Vibrating picture

Hello ther!

I was shooting this 1 hour long HD video of some distant subject using a sturdy tripod and telephoto zoom. I used the built in optical stabilizer, with manual focus. After that I processed the 1 hour movie into 1 minute timelapse. Surprisingly, the processed clip seems to be somewhat vibrating vertically, about 1 or 2 pixels only. This was quite disturbing and I had to convert the 1080 resolution into 720, thus loosing both the vibration and some quality. BTW, I dont have the ability to watch the clip on HD TV. The problem does not occur when I make such a clip in wide zoom.

My questions:

What seems to be the problem?
1. The camera (the hard disk inside?)
2. The earth?
3. The atmospher?
4. The processing software?
5. The computer display?
6. Also, why was the vibration vertical only?

Thanks.

Any of the above (1-3). And one more: Image stabilizing tends to get nervous when there's nothing to stabilize. Better turn it off when shooting locked down completely.

Surely the vertical vibration is due to the stabilizer. All stabilizer manufacturers forbid the use of it on a tripod. It is something like: the stabilizer being unable to detect any vibrations it corrects the "steadiness". I have the feeling that this is because the stabilizers are not true stabilizers (gyroscope mechanisms) but pseudo mechanical stabilizers built around a statistical algorithm. I think that because most stabilizers are not for use in a car or any similar but only for hand held.

It is the requirement to use the stabilizer only for hand held that makes me think the producers hoax us.

Hi, wideweb!

I think that the main reason for vibrations in a picture was using a tripod with the stabilizer. I had similar problems too, so I always keep the stabilizer OFF as a default setup.

Zygis

Yup ya'll have hit the problem. Also on long distance type shots the atmosphere will many times put a subtle movement. Kinda lite the mirage on a road in the distance. Many times you cannot see it but the camera is better than the eye ... or at least my half blind eyes.

Don

...and adding to the chorus of those saying turn off the stabilizer feature when shooting with a tripod - i agree. its one the first 'checks' i do as soon as the camera's mounted onto a tripod.

Now that's strange as I have turned the Image stabilizer off in 4 years I've own the camera and have had a problem with vertical jitter. And all video is taken using a tripod. On the hand when shooting with a telephoto lens any movement there's a problem so I use my remote to record and stop.

Yes, the video stabilizer should be turned off when on a tripod. The thing I notice coming from years of using an SD camcorder is just how unforgiving High Def is with camera movement and focus. I have what I thought was a reasonably good Manfrotto tripod with a 501 head but I find I have to be a lot more careful with pans and I now "lock it down" when on a static shot. . . . anything on telephoto is of course just going to magnify any deficiencies in camera support.
May have to get a better tripod in the end I suspect.

Mark

Thank you all for responding so quickly. However, when I shot similar scenes with the stabilizer off, the camera was shaking with the slightest wind. I could actually correlate the vibration with the sound of the wind without the stabilizer. It's much worse without the stabilizer.

I have noticed the vibration associated with the stabilizer. It's actually more like a swell, a slow wave that lasts about one second to each direction. This swell stops after 5-10 seconds and then I start shooting with the RC. You can see an example of this swell here https://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/302396. The camera believes that the well lit flame is stable, so the entire dark scene is moving.

I cannot show you an example of the vibration because it is only visible in full HD window.

I see what you mean. I had the same issues with my camera when I keep vibration reduction on (hv30). It trys to follow the motion of what is moving on the screen it seems, and then shifts. I noticed it and could never figure it out... until I turned off Image Stabilizer!