Panasonic Lumix FZ8 image stabilisation

Like all of Panasonic’s current range, the Lumix FZ8 is equipped with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) to counteract camera shake – and you’ll certainly welcome the facility with a zoom which extends to an equivalent of 432mm.

As with other Panasonic models, the FZ8 features three different OIS options, accessed by pressing and holding the button on the top surface with an icon of a shaky hand. Mode 1 applies stabilisation constantly which can greatly aid composition, especially at longer focal lengths. Mode 2 only applies the stabilisation as you take the picture, which has the potential to be more effective since the system always starts from a central position, although you won’t see the effect as you compose the image. Finally, the third option switches the OIS off altogether for use with tripods. Note OIS is also available when recording movies, but only with Mode 1.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Mega OIS off		Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Mega OIS Mode 1		Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 Mega OIS Mode 2
6-72mm at 72mm, 1/125, 100 ISO		6-72mm at 72mm, 1/125, 100 ISO		6-72mm at 72mm, 1/125, 100 ISO

Above are crops from three examples of a boat taken with OIS disabled, followed by the two OIS modes. The crops are taken directly from the original images and reproduced here at 100%.

The images taken with OIS clearly show camera shake has been greatly reduced, although unlike our tests with previous Panasonic cameras, this time Mode 1 appears more effective than Mode 2. This is just one example though and you may find Mode 2 is more effective overall.

Ultimately we prefer using Mode 1 in practice as you see the stabilising effect during composition, which can greatly help at longer focal lengths. It's nice to have the option of Mode 2 though and as you can see in our Panasonic TZ3 review, it offers genuine benefits on some occasions. So as before we'd stick with Mode 1 for general use, but if you find camera shake is still creeping in, try a second shot with Mode 2 to see if it's any better. One issue which is apparent from the crops above though is visible noise even at 100 ISO when viewed at 100%. You'll sadly be seeing a lot more of that in our results and gallery pages.