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Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

I cannot get jitter-free video footage when I have my R5 + RF100-500 lens mounted on a tripod unless I do not touch it. The instant I touch it and try to pan or tilt or adjust the camera, press a button, etc., I get super jittery footage. I use a half-decent tripod and a good video fluid head. All the camera and lens settings and switches are set properly.

However, when I hand hold the camera the video is jitter free. There are the normal irregular movements as in all hand-held footage, but no jitters.

When on the tripod, it's as if the camera and/or the lens are turning off their stabilizing mechanisms.

Does anybody know why is is happening and more importantly what to do about it?

Thanks,
Rudy

Jul 28, 2023 at 06:18 AM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Disable IS in both the body and lens

Jul 28, 2023 at 11:00 AM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Imagemaster wrote:
Disable IS in both the body and lens

It's not possible to disable IBIS on the R5.

Jul 28, 2023 at 12:13 PM

RobAmy
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl wrote:
It's not possible to disable IBIS on the R5.

Sure it is, it is an all or nothing system

When the Stabilizer On/Off switch is in the “Off” position, both IBIS and lens stabilization system will be deactivated. On the Canon EOS R5, R6, and R6 Mark II it is not possible to use the lens IS and IBIS independently. So turn off the IS on the 100-500 and your IBIS will be off.

Jul 28, 2023 at 12:20 PM

artsupreme
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl wrote:
I cannot get jitter-free video footage when I have my R5 + RF100-500 lens mounted on a tripod unless I do not touch it. The instant I touch it and try to pan or tilt or adjust the camera, press a button, etc., I get super jittery footage. I use a half-decent tripod and a good video fluid head. All the camera and lens settings and switches are set properly.

However, when I hand hold the camera the video is jitter free. There are the normal irregular movements as in all hand-held footage, but no jitters.

When on the tripod,...Show more →

This is interesting. I've video'd with this same setup on a tripod and it's clear the IS is working because it's almost like a jello effect when the camera is moved due to the IS stabilizing the image. I haven't experienced anything jittery, it's always been buttery smooth with IS doing it's job.

Jul 28, 2023 at 12:22 PM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

RobAmy wrote:
Sure it is, it is an all or nothing system

When the Stabilizer On/Off switch is in the “Off” position, both IBIS and lens stabilization system will be deactivated. On the Canon EOS R5, R6, and R6 Mark II it is not possible to use the lens IS and IBIS independently. So turn off the IS on the 100-500 and your IBIS will be off.

Sorry, my mistake. It still leaves with the problem of jittery footage when I'm holding, touching or trying to pan while on a tripod. Are you saying that if I disable all stabilization (lens and body) I should be able to get smoother footage?

Rudy

Jul 28, 2023 at 12:38 PM

Imagemaster
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl wrote:
Are you saying that if I disable all stabilization (lens and body) I should be able to get smoother footage?

Try it out and see what happens.

Jul 28, 2023 at 12:57 PM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Imagemaster wrote:
Try it out and see what happens.

Thanks, I'll give it a try and post my findings here.
Rudy

Jul 28, 2023 at 01:00 PM

Dilemma
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Post a short clip of what you're seeing.

Jul 28, 2023 at 01:22 PM

Mike_5D
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl wrote:
Sorry, my mistake. It still leaves with the problem of jittery footage when I'm holding, touching or trying to pan while on a tripod. Are you saying that if I disable all stabilization (lens and body) I should be able to get smoother footage?

Rudy

At the very least, it lets you determine if a problem with one of the stabilization systems is causing the trouble.

What tripod do you have and are you using the lens collar? Does the problem get worse at longer focal lengths? FWIW, Gitzo recommends tripod legs based on focal length. You're going to need a much more stable platform at 500 mm than 50 mm. Do you have a ballhead you can mount to for testing to rule out the fluid head being bad?

Jul 28, 2023 at 02:30 PM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Dilemma wrote:
Post a short clip of what you're seeing.

Hallelujah! I just solved this problem in another way that's way more beneficial and versatile for my needs. I just discovered the "Classic Stabilization" feature in Davinci Resolve 18 found on the Color page and it transforms samples of my most jittery footage into smooth as butter footage. Wow, I can't believe it!

For 9 months now since buying the R5 and RF100-500 for doing videos I have been using the standard Davinci stabilization methods found on the Edit page, and only today did I find out about the Classic Stabilization method..... The difference is like night and day!

Thanks for your input everyone. I won't be chasing the cause(s) of the video jitters anymore, I'll just fix them in post... so much easier.

Cheers,
Rudy

Jul 28, 2023 at 03:15 PM

Gochugogi
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

I often shoot video on tripod with IS and IBIS enabled with an R6 MK II and R7, and footage is smooth as silk, even during pans. If I turn IS off, there is a little vibration, especially when the trade winds kick in. The only time I've seen "jitters" is with an ultra wide, e.g., 16mm, and IBIS can't move enough to compensate (corners jitter and twitch).

Jul 28, 2023 at 07:55 PM

Planetwide
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

If you are panning on a tripod, try Mode 2

Jul 28, 2023 at 09:26 PM

action99
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

I have filmed more than 100 hours with an R5 and 100-500, including continuous zooming by hand or via a manual follow focus on a tripod with a fluid head, IS always on mode 1 and never had jitters.

First check the lens firmware as they fixed at some point IS/IBIS problems.

Second try with IS off (it disables also IBIS) to rule out IS issues.

Third try a friend’s tripod/fluid head.

Using Resolve stabilizer should never be the solution if you shoot from a tripod… other than if you bump on the tripod by mistake.

