Answer
What is IBIS and do I need it?
IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) moves the camera sensor to counteract handshake, giving 3-7 stops of stabilization with any lens. It is genuinely useful for handheld shooting in low light and for video.
What IBIS does
A floating sensor on electromagnets tilts and shifts to compensate for hand movement. Best modern systems hit 7-8 stops of compensation — meaning you can handhold at 1 second shutter speed and get a sharp shot a kit lens would have blurred at 1/60s.
When IBIS matters most
- Handheld video — without it, every step looks like an earthquake
- Low-light handheld photography — drop the ISO 2-3 stops
- Telephoto work — magnifies handshake, IBIS saves the shot
- Vintage or non-stabilized lenses — IBIS works with any lens
When you can skip it
- Tripod-only landscape work
- Flash photography (shutter speed is irrelevant)
- Sports — high shutter speeds freeze motion anyway
Stabilization vs. stabilized lenses
Lens-based stabilization is in the lens. IBIS is in the body. Many cameras combine both for 8+ stops on stabilized lenses. IBIS still helps with prime lenses that have no stabilizer.
Related questions
How many stops of IBIS do I need?
5 stops is the practical sweet spot. 7-8 stops sounds great in marketing but real-world gains plateau past 5.
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