Canon, one of the leading camera manufacturers today, has announced that they’ve been developing a new optical image stabilizer which will compensate for two kinds of camera shake—the first in the world.

Considering how bulky most professional cameras are today, it’s nearly impossible to hold a camera perfectly still while shooting, especially when the subject is moving (like in sports photography). Other IS features compensates for one kind camera shake only. The Canon Hybrid IS (Image Stabilizer) counteracts the errors caused by the two types of camera movement: angle camera shake, and shift camera shake. Angle camera shake can cause drastic changes when shooting in standard, while shift camera shake is more visible in macro photography and other close-range shooting. Camera shakes occur when the camera moves while its shutter is open, and its image sensor is exposed to light. The result is often blurred or unfocused subjects. 

Canon has been studying methods to correct camera shake errors since 1980s. This company is the first to launch a single lens reflex camera that features such a mechanism in 1995, the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM. Canon has produced a total of 21 such lenses with image stabilization capabilities since.

The Canon Hybrid IS feature will be available in interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lens released before the end of July 2009.

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