By technical editor Matt Allard:
This video from Testcams has emerged showing a comparison of IBIS (Inbuilt Internal Stabilisation) during video recording between version 1.00 and 1.10 of A7II firmware. Shot in 108024p mode, 1/50 f/8 ISO 250, with Sony 55mm FE. Distance to subject was 3 feet.
This from a user over at DPREVIEW:
“I can confirm that there is a marked improvement in high-frequency jitter for both magnified view finder and video recording. Well done Sony!.
The video is completely smooth at shorter focal lengths (tried 100mm and 50mm). At 210mm (the longest lens I’ve got) the frame is still smooth but it does jerk every now and then. The jerking is low frequency though, ballpark figure is 1-5Hz. It might just be that I had exceeded the distance that the sensor could move.
The videos were recorded hand-held using manual lenses.
I am not able to find any video of Olympus OM-D 5-axis stabilisation shot at longer focal length (all I could find on YouTube were shot at 24mm equivalent) so I don’t know how it compares to A7II’s IBIS. What I can say is that I’ll be happy to shoot videos with the A7II using the latest firmware, the original firmware’s micro jitter issue was definitely present.”
While it would of been good to see something shot other than a wall, the a7 Mark II looks to be a whole new camera after the firmware update. With improved video stabilisation the camera could very well find its way onto small gimbal set ups.
Our previous article on the new firmware release can be found here.