IS power drain ?

[iwatkins]

Hi All,

Awaiting the delivery of a 100-400 IS lens.

I shoot with a 10D with BigEd and two batteries. This setup lasts me all day even when cold outside.

However, IS obviously uses power but does anybody know how much ? I.e. would two batteries still last a days shooting with IS switched on ? (I know depends on number of shots etc.). Just thinking whether I will need more batteries or not.

Another related question, when IS is switched on on the lens and the camera is switched on as well, does the IS system run all the time or only when you depress the shutter halfway ?

I'm sure it tells you all this stuff in the lens manual but just planning ahead.

Cheers

Ian

[PacAce]

Ian, the IS is on only when you half-press the shutter button and for a second or two after you release the button.

As far as draining the battery is concerned, it depends on how long you half-press the shutter before taking the actual shot. Obviously, the longer you half-press the shutter, the faster the battery drains. I'd say you might get anywhere from 50% to 20% faster drainage of the battery depending on your "half-press" habit.

[Ferdinand]

I don't have a Big Ed yet but I think 3 batteries it total should get me by for a day. My first L IS lens will be here tomorrow. Should be fun :D

And thanks for the info PacAce and Ian, thanks for asking the question, I am a newbie too heheh

Regards,
Ferdinand

[psk4363]

Hi Ian,

I've just, today, taken delivery of my 100-400L IS so can't really comment on the battery drain - there will be some as opposed to none from a non-IS lens.

Be warned though of the strange noise that comes from the lens though when you depress the shutter button - a bit disconcerting the first couple of times you hear it.

Cheers,
Barry

[Jim_T]

I'd say you might get anywhere from 50% to 20% faster drainage of the battery depending on your "half-press" habit.

I'll go along with that.. If I'm using the 100-400L exclusivley, I get about 20% fewer shots on a battery.. It actually took me a while to realize that the unexpected shorter battery life I was seeing now and then was because of the IS on the lens :)

[MediaMagic]

Hi Ian,


Be warned though of the strange noise that comes from the lens though when you depress the shutter button - a bit disconcerting the first couple of times you hear it.



Yes, the strange noise and the image will appear to jump in the viewfinder. Don't worry, that's just the IS doing its job.

[ssim]

I have two batteries for my 10D and when I went to the car races here in Montreal I shot about 400 odd shots and still had about half of one battery left. This was all shot on the 100-400 L IS. The IS is a drain on the battery over and above what you would normally expect but it is not out of the bounds of what my expectations were.

[defordphoto]

It all depends on what you consider a day's shooting. 250 shots? 500 shots? 1000 shots? 2500 shots? Shooting for 2 hours? 5 hours? 10 hours? Use AI servo/focus? There are a lot of variables. If you plan on using the IS alot then I'd invest in a couple more sets of batteries. At $25-$30 a set, they're worth it for the ease of mind.

[Vertabreaker]

At $25-$30 a set, they're worth it for the ease of mind.

RFM where are you getting your batteries ... everywhere I look they are 40+.

[Ferdinand]

I got mine from Sterlingtek their website is http://www.sterlingtek.com but I get it from them thru their PriceGrabber storefront. See link below. Its generic, I bought 2 of them there, US$9.99 each. Shipping is via USPS 1st Class. So its really economical.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/user_sales_getprod.php/masterid=477477/lot_id=5852/ut=4370783c823eb5b5

I don't work for them but I know a company is great when they honor their RMA and get you a replacement for a defective product on the way to you a couple of hours after you fill in a RMA form, ship it back to them via USPS 1st Class with Confirmation, and giving them the Delivery Confirmation Number via the phone. What this means is that once they confirm that you have send the defective part back and receive the RMA form in the mail, they will have your replacement out to you right away. Its a family run business with that personal touch :)

I used to get my generic from KeyBattery, http://www.keybattery.com/product_info.php/products_id/7012/ad/pg but they are 2 times as much, great customer service as well thou.

And while I am at it :) I got my CF card, Sandisk 256MB Ultra II from http://www.accupc.com they have again great customer service which is important to me, and a great price $54 + shipping. I got all 3 CF cards from them.

Regards,
Ferdinand