Help with a Lense

[whereismykit]

I'm in the middle of looking for a lense. I'm trying to decide which one to get.

Canon - 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 II/III USM EF Lens

or

Canon - 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 IS USM EF Lens

Is the camera shake that bad on the non IS, is the IS worth the extra $200.00 or so price range.

I mostly shoot hockey games and landscapes. Landscapes I can use a tripod. I may get a monopod in a hockey not sure if they allow it or not. What do you guys and gals think.

Oh let me tell you the camera type. I have a 300D.

[ecobo]

I have posted a question here about the 75-300 and the new 90-300. They have similar performance. Most pros don't like them both because of the soft optics. Despite that I will buy the 90-300 coz it is dirt cheap.
If you decide to buy a 75-300, pay the extra $200 and get the IS version. Canon claims that with the IS you can go as low as 1/75 instead of 1/300. I don't believe it, but it may be true. With the 300D a 300mm will be converted to 480, so the minimum recommended speed w/o tripod will be 1/480 or higher.

[dds]

I would probably go with the non-IS version.
I don't know for sure, but I think you are not going to benefit from the IS for shooting hockey games. If you shoot action at 1/75 you are probably going to get blurred pictures because hockey players are soooo fast.

Just my opinion.
DDS

[whereismykit]

Here is what I got with the Kit lens. I would like closer shots.

http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/541078~9a549a89e71086792e7461a12f0942ff/hockeypuck2.jpg

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
55mm 1/400th F5.6 ISO400

[robertwgross]

IF (and that is a big IF) you use a tripod or monopod, then the I.S. feature is not going to buy you much. IF you generally shoot handheld and with the longer end of the zoom range, then that is where I.S. helps the most. You have to decide your priorities.

---Bob Gross---

[garethhhhh]

It depends what you want to use the lens for, if for example, if you need to focus quickly on fast moving objects then both lenses just wont cut it.
Auto Focus is very slow.
I have the 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 II/III USM EF Lens, it came as a kit lens with my first film camera.
I am not too fond of it, images are soft, it extends when it zooms (so it sucks dust in), cheap build quality, not sharp at large apetures... the list goes on.

IS is always a plus, but personaly, I still wouldn't pay money for either of these lenses. :?

Some reviews:
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM (http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=18&sort=7&thecat=27)
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM (http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/showproduct.php?product=16&sort=7&thecat=27)

[roanjohn]

Here is what I got with the Kit lens. I would like closer shots.

http://www.dslreports.com/r0/download/541078~9a549a89e71086792e7461a12f0942ff/hockeypuck2.jpg

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
55mm 1/400th F5.6 ISO400

ha ha ha!!! you got BArney!!!

[cloudless]

Two lenses,
one lens,
no lense.

[DAMphyne]

I use the 75-300 IS lens for Little League baseball and other outdoor sports. It works well in the daylight, and the IS does it's job well, probably has saved more pictures than the extra cost. If you buy any of the zooms in this range, the IS will be worth the money.
My co-worker uses the 35-350 zoom, it's very sharp compared to the 75-300, but I find the push-me/ pull-u zoom hard to control, and it's heavy.
Indoors, this 75-300 is slow to focus, it just doesn't have the aperature needed for fast focus.
The cost was what really convinced me to go for this lens. It's not an L, but it gives me a lot of zoom on my 10D, and I've sold an awful lot of pictures to proud parents.
If you try it, then later decide to go for something else, you won't loose too much on E-bay, as long as the buyers don't read this forum, since it doesn't have a red stripe.
One thing, if you use the IS with a tripod or monopod, it will not work properly. The IS assumes that the lens is moving, if the lens is stable, the IS will move it for you. (I learned this while leaning on a fence).
Good Luck making your decision.

[whereismykit]

Can you turn the IS off. Or is it always on.

[DAMphyne]

You can turn it off

[aeroshots2003]

Paying extra for the IS to turn it off - that's a turn-off.

Some people tend to praise the IS for it's X times gain in stops, but it may be pointed out that the IS only counteracts to camerashake. That said, when shooting a moving object in low-light situations the IS would not freeze this movement and result in a blurry element versus a sharp background. This is why I have some reserves on paying extra for this feature.


Johan

[DAMphyne]

Perhaps I wasn't clear in the type of photos I use the 75-300 IS lens.
Generally I use it when I'm shooting in sunlight, outdoors. In most cases
for sports, I'm using ISO400+, which gives me a fair amount of adjustments in the shutter speed and aperature. The IS does help by allowing me to use a higher shutter speed and stop down the aperature.
This lens, in my opinion, is not really designed to work in low light,It doesn't focus very fast probably because it's only F4-5.6, but in the proper conditions, it works very well.
In low light conditions, turn off the IS and get out the tripod.
Hope this makes my earlier comments more understandable.