Olympus Pen E-P7 IBIS testing

[Tim Ball]

There seems to be very little if any testing of the IBIS in the E-P7 online, every report I've read simply states the CIPA rating of 4.5 stops.

In my web searches I came across this post here, "Fun with Olympus" by raist3d on July 19, 2021. Comment # 18 by Makten on Mar 15, 2023 says this concerning his trialling an EP7,

".....another, even larger problem, is that IBIS is extremely unreliable. I've found that I can get sharper images at 1/10 without IBIS than with IBIS. The image on the screen is perfectly still and stabilization seems damn good, but then the images comes out really unsharp anyway. It's like the camera decides to move the sensor sideways for no particular reason EXACTLY when the image is shot.
For very slow shutter speeds it works better. I've got sharp images at up to two full seconds with 20 mm, which is ridiculously good. So I have no idea of what the heck the camera is doing around 1/5-1/20, because in that range I can't use IBIS at all." (No one answered Makten's comment.)

In view of this I decided to test out my own recently acquired EP7, using the Sigma 56mm F1.4 that is almost permanently on the camera. I imagine this is quite a demanding test of the IBIS as the 56mm equates as 112mm field of view on FF.

(Spoiler: I could only get an improvement of 1 to 1.5 stops using IBIS. If I made a huge effort I occasionally managed 2 stops. I also couldn't reproduce Makten's results, as everything longer than 1/30s was out of focus with the 56mm.) I may repeat the tests with my 12-45/4 zoom set to 20mm to see if his results are normal at this FL. If I do, I'll post them lower down.

I'm 70 and don't have very steady hands, so other people might get different results.

Not a scientific test by any means, just shooting text on my iMac's screen, in white on black background form.
Setting AF to a central 10x spot, and handholding the camera at ~ 50cm from the screen.
I shot through a range of exposures from 1/125 - 1 sec, using manual setting and ISO 200, changing aperture to keep the same exposure throughout and taking multiple exposures at each setting.

First I shot with IBIS on, with Silent shutter, then again with EFSC, then with mechanical shutter, and last with IBIS off.

Then I examined the results at 200% in Lightroom. If I could see perfectly round "pixel" dots I classed that as sharp and any blurring of the dots, to any extent, as unsharp. (Ive found the AF to be extremely accurate in this mode, so I discounted misfocusing from the results.)

As expected the silent/electronic shutter and EFSC gave the same results. Mechanical shutter had some strange results, like not being able to get any sharp images at 1/60, and even the sharpest weren't as sharp as without mechanical shutter. I imagine that this is a result of shutter bounce, with maybe a special frequency around 1/60s.

With IBIS off I struggled to get perfectly sharp results 100% of the time, even at 1/125s.
With IBIS on and electronic shutter or EFSC, I managed 1/60s sharp all the time and about 50% images sharp using 1/30s
That's how I came up with the 1.5 stop rating.

Hoping this might help some one wondering whether to opt for an EP7. I'm in two minds whether to live with it, or to try an OM 5 MkII?

Attached is an extreme example of sharp on the left (1/125s) and very unsharp on the right (1s) Screenshot from Lightroom compare mode at 200%

​

 

[Tim Ball]

I've now repeated the IBIS tests with my Olympus 12-45mm F4 Pro @ 21mm (All shot with EFSC)

I haven't been able to reproduce Makten's results, that "between 1/5s - 1/20s IBIS ON is worse than IBIS OFF" Maybe Makten's copy of the EP7 was faulty? Or else it only occurs with the lens he tested with? Of course, I don't know which shutter mode he used, if it was mechanical shutter, this certainly affects the results, though I would have thought that IBIS on would still be better than with it off.

With IBIS Off, 1/30s was the shortest exposure I could reliably get sharp at 21mm.
With IBIS On 1/10s was the shortest exposure I could reliably get sharp at 21mm
Again this is the ~ 1 - 1.5 stop improvement that I was getting with the Sigma 56/1.4. These are the only two MFT lenses I possess, so I can't experiment with a Power OIS Olympus lens.

There is something else I need to say from all the results, (with both lenses). At long exposures, IBIS ON still gives sharpER results than with IBIS OFF.
I've attached another screenshot showing the very best I could handhold at 1 sec, with IBIS On on the left, and my best with IBIS Off on the right. So IBIS is still having a good effect, even if not managing fully sharp shots.

 

[Tim Ball]

I would welcome comments, or if you feel these results would be better posted in some other forum, ie. not on GetDPI?

 

[miriquidi]

GetDPI is a good forum in case you're searching for experienced readers for image quality related things. But it may take it's time, since 4/3s is a nice for high quality imaging.

To get to your problem. There are three things, I would think about.
First you test in a macro like situation. The image stabilisation system compensates for tilting of the camera during taking the image. So if you tilt the camera down during the 1/10 s exposure, the camera shifts the sensor in a way, that the projected subject still hits the same pixels.
But you are in a close up situation. You're not just tilting the camera, you're also shifting it relative to your test subject. If you are 20 m away from your subject, shifting the camera 0,2 mm during an exposure isn't a thing influencing the sharpness. But if you are close to an object, that changes. So there is a kind of movement, a such a simple body stabilised sensor won't compensate for.

Second I have a E-PL5, saved from the electronic garbage. The IS-unit (3-axis, not the much better 5-axis in your E-P7) was broken, I fixed it with a bit of glue. So I'm not sure, if it behaves like a new one. But I get similar results like you at shutter speeds like 1/8 s at 11 or 15 mm focal length. I use the E-PL5 as digital back on a technical camera with Nikon F lenses. There I have to use the Antishock function with IS disabled to get really sharp images.

Back than I used the E-PL5 also as kind of travel camera, it found it useful to fully press the shutter right away and not do the half-press and later press-full approach. The body is very light.

 

[Tim Ball]

Thanks miriquidi, I've wondered why some reports have said the macro/close-up range was a greater test of IBIS than distant shots, you've explained it very well.

One thing I haven't said, is that I really enjoy using the EP7. It suits my needs for a small walk-around camera very well, and I have no use for an EVF.

 

[miriquidi]

There is the 90 mm Macro with it's built in second IS-system, what works in conjunction with the inbody IS.

As far as I remember right now, there were also some shutter shock problems with the Olympus E-P series. Read here:

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympus-pen-e-p5/13

 

[Tim Ball]

Interesting article/review. I certainly found shutter shock in mechanical shutter mode was an issue with the EP7.

 

[miriquidi]

Have you tried Antishock mode with 0 s as a possible solution?
Handheld I use normally 0,25 s and with my cheap tripod 4 s with wide angle lenses.

 

[Tim Ball]

Thanks. Yes, when I say EFSC, Electronic First Shutter Curtain, that is Antishock mode with 0s.

 

[raist3d]

Well look at that. I accidentally bumped into someone talking about me

I still have my EP7. I will say that the IBIS is reasonably what one would expect- a rating of 4.5 is about 3 stops with reasonable confidence with some care and with some extra care maybe 4. Also this depends on what focal length- IBIS like on these cameras are more effective at wide than tele.

 

[Tim Ball]

Hi raist3d. I wish Makten would respond too, as he started me off on this with his comments about the EP7 IBIS.