Can you handhold a 70-200 f/2.8 lens without mush problems

[Frank_Hollahan]

Im considering buying the Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 lens but have just one concern and that is camera shake. Im not interested in spending the money for the Canon 70-200 f2.8 IS so my question is, at what focal length does camera shake start to kick in when handholding this lens? Or is it even practical at all to buy a non IS lens for handheld shots?

Thanks for reading and your response.

[Skip Souza]

I really love my IS lenses and would not be without it. I have not always had IS lenses.
1. Practice good hand holding technique.
2. Do whatever it takes to get your shutter as fast as possible, 1/320 or faster. I seldom shoot at less than ISO 400.
3. Practice good handholding technique. :-)

[blonde]

i really didn't have alot of problems with the weight of the 70-200 sigma. i actually found it quite light :)

and yes, it is very practical to buy non-is lenses if you can't/don't want to spend the extra money :)

[cbock]

i was in the same boat. too much money for IS (for me). i'm more than happy with my sigma. it's not difficult to handle.

[AmericanFirst]

'IS' is its own reward and you play with what you get... uh, oops... you pay for what you get. Yeah, that's the ticket!

'nuff said.

88841

[trippinbillies40]

I do fine with my siggy 70-200 f/2.8.

[scotttnz]

I love my Sigma 70-200, and have not had any problems hand holding it. But having said that, I haven't used it any any extreme situations yet.

I don't make any money from my photos (and do not aspire to), I'm just doing this for fun, so could not justify the cost of a Canon IS.

[davidfig]

IF you don't get the IS, then get a monopod.

[basroil]

outdoors, IS isn't really needed (sometimes i turn it off so i don't have to listen to it turn on and off). indoors however, IS can be a lifesaver for random shots where people don't move that much (and even if they do, IS lets you pan a lot easier w/o a tripod). shake is ever present in any lens. on wide end, stick above 1/100, @200, stick above 1/320. and as davidfig stated, get something to put then lens on if you plan on shooting in anything but a sunny day.

[chrishunt]

Any 70-200 is light. Camera shake varies by user. If you shooting sports, your shutter speed is going to be too high to worry about and if your not shooting sports, then practice and see what you can handle. I have a monopod, but once I put it down and started shooting handheld a lot, the lens became extremely light and I can't imagine using a monopod on something that small.

[2005GLI]

the sigma 70-200 isn't light to me. Its a bit on the heavy side but you get used to it after holding for awhile. Not a good walk around lens.
Here's a shot i took with the sigma 70-200. I can't remember the exif and photobucket aint working properly.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/2005GLI/Train%20pics/May201st20nysw203010.jpg

[theJingster]

i guess the sigma is lighter than the canon but only by 40g compared to the 2.8L non-IS. hardly noticeable when you look at the difference between the sigma and the 2.8L IS (200g) which happens to be over twice as heavy as its little sister, the 4.0L :)

handholding has a lot to do with technique and shutter speed. i've been able to handhold up to 1/100 at 200mm but it's not reliable and i'm never confident in my sharpness. but it's still possible! :)

[Jamey S.]

The Sigma is a great lens and I find 200mm easily hand held. Even 300mm is fine. Heck, I have a 400mm f/5.6 that I can hand hold and I suffer from a very harsh disease that causes major trembling. Even if at first you can't hand hold @ 200mm then practice! It all ends up in technique and practice! Don't be afraid to jack your ISO up to get faster shutter speeds either. And I try to always carry a beanbag in my pocket to rest lenses on also for added support using a tree branch, railing, car, etc. if need more then I can do hand held.

[grego]

If you hold it properly and shoot with it regularly at first, the weight problem will go away. Might be heavy at first if you haven't really picked up f/2.8 glass on any zoom lens. The best way is to hold everything in tight when you have the camera body up to your face, locking your arms as much as possible into your chest. The least amount of chance for movement, the better, which will allow you to shoot slower shutter speeds.

[malla1962]

Im sure you will be able to hand hold it.:D

[Lightstream]

Technique matters. I can handhold the Bigma racked out to 500mm at 1/125 on a 350D and get away with it. :) Of course, not for long though, but it shows what is possible. The Bigma is certainly NOT an IS lens.

On the other hand, IS makes a huge difference. IS is like day and night on my 70-300 IS USM.

I'd also like to comment that you should HELP your IS system, not fight it. I see people walk into a camera shop, pick up a stabilized P&S, and start trying to take a picture while shaking it. Talk about cluelessness. Proper handhold technique WILL help your IS as well, I have held my 70-300 at 300mm on 350D (480mm effective) all the way down to 1/6, that is SIX STOPS, three from the IS, three from proper handhold technique, to get a killer shot of clouds scurrying across the moon. (I blew out the moon to properly expose the cloud patterns) As I said, technique matters, IS or non-IS.

However, don't blame yourself if you can't do it straight away. Shoot more while making an effort to hold it steady. You'll get better in time.

[kevin_c]

I have no problem with mine - Just make sure you use a high enough ISO/shutter speed combination.
I tend not to use mine below 1/250th of a sec if I can help it, and usually aim at around 1/1500th or higher.
Also make sure you are standing firm and if possible brace yourself against a wall or something. As others have said, good hand-holding technique is the key.

[hef]

I've never used the 70-200 siggy, but i've heard good reviews on it. You should be able to handhold that lens fairly similar to the canon 70-200.. I own the 70-200 IS version CANON and I usually turn off the IS. Of course, if i have too much coffee or tea, then i turn it back on. As i get older, hand shake comes to play and that's where the IS is worth it.

[DaleP]

I had surgery on my right elbow a week ago, and hand-held my camera today quite a bit with the 2.8 IS on board. OK, so my left arm takes most of the weight, but still I did notice an ache in my right arm on my way home. With the arm at full strength it's no problem at all.

[noname]

I think it would be a lot more challenging to hand hold the 70-200 without the battery grip on my rebel.. such a tiny camera with this lens put on it.

[Steve Parr]

I've no problem holding the 20D (w/grip) with the 70-200mm f/2.8L. It's not the lightest lens in the world but, as someone else mentioned, technique is key.

I don't think blur will be a function of the focal length, but rather the shutter speed with regard to the focal length. Basically, if you're shooting at 70mm, you don't want to find yourself much below 1/60...

[Frank_Hollahan]

Thanks all for your great advice, you've been a real help.

No wonder this is my most used web site.

[kevin_c]

Thanks all for your great advice, you've been a real help.

No wonder this is my most used web site.

You mean there are others... ???

[blonde]

You mean there are others... ???


hahah, i was thinking the same thing (and i am a super mod on a different forum ;) )

[kevin_c]

hahah, i was thinking the same thing (and i am a super mod on a different forum ;) )

...Another Forum!!! ???

[Frank_Hollahan]

You mean there are others... ???

Maybe i should rephrase..."My ONLY addicted web site"