Canon: One Banana
What's Canon has to do with bananas? Actually a lot, and not just Canon but also Nikon, Pentax, Sony....
Most of the current zoom lenses have some kind of image stabilization. Each manufacturer has their own name:
- Canon: IS: Image Stabilization / lenses
- Nikon: VR: Vibration Reduction / lenses
- Sony: IS: Image Stabilization / body
- Pentax: SR: Shake Reduction / body
- Olympus: IS: Image Stabilization / body
- Sigma: OS: Optical Stabilization / lenses
The problem is that the stabilization is not instant. It takes time to engage, then time to analyze the shake/movement and then time to counter the shake/movement. Usually it takes:
One Banana
Actually it's not a physical banana, but saying the words: One Banana.
Some of the higher end newer professional lenses from Canon and Nikon take 2 bananas. The IS engages and provides a level within one banana, but if it stays engaged for 2 bananas, you can often get the full 4 stop as advertised.