Image stabilisation
1994 (Nikon Zoom-Touch 105 VR); 1995 (Canon EF 75–300 IS)
Gyroscopes sense camera shake and move a lens element, or the sensor, to cancel it, so sharp pictures can be taken at slower shutter speeds by hand.
How it began
Shake from the photographer’s hands blurs pictures at slow shutter speeds, especially with long lenses. In 1994 Nikon sold a compact with optical stabilisation, and in 1995 Canon launched the first stabilised SLR lens.
How it works
Tiny gyroscopes detect how the camera rotates. A processor drives a floating lens group, or the sensor itself, in the opposite direction so the image stays still on the film or sensor during the exposure.
Why it mattered
Photographers could shoot several stops slower without a tripod, in dim light or with long lenses. It made small, light telephotos and phone night photos practical.
Limits and what replaced it
It freezes the camera’s movement, not the subject’s. Phones add electronic stabilisation, combining many frames by software.
Today
Standard in lenses, camera bodies and almost every phone.