameras they would never even consider altering Canon's default AF Case Parameter settings, because that would be questioning Canon's advice.

There's a tried & true way to determine which to choose: Try them all in differing situations and see what works best for you.

What I finally decided works all-around best for me with my former EF 100-400L, & currently with my RF 100-500L is just leave it in Mode 1. It has never caused me any problem with moving subjects.

If, however I was shooting subjects in a race, I would likely try Mode-2

Mar 10, 2023 at 11:56 AM

EB-1
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Badger wrote:
Just purchased the RF 100 - 500 - very excited to get going! When reading the manual was surprised to find that stabiliser mode 3 was recommended for animals/wildlife. Does anyone know the difference between the two modes and have any experience of the effectiveness of either mode 1 or mode 3 (or both?) on wildlife and can support the recommendation?

From the manual:

" Mode 3 Shooting irregularly moving objects
- Sports photography or soccer, basketball etc.
- Photography of animals"

My targets are most likely to be birds in the short term.

Thanks in advance

It's not about the subject, but about how the user will be following the subject. IS does not know that you are shooting basketballs or birds. Are you using handheld, ball head, gimbal head, etc.?

Mode 3 is for handheld (shaky) use or vibration like a small boat. However, the VF will be shaky, not stabilized. I used that for just about everything with the old 100-400 II (tripod and handheld). The 100-500 is not as consistent in Mode 3 though, so I'm more likely to use Mode 1 or turn IS off at high shutter speeds if there is rapid subject movement. Mode 2 is best for a regularly moving subject and the camera is panning smoothly to follow it.

As mentioned above you really need to try the modes at various shutter speeds to see where the limits are for your lens, camera, subject, and style combination. Many unsharp images are caused by low shutter speeds or bad air, neither of which are fixable with IS.

EBH

Mar 10, 2023 at 12:19 PM

paulfeng
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

I leave it in Mode 1, including lots of Birds-In-Flight. Probably at the typical high shutter speeds I would use for BIF, the IS is not that crucial. This leaves the question of whether it is harder to track moving subjects in Mode 1 vs. 2 or 3. I do not find Mode 1 to introduce significant difficulties for tracking; the mirrorless "slideshow effect" (much less in the R5 than earlier ML cameras I have used, but not eliminated) is a bigger concern for me than IS lags.

Mar 10, 2023 at 01:58 PM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

paulfeng wrote:
I leave it in Mode 1, including lots of Birds-In-Flight. Probably at the typical high shutter speeds I would use for BIF, the IS is not that crucial. This leaves the question of whether it is harder to track moving subjects in Mode 1 vs. 2 or 3. I do not find Mode 1 to introduce significant difficulties for tracking; the mirrorless "slideshow effect" (much less in the R5 than earlier ML cameras I have used, but not eliminated) is a bigger concern for me than IS lags.

I sure wish you could map a button on the camera to change modes. I'm often shooting a static subject and a few seconds later a moving one. One reason I'm on mode 1 even when panning for birds many times.

Mar 10, 2023 at 07:56 PM

Badger
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

EB-1 wrote:
It's not about the subject, but about how the user will be following the subject. IS does not know that you are shooting basketballs or birds. Are you using handheld, ball head, gimbal head, etc.?

Mode 3 is for handheld (shaky) use or vibration like a small boat. However, the VF will be shaky, not stabilized. I used that for just about everything with the old 100-400 II (tripod and handheld). The 100-500 is not as consistent in Mode 3 though, so I'm more likely to use Mode 1 or turn IS off at high shutter speeds if there is rapid...Show more →

Thanks EBH.

I will be handheld the majority of the time

As noted by other posters, I will test various settings and see how I go, however, I can comment already that the "shaky" VF you mentioned above does not work well for me

Mar 10, 2023 at 11:51 PM

Badger
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Zenon Char wrote:
Mode 2 and 3 are identical in how they stabilize. In mode 3 the IS does not engage until you start shooting. This is so AF does not struggle with erratic subjects. So for static objects use mode 1. For moving use 2 or 3, depending on the subject. For example panning a bird that just flies across the EVF use mode 2.

Thanks Zenon Char.

Is there something about battery life here too? I am finding that my R3 battery life isn't as good as I had hoped and I am wondering if the constant image stabilisation and/or the fact that the image is constantly projected onto the back screen is an issue?

Mar 10, 2023 at 11:54 PM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Badger wrote:
Thanks Zenon Char.

Is there something about battery life here too? I am finding that my R3 battery life isn't as good as I had hoped and I am wondering if the constant image stabilisation and/or the fact that the image is constantly projected onto the back screen is an issue?

What lenses are you using? The RF lenses have new IS tech that uses magnets. I have read the don't use as much power as EF lenses. On R bodies the IS runs until the camera goes to sleep. I'm not sure if you can program the R3 IS to shut off after shooting. With my R if I pressed the menu button or Q (I think) it would shut off EF IS.

