Blackmagic Forum

I remember in one of John Brawley's first pocket cam posts that he recommended getting lenses with built-in stabilization. I got a GH2 recently and have been using the Panasonic 14-42 lens with Panasonic's OIS stabilization. The thing is, the lens has no on/off switch for the stabilization, it's turned on via the camera's menu. I read a post yesterday of people with Olympus cameras trying to use the lens' built in stabilization, but couldn't, they could only use lenses with an on/off switch.

So I guess I should assume the pocket cam won't be able to turn on or off stabilization on a lens like this?

Briwil wrote:I remember back around one of John Brawley's first pocket can posts that he recommended getting lens with built-in stabilization. I got a GH2 recently and have been using the Panasonic 14-42 lens with Panasonic's OIS stabilization. The thing is, the lens has no on/off switch for the stabilization, it's turned on via the cameras menu. I read a post yesterday of people with Olympus cameras trying to use the lens' built in stabilization, but couldn't, they could only use lens' with an on/off switch.

So I guess I should assume the pocket cam won't be able to turn on or off stabilization on lens like this?

Apparently the BMPCC relies on you manually setting a stabilization switch on the lens barrel either ON or OFF. The camera firmware doesn't currently communicate with the lens' stabilization function. An example of a lens with the lens switch for image stabilization is the Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm zoom.

Rick Lang
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Briwil wrote:I remember back around one of John Brawley's first pocket can posts that he recommended getting lens with built-in stabilization. I got a GH2 recently and have been using the Panasonic 14-42 lens with Panasonic's OIS stabilization. The thing is, the lens has no on/off switch for the stabilization, it's turned on via the cameras menu. I read a post yesterday of people with Olympus cameras trying to use the lens' built in stabilization, but couldn't, they could only use lens' with an on/off switch.

So I guess I should assume the pocket cam won't be able to turn on or off stabilization on lens like this?

This is my current thinking about the same situation. I have the new 14-42mm mk2 it's the perfect stabilised zoom for me as its small, sharp and fast enough for me in the main. I'm not sure how this lens is going to work on a tripod, though I'm pretty sure it won't be ideal. So my plan is to get another lens for when I want to go on tripod. Cheapish options include 14mm 2.5 pana, 20mm 1.7 pana and possibly the 25mm 1.4 pana/leica.

maybe a firmware could give us control later but if they haven't done it already I wonder if its a lot harder than cutting power.

Another option is to use pana lenses with on off switch, it's worth mentioning the older version of the 14-42mm has a switch I think and can be got for $100. Personally I find the 12-35mm overpriced and has a dull image to it, but that's subjective.

Someone somewhere wrote (i believe it was even JB himself in another thread) that the IS is operational but can't be switched off on these lenses. Would be interesting to know if the IS-switch is a hardware feature (like providing power to one pin of the connector) or software controlled (like sending instruction "turn IS on" to the lens). In the latter case one could hope for a firmware update adding a menu item...

Although some people may say "IS isn't neccessary for a _CINEMA_ camera!" i think differently. (O)IS is a very good thing have in some of the situations you might want the pocket CC for, it makes this camera even more portable. Of course you don't want to enable IS when using a tripod...

Alternatives might be the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. for MFT, or the LUMIX G VARIO 14-140mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH. POWER O.I.S. for MFT:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/6 ... io_14.html
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9 ... micro.html

Both feature a physical IS on/off switch.

A better, faster, more expensive lens is the Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm f/2.8 Asph. Lens for MFT:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/8 ... Vario.html

Features a constant f2.8 aperture, a physical IS on/off switch, and is splash-proof.

Although BMD may add the ability to turn lens IS on/off in a firmware update, such a capability hasn't been promised, and may never happen.

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I would like to issue a correction.

There will be no stabilisation enabled if the lens, such as the Panasonic 14-42mm, does not have a physical switch. The protocol for enabling stabilisation is not part of the MFT standard so it not work right now.

We'll have to see if Panasonic is willing to share with us what we need to tell the lens in order to turn stabilisation on.

For lens with physical switches, it will work fine.

Kristian Lam wrote:There will be no stabilisation enabled if the lens, such as the Panasonic 14-42mm, does not have a physical switch. The protocol for enabling stabilisation is not part of the MFT standard so it not work right now.

Thank you for this information, though it troubles me. I hope you can sort this out with panasonic! I really assumed an _active_ mft mount would support all "dumb" features of original mft-lenses, only features that need in-camera assistance like continuos AF would miss.

Once more the warning holds: don't buy lenses before you have the camera in hand, and read the reports of other users who didn't heed the warnings... !

Yes, thanks for the info. We need more posts from those whose names are in green. It saves the forum members (i.e. current and potential customers) time and money.

I have a 14-42 lens (mk 1) which does not have a IS switch so I am unhappy to hear that the IS on this lens will not work.

Which confuses me slightly.

On John Brawleys Vimeo vide "Pocket in Kurnel" he uses the 14-42 MK1 and on the video he labels the footage as "Pocket Cinema Camera shooting @800 ISO Panasonic 14-42 MK1 with ND4 - IS ON

To me that is my version of the lens without the IS switch and yet John Claims IS is on?

What I did think about that footage though is that it did seem rather shakey....meaybe John assumed the IS was on because that lens has it inbuilt but yet has not option to turn it on or off?

On the first Olympus m43 cameras, if you attached a Panasonic Lumix lens with OIS and no switch, OIS would stay off.

On the Olympus E-PL5, there's a setting in the menus that lets you enable OIS for Lumix lenses with no switch. So we know it's possible. It just requires co-operation with Panasonic. I'm not going to hold my breath.