How do you use in body stabilization with zooms?

[Pontus]

Let's say that you have a Contax 100-300 which you wish to use on a Sony A7Rii. The focal length setting for the stabilization gets a bit problematic. How do you handle it?

[aoleg]

The safest way is just using the shortest focal length when mounting the lens. Performance of the stabilizer will suffer at the longest focal length, but you won't get extra blur because of OIS overshooting. However, if you tend to mostly use the lens at the long end, it may be worth it to enter your most frequently used focal length to be stabilized. Me, I always enter the shortest focal length and forget it.

[luisalegria]

I have Pentax, but its the same problem.
Short answers -

- Don't use IS with zooms

- Set focal length to the longest zoom FL in IS, and shoot at max FL. That's what I almost always do anyway.
Trust the IS not to screw up too bad at slightly shorter FL if you have to zoom out for framing.

- Avoid low light at shorter FL.

[fwcetus]

I shoot K-mount lenses (including a few zooms) with Pentax DSLRs (and all of the current and recent models have built-in "SR", for "shake reduction", as Pentax calls it).

With most older zooms (A series or older), where the body doesn't know the actual FL is (knowing only what is entered by the user at boot up), I usually set the FL for mid-zoom-range. [I figure that I will get at least partial compensation at the long end, and only partial over-compensation at the short end -- YMMV.]

Of course, if I know in advance that I am going to use a zoom at, say, only the long end, then I can set or reset the entered FL to match.

However, with newer zooms (DISCLAIMER -- these are often AF lenses, but I do use them sometimes as MF lenses, so I hope this is not considered flagrantly off-topic here - LOL), where the body instantaneously knows the FL, even as one zooms, there is no need for any user input, since the level of "SR" compensation will be set and reset as needed.

[meanwhile]

I find the hardest part not what to set it to, but remembering to change it!

[Pontus]

Thanks for the suggestions guys! It is funny though that almost every possible way has been recommended

[visualopsins]

Well, you want the shake reduced most at the highest magnification, which should be at maximum focal length and minimum focal distance.

[Ultrapix]