How do various image stabilizers differ?
There are three types of image stabilizing technology used in today's cameras. The first and the best is "optical" image stabilizer, where there's an actual motor in the lens that adjusts one of the lens elements. So if I'm taking the picture with the camera, and I tip the camera down slightly, one of the lenses will tip back to compensate for that. That's called the "optical" image stabilizer. That is what I would recommend you look for in your digital camera is the optical stabilizer. It's made by some of the top brands. Other people employ what's called a chip or "sensor shifting" technology, where the actual imaging chip will move up and down to compensate for your motion. That's okay, but I'm still not a believer in the moving of the imaging plane, because for years we've been told that's a sacred, hard, fast thing; where that image sensor needs to be rock solid with the camera. The "electronic" image stabilizes computer technology, kind of like sharpening in Photo Shop, where it looks at the image, and throws away the blurry pixels, and redefines the edge around it. It's okay, but you're much better off with the "optical" stabilization or the chip, or "sensor shifting" technology, than the "electronic" stabilizer.
