70-200 IS or not????

[totalphoto]

I am going to make my first L glass purchase and wanted to know, how sorry I am going to be or how much I am missing if I do not get the IS. I do everything from Weddings to Nascar! I would prob be able to buy another L glass lens for weddings and such if I did not get the IS.
Help!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
Leon

[th3r0m]

The IS is going to give you a few more stops of shutter speed, i.e. if you get shaky at 125 normally, IS will get you 100, 80 maybe, possibly 60 before camera shake is bad again. If you are rock steady already, IS may not seem very beneficial at this point, down the road though, you may appreciate it. Hefty premium for it though :)

[totalphoto]

Thanks, This is what I have to decide!!!

[blackshadow]

If you are doing weddings get the IS.

[lensmen]

personally, I will go for IS on all my lenses.

that irriating handshake , however minor, can ruin a good photo.

having a tripod around my neck isn't my idea of a fun outing. Plus some photos subject, like my fav sunbirds, changes position so quick that by the 4th frame, it is gone. So setting a tripod for anti-shake, isn't smart idea.

yes, it cost $$$ but you get what you paid for

[mtbkanata]

I find that IS is irritating and I turn it off... When shooting sports, I know where I want the lens to be pointing, and the click-click and moving focus drives me nuts.

If you're shooting something that is moving in a straight line, at a constant speed, or not moving at all, IS is fine. If you're tracking someone/think that is all over the map, it's a big pain in the butt.

The other advantage, I am always shooting outdoors... and most events I shoot are in the morning/mid-day, so even cloud cover is not enough to drop my shutter speed to where I would need IS.

[mrbplus]

If you shoot weddings or shoot in any other low-light situations, then IS is life saver.

For example, flash photography is often not allowed during wedding ceremonies. If you have to shoot at F2.8 at 1/60 or below, then you are going to want IS.

I have the 70-200 IS and pretty much leave IS on all the time.

[transcend]

I find that IS is irritating and I turn it off... When shooting sports, I know where I want the lens to be pointing, and the click-click and moving focus drives me nuts.

If you're shooting something that is moving in a straight line, at a constant speed, or not moving at all, IS is fine. If you're tracking someone/think that is all over the map, it's a big pain in the butt.

The other advantage, I am always shooting outdoors... and most events I shoot are in the morning/mid-day, so even cloud cover is not enough to drop my shutter speed to where I would need IS.

That''s cuz you don't hike into the woods enough, you lazy bum! :)

[totalphoto]

Thanks everyone for your help!
Leon

[DaveG]

I am going to make my first L glass purchase and wanted to know, how sorry I am going to be or how much I am missing if I do not get the IS. I do everything from Weddings to Nascar! I would prob be able to buy another L glass lens for weddings and such if I did not get the IS.
Help!
Thanks to everyone in advance!
Leon

I've got the 70-200 f2.8 non IS. Would I like to have IS? Sure. But not at the difference in price between the two lenses.

To begin I never handhold the 70-200. It's always on a monopod (mostly) or a tripod (sometimes). That's the poor man's IS and the point is that I'd still use the monopod even with IS, since the lens/camera is no lighter and to me this is all about taking weight off of my arms.

You also have to take into consideration what IS actually does. It keeps the shooting platform more steady (duh, right?) but it does nothing about keeping the subject still. So using one of the IS lenses inside a church may give you that steady platform - and so will a monopod - but if the subjects are moving then it's all moot.

[totalphoto]

Thanks Dave, I looked at them just today and I thought the price dif was much greater, but its not as bad as I thought!
So when I get my wife in a good mood, I think I will pop the IS on her!

[milleker]

When I purchased mine I read something from Canon (I thought) that the new generation of IS in that lens could be used handheld down the 1/8s. I've never tried it, I try to overshoot my shutter speeds for sharp pictures.. :)

[totalphoto]

TOOK THE PLUNGE!!!!!



http://farm1.static.flickr.com/184/440301912_565f179fd8_o.jpg

[lensmen]

WOW !!

I saw the 70-200 L IS yesterday. doesn't look that much bigger than it's non IS cousin. abeit a sharp price difference (HK$9000 vs HK$5800), with the the F2.8 version at about HK$12k.

I will take on the 30D instead for the time being. My 300D is showing sign of age (vs it's younger cousins)

[SWPhotoImaging]

I have no idea how much IS will help you, but if your hands shake as badly as mine do, especially after a weekend of drinking too much and compensating with too much coffee, then IS is the holy grail.

My favorite Sunday morning lens is my only IS lens.

[totalphoto]

SW & Lensmen, you guys are too funny! Reading alot of manuals this weekend, I think the 580EX flash is going to be the hardes to fig!!!!
Have a great week!
P.S. I understand know that that is one heavy lens!!!!!!