What Is Dual IS on Micro Four Thirds Cameras?
Dual IS coordinates lens optical stabilisation and body IBIS so both systems work together rather than independently. It is specific to Panasonic M43 bodies and compatible lenses. This guide explains the difference it makes and how to check your combination.
The problem Dual IS solves
Micro Four Thirds cameras can have two stabilisation systems active at the same time: in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) in the camera, and optical image stabilisation (OIS) in the lens. On most cameras and lenses, these two systems operate independently. Each system has its own gyroscope and makes its own corrections without knowing what the other is doing. This can lead to conflicting corrections, and the combined result is not always better than one system alone. See the list of M43 cameras with IBIS and Weather-sealed M43 lenses for full coverage.
How Dual IS works
Dual IS is Panasonic's solution to this problem. When a Dual IS compatible lens is mounted on a compatible Panasonic body, the camera and lens share motion data over the lens mount connection. Rather than each system correcting independently, they divide the work. The lens OIS handles some axes of movement and the body IBIS handles others. The coordination means neither system is working against the other.
The practical result is more effective stabilisation at slower shutter speeds than either system can achieve on its own. Panasonic introduced the original Dual IS and later released Dual IS 2 with a refined algorithm that improves correction further, particularly for video.
Dual IS vs standard OIS on non-Panasonic bodies
A Dual IS compatible lens mounted on an OM System or Olympus body will use the lens OIS normally, but the coordination system does not activate. The lens and body stabilisation operate independently, the same as any other OIS lens on a non-Panasonic body. You still get stabilisation from both systems, but without the shared data that makes Dual IS more effective.
This means a Dual IS lens is fully usable across the entire M43 system. The coordinated mode is simply a bonus when used with a compatible Panasonic body.
Which Panasonic bodies support Dual IS
Dual IS requires a Panasonic M43 body with IBIS and firmware support for the coordination protocol. Bodies with Dual IS 2 include the GH5, GH6, GH7, G9 II, and several others in the Lumix G series. Older Panasonic bodies with IBIS may support the original Dual IS but not Dual IS 2. Bodies without IBIS cannot participate in Dual IS regardless of the lens.
The Dual IS Checker tool on this site lets you enter a specific body and lens combination and confirms whether Dual IS is active.
Which lenses support Dual IS
Dual IS is supported by Panasonic lenses with OIS that include the necessary communication protocol. Not all Panasonic OIS lenses are Dual IS compatible. See the full Dual IS compatible lens list for every confirmed combination. The compatible lenses span a range of focal lengths across the Lumix G and Leica DG lineups, including standard zooms, telephoto zooms, and some primes.
Third-party lenses with OIS, including those from Sigma and Tamron, do not support Dual IS. They operate with standard independent OIS on all M43 bodies.
When Dual IS makes a meaningful difference
- Handheld shooting at slow shutter speeds, where individual systems hit their limits
- Video recording where coordinated correction produces smoother footage than independent systems
- Telephoto focal lengths where small movements are magnified and harder for one system to correct alone
- Low-light photography where you need to slow the shutter significantly to expose correctly
When it makes less difference
- Shooting at fast shutter speeds where stabilisation is not the limiting factor
- Tripod shooting, where stabilisation should be disabled entirely
- Using lenses without OIS, where only body IBIS is active regardless of body brand
How to check your combination
The quickest way to confirm whether your specific body and lens combination supports Dual IS is to use the Dual IS Checker tool. Select your camera body and lens and it will tell you whether Dual IS or Dual IS 2 is active, or whether the combination falls back to independent stabilisation.