I've set my R6II and R7 power savings this way. When I move the camera away from my eye it flips to the LCD. The camera is awake but no power is being consumed by the EVF and LCD. This keeps the camera awake so when I bring it back to my eye the EVF wakes up right away. No delay so similar to an OVF. You can try a program to your needs.

Screen view is set to factory.

Mar 11, 2023 at 02:29 AM

Sy Sez
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Mar 11, 2023 at 09:59 AM

Sy Sez
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Maybe it's my clumsy fingers, but with my 100-400L V1, I would sometimes switch between Mode' 1 &2, for BIF to determine if one was superior, but when Canon introduced Mode-3 with the EF 100-400L V2, I found it difficult switching to Mode 2.

If I applied sufficient pressure to move out of Mode 1, it tended to over-shoot Mode 2 & go into Mode 3,
& the same going back. Hardly something I wished to hassle with while attempting to concentrate on the "subject", & another reason I simply leave mine in Mode-1

Mar 11, 2023 at 10:22 AM

Alan Kefauver
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

With a long lens or 500mm w tele, I find the EVF is too shaky for me when I hand hold without IS.

Edited on Mar 12, 2023 at 07:00 AM · View previous versions

Mar 11, 2023 at 11:28 AM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Sy Sez wrote:
Maybe it's my clumsy fingers, but with my 100-400L V1, I would sometimes switch between Mode' 1 &2, for BIF to determine if one was superior, but when Canon introduced Mode-3 with the EF 100-400L V2, I found it difficult switching to Mode 2.

If I applied sufficient pressure to move out of Mode 1, it tended to over-shoot Mode 2 & go into Mode 3,
& the same going back. Hardly something I wished to hassle with while attempting to concentrate on the "subject", & another reason I simply leave mine in Mode-1

+1

Mar 11, 2023 at 11:18 PM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Mar 11, 2023 at 11:20 PM

Zenon Char
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Zenon Char wrote:
What is the slideshow effect?

Never mind. You are talking about blackout.

Mar 11, 2023 at 11:46 PM

Badger
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Zenon Char wrote:
What lenses are you using? The RF lenses have new IS tech that uses magnets. I have read the don't use as much power as EF lenses. On R bodies the IS runs until the camera goes to sleep. I'm not sure if you can program the R3 IS to shut off after shooting. With my R if I pressed the menu button or Q (I think) it would shut off EF IS.

I've set my R6II and R7 power savings this way. When I move the camera away from my eye it flips to the LCD. The camera...Show more →

For this discussion i am only talking about the RF 100 - 500, but have been using the EF 70 - 200 and will check on that too, later

The issue is that as I am walking around, with the camera on a strap around my neck, the auto focus continues because what is in front of the lens changes. I have found that pressing the image playback button means that the screen has a photo on it rather than showing what is in front of the lens, then it turns itself off. Similar to you pressing "menu" or "Q" I guess? Pretty clumsy though.

Thanks for the settings, I will give them a try

Mar 12, 2023 at 01:36 AM

Badger
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Zenon Char wrote:
+1

My immediate findings too!

Mar 12, 2023 at 01:39 AM

Mike_5D
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Badger wrote:
For this discussion i am only talking about the RF 100 - 500, but have been using the EF 70 - 200 and will check on that too, later

The issue is that as I am walking around, with the camera on a strap around my neck, the auto focus continues because what is in front of the lens changes. I have found that pressing the image playback button means that the screen has a photo on it rather than showing what is in front of the lens, then it turns itself off. Similar to you pressing "menu" or "Q" I...Show more →

It sounds like you have continuous autofocus enabled, not to be confused with servo AF. Disable it and the camera will not AF while aimed at the ground unless you hold down the AF-ON button or half-press the shutter if you have AF on the shutter button.

Mar 12, 2023 at 01:56 AM

koenkooi
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Mike_5D wrote:
It sounds like you have continuous autofocus enabled, not to be confused with servo AF. Disable it and the camera will not AF while aimed at the ground unless you hold down the AF-ON button or half-press the shutter if you have AF on the shutter button.

Note that Canon has renamed this to "Preview AF" starting with the R7. So the R7, R10, R6II, R50 and R8 won't show 'Continious AF' in the menus anymore. That entry has been replaced with 'Preview AF'.
It's still the exact same thing, only using a different name.

Mar 12, 2023 at 06:29 AM

Badger
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · RF 100 - 500 Stabiliser Mode 1 or 3?

Mike_5D wrote:
It sounds like you have continuous autofocus enabled, not to be confused with servo AF. Disable it and the camera will not AF while aimed at the ground unless you hold down the AF-ON button or half-press the shutter if you have AF on the shutter button.

Mike_5D - Correct, I have AI Servo enabled. Could not find a setting for continuous autofocus. I am using an R3, can you point me to a menu to find it please?

Mar 12, 2023 at 06:43 AM

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