Canon's Newest Anti-Shake Lens Nixes Blur in Two Ways

Two Ways to Shake

Canon has a double-dose cure for the shakes that cause blurry shots; the company's so-called Hybrid Image Stabilizer is the first of its kind for SLRs, and will be available -- on an unmade and unpriced lens -- later this year. The system combines information from two sensors (one old, one new) to make blur-compensating adjustments for camera movements.

The new part of the equation is the shift sensor, which detects when the camera moves parallel to the scene (straight up, down, left, or right), a problem that is more pronounced when shooting in macro. Handy, especially if you're not into carrying a tripod. Beyond that, the hybrid also uses the same angle-based anti-shake tech found on all Canon optical stabilizers. Angular shakes happen when the camera pivots in any direction in relation to the subject.