Posting a video with the problem would help…

Jul 29, 2023 at 05:01 AM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

action99 wrote:
I have filmed more than 100 hours with an R5 and 100-500, including continuous zooming by hand or via a manual follow focus on a tripod with a fluid head, IS always on mode 1 and never had jitters.

--- Firstly, thanks so much for taking the time to write this comprehensive reply. I really appreciate it.

--- A little background:
--- I was a Nikon user since 1978 until last Fall when I sold my Nikon gear and bought a Canon R5 and an RF100-500 L. Over the previous 2 years I had developed a keen interest in learning how to create short wildlife documentaries and I was doing them on my Nikon D500 which has no AF tracking. The Nikon Z9 was too big and too expensive for me and the AF tracking on the other Nikon models was not suitable. So after a lot of research I bought the R5. Since then I have shot about 4 hours of video footage with this camera and lens about 4-5 times every week since November 2022. That works out to about 120 hours.
--- Here's a youTube link to my little creations: https://www.youtube.com/@Rudy.Pohl.Ottawa/videos

First check the lens firmware as they fixed at some point IS/IBIS problems.

--- I checked the lens firmware a few days ago and it's the newest version 1.1.0

Second try with IS off (it disables also IBIS) to rule out IS issues.

--- Will do.

Third try a friend’s tripod/fluid head.

--- I have 2 tripods and 2 fluid heads. One is an older pro Manfrotto studio setup and is heavy duty and weighs far too much to take far out into the field, especially for me at 73 years of age. This one has no jitters. The other setup is a lighter weight Manfrotto metal tripod with a fairly new Manfrotto 502 MVH502AH Video fluid Head.
--- The jitters only happen on my lighter tripod/head setup when I have my hands on the camera in order to select various camera settings or panning, etc.

Using Resolve stabilizer should never be the solution if you shoot from a tripod… other than if you bump on the tripod by mistake.

Posting a video with the problem would help…

Thanks very much again for your help. Would it be possible for me to send you a private message from time to time about video questions?

Best regards,
Rudy

Edited on Jul 29, 2023 at 10:53 AM · View previous versions

Jul 29, 2023 at 08:28 AM

Mike_5D
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Rudy Pohl wrote:
--- I have 2 tripods and 2 fluid heads. One is an older pro Manfrotto studio setup and is heavy duty and weighs far too much to take far out into the field, especially for me at 73 years of age. This one has no jitters. The other setup is a lighter weight Manfrotto metal tripod with a fairly new Manfrotto 502 MVH502AH Video fluid Head.
--- The jitters only happen on my lighter tripod/head setup when I have my hands on the camera in order to select various camera settings or panning, etc.

Then it sounds like the lightweight tripod is too lightweight for a 500mm lens.

I believe carbon fiber dampens vibrations better than aluminum. You may be able to get a beefier CF tripod without adding too much weight.

Jul 29, 2023 at 10:46 AM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Mike_5D wrote:
Then it sounds like the lightweight tripod is too lightweight for a 500mm lens.

I believe carbon fiber dampens vibrations better than aluminum. You may be able to get a beefier CF tripod without adding too much weight.

HI Mike,

Yes, likely the tripod is too light for 500mm which I almost always shoot at. However, I simply assumed that with a total of 6-8 stops of stabilization between the R5 and the RF100-500 working together all but the most extreme movements would compensated for.

What I did not know and only discovered yesterday is that the RF100-500 when it's on a tripod after 15 seconds detects that it's on a tripod and automatically shuts off the IS, which then in turn shuts off the IBIS in the camera leaving the camera-lens combo without any stabilization at all. So naturally as soon as you touch the camera a minor earthquake gets set off and the jitters appear.

Here's a thread on the Canon Community forum that documents and discusses this issue: https://community.usa.canon.com/t5/EF-RF-Lenses/Does-RF-100-500-shut-down-IS-when-it-s-mounted-on-a-tripod/m-p/381403

So I guess what's happening is that when I'm using my heavy duty tripod and video head the fact that both the IS and the IBIS have been shut off without me knowing it is not made visible by jittery footage. The footage remains smooth because of the steadiness of the tripod and head and not because of any stabilization from the camera and or lens. However, when this combo is moved onto a lighter tripod and head the lack of stabilization becomes very apparent with lots of jitters.

Anybody have any thoughts about this?

Rudy

Jul 29, 2023 at 12:34 PM

Mike_5D
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

There's a reason video tripods are usually big, beefy affairs.

Jul 29, 2023 at 12:39 PM

Rudy Pohl
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Mike_5D wrote:
There's a reason video tripods are usually big, beefy affairs.

Agreed! Problem is they're just not doable on a mile-long hike into the bush or marsh, at least not for the older guys like me.

My guess is that IS and IBIS generally don't work properly on tripods and that the potential problems are such that Canon decided to design the RF100-500 to remove user discretion from the equation and just shuts off IS on its own which in turn shuts off IBIS. One of the guys on the other forum says he checked with Canon about this and they confirmed that this is a feature built in to the RF100-500.

It's a non-issue for stills shot on a tripod but for video it's a problem.

Rudy

Jul 29, 2023 at 12:50 PM

dj63401
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Why do I get jittery video with R5 + RF100-500 on a tripod?

Hi Rudy!
When in video mode, what is your setting in the first menu section Camera(red) column #7 IS(Image Stablilzer) mode In Digital IS? Is it off, on or enhanced?
Dave

Jul 29, 2023 at 01:20 PM

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