Is Canon Finally Bringing In-Body Stabilization to Its Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras?

Canon has long resisted calls for in-body stabilization and it is feature that's markedly missing from the EOS R and the EOS RP. However, news is emerging that in-body stabilization paired with lens stabilization is very much in the pipeline. What are the implications for its RF and EF lens line ups?

Full-frame stabilization doesn’t quite compare to micro four-thirds because there is so much more sensor to move around. Arguably, Olympus and Panasonic lead the way, with Sony perhaps wishing that it hadn’t decided that smaller is better and given its engineers a bit more space to play with. Canon is entering the fray, having recently registered a patent that outlines how optical image stabilization and sensor stabilization can work in harmony, and with fans hoping that it offers something more effective than that seen in Sony and Nikon cameras.

Canon received a minor backlash from users when the EOS R emerged and lacked stabilization, and the Japanese manufacturer now seems keen to correct this glaring omission. For CanonRumors.com, adding one type of stabilization without the other to complement it would be “half baked.”

If Canon’s next full-frame mirrorless release finally delivers what many video shooters have been waiting for, it will be interesting to see how this plays out in terms of lenses. Will Canon allow the IBIS to work with unstabilized EF lenses? Canon’s adapters have been well received, giving users the potential to integrate their old glass with the new system, but it remains to be seen whether Canon will hit some limitations in terms of the technology, or whether Canon’s legendary cripple hammer (i.e., deliberately hampering some models to protect other products) comes into play.

If you have any thoughts on how Canon is going to implement this technology, let us know in the comments below.

Lead image is a composite using a photograph by Brigitte Werner.