There are those among you that believe that the in cameras stabilization system built into your Pen digital camera or the Lumix Lenses are suppose to work wonders in low light shooting without the use of a tripod.

Hate to break your bubble but this is not true. Neither is the fact that if you use a Lumix lens with stabilizers on your Pen Digital camera would it give you and extra three stops of camera shake stabilization. This is a subjective claim of course based on their own test on how this all holds up. You can of course try it on your own and see how well it holds up based on your ability to hand hold a camera and this is perhaps the most accurate way to judge if camera shake can be a problem. You see, the heavier the camera, the steadier it is to hold. And since weight has been a central issue on the design of the M4/3 system, then it makes no sense to make a small camera heavier.

The bean bag can also be substituted with a travel pillow of sorts

The whole idea behind the M4/3 system is that it affords you some control over camera shake but its not an end all rule. For one, both Panasonic and Olympus systems implement camera shake stabilization differently, and this is by no means a final solution to camera shake. The lens only approach by Panasonic means you cannot just add on  any camera lens and expect the same stabilization results. Whereas Olympus makes it easier as the whole IS system is built into the body, thus allowing you the freedom to use any lens with the same stabilization result.

You must remember that aperture, shutter speed and ISO setting work in tandem with one another and they all play a part in controlling camera shake. Camera shake is a very delicate issue as most do not understand what it all means.

So if  you happen to be unsure if you need to bring that tripod along with you, let me give you a suggestion on some alternatives.

First you have the Bean bag. You can make this on your own with a actual green beans or buy one off the shelf like the one shown here. This may seem a bit pricey for a bean bag but heck you can make your own if you so wish.

The Pod, a bean bag for your camera

With the bag, you can place it on most uneven surfaces and it will help you rest your camera on. With this, you don’t need to move anything except maybe some of the beans inside the bag to give you more surface leeway.

Works just fine as well if you decide to go a little more high tech with a Gorilla Pod. You can wrap the legs around an object to steady your shots and it works just fine with the M4/3 cameras. The Gorrila Pod comes in several sizes to accomodate the weight of the whole camera and lens, thus you have to decide beforehand which large format legacy lens you wish to pop into you camera bag first before attempting to purchase one that will probably sag or test the theory of gravity when you finally mount it. If you are just using your kit lens, then just bear in mind the weight and get a Gorilla that fits.

Mini-tripod, made by Gremlins for Hobbits

Lastly there is also the mini-tripod. God sakes its small enough to fit into your jacket pocket and if you are using a kit lens, then this will work just fine. It is simple to use, and is a no brainer. Cost as much as a Cuppa at Starbucks and there is no reason to get one to fit into your camera bag. The M4/3 is all about traveling light, with less weight on your shoulders, you should be able to move around with more comfort and not worry about an appointment with your Chiropractor each time you go on holiday.

To fit it all in, get a Messenger bag with a padded Notebook casing. These days you can adapt these Notebook Crumpler bags to fit your M4/3 camera with ease and god sakes, leave the Notebook computer at home! I know what you are thinking….trust me…I was just like you not too long ago.

All these support devices are easy to carry and you could well just pop this into a bag and take it out when you need it. So don’t leave home without one!