In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS)

Switching between OIS and IBIS (Canon EF-Mount only)

User may choose between lens optical image stabilization (OIS) and in-body image stabilization (IBIS) using the lens' IS switch (except for first-generation Tamron VC lenses). If the lens' IS switch is ON, lens OIS is used and IBIS is turned off automatically. If lens' IS switch is OFF, IBIS is used instead. By default, they are never activated simultaneously, thereby eliminating any double-correction risks regardless of lens used.​

[CINE Smart Adapter, CINE Speed Booster ULTRA, Smart Adapter V or Speed Booster ULTRA II] To turn off all kinds of image stabilization completely, turn both the slide switch on side of the adapter and the image stabilization switch on the lens to their OFF positions.

[Smart Adapter I, II, III, IV, Speed Booster or Speed Booster ULTRA] To turn off both in-body and optical image stabilization, hold down the pushbutton on the side of adapter while turning the lens' image stabilization switch to the OFF position.

SteadyShot icon and Indicator LED

The SteadyShot icon on the camera's LCD display only indicates whether in-body image stabilization is active. The LED on CINE Smart Adapter, CINE Speed Booster ULTRA, Smart Adapter V or Speed Booster ULTRA II flickers while optical image stabilization is operating.

Custom Function: Choose Between IBIS and OIS (or Both) Automatically (Canon EF Mount only)

[Smart Adapter IV, V, CINE Smart Adapter, Speed Booster ULTRA, ULTRA II, CINE Speed Booster ULTRA] There is a custom function available, which, if enabled, let camera body decide automatically if Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), In-body Image Stabilization (IBIS) or a combination thereof shall be used. Always use the IS switch on the lens to turn image stabilization as a whole on or off (except for first-generation Tamron VC lenses listed below). Generally, IBIS is favoured in "Green" mode whereas in "Advanced" mode both OIS and IBIS are used (but not in a ruinous, doubly corrected way!) Image stabilization effectiveness may be reduced at macro distances if both of these conditions are met: 1, the lens corrects more than 2 axes (pitch/yaw), such as Canon EF100/2.8L Macro IS USM and lenses with Canon Hybrid IS technology in general, and 2, the Speed Booster or Smart Adapter is running in "Advanced" mode. In this case, disable IBIS completely and use only OIS by one of the following methods: [CINE Smart Adapter, CINE Speed Booster ULTRA, Smart Adapter V, Speed Booster ULTRA II] Turn the slide switch on the side of the adapter OFF, or [Smart Adapter IV, Speed Booster ULTRA] turn the lens' IS switch from OFF to ON while holding down the pushbutton on the side of the Speed Booster or Smart Adapter.

With a NEX series or FS series camera, the SteadyShot menu item is not greyed out if you enable this Metabones App custom function. Turn both the SteadyShot menu item of the camera body and the IS switch of the lens ON to use optical image stabilization.

First-Generation Tamron VC Lenses

The following 3 first-generation Tamron VC lenses are NOT recommended for use with Metabones Speed Booster/Smart Adapter. They have slow lens CPUs shared between AF and VC which are not fast enough to keep up with today's mirrorless speeds, leading to contrast-detection AF accuracy issues.

Unlike later Tamron VC USD/PZD lenses, these first generation Tamron VC lenses do not report IS activity status to the camera body properly. This is not an issue on genuine Canon DSLR camera bodies because there is no IBIS to cause feature interaction issues, but poses serious difficulty on Sony cameras with IBIS Support (SteadyShot INSIDE), comprising of the A7 Mark II, A7R Mark II, A7S Mark II and A6500.

Because of this, the "SteadyShot" menu item on the camera body is not​ greyed out and there is no protection against double-correction. Do NOT turn both the VC switch ON and the IBIS camera's SteadyShot on at the same time, or a conflict will occur.

Alternatively, with Smart Adapter IV, V, CINE Smart Adapter, Speed Booster ULTRA, ULTRA II, CINE Speed Booster ULTRA, enable the "Choose between IBIS and OIS (or both) automatically" option with Metabones App. You will be using IBIS in "Green" mode by turning on the camera body's SteadyShot setting. Sony's 5-axis IBIS is often more effective than Tamron first generation VC and turning the latter off frees up the lens CPU for improved AF accuracy.

In "Advanced" mode, pitch/yaw axes are handled by the lens with the remaining 3 axes handled by the camera body. Always leave the lens' VC switch ON and use the camera body's SteadyShot setting to turn image stabilization as a whole on or off.

Later Tamron VC USD/PZD lenses have plenty of processing power and the newest USD lenses even support smooth iris. Metabones have special firmware support to ensure these later Tamron VC USD lenses are fully compatible.