Canon 100-400mm L with monopod

[carnbrea]

I now this is probably a stupid question to some, but when using the 100-400mm lens on a monopod do you switch on the stabiliser?

Mines on a 300D and with the 1.6 factor the lens is 160-640mm.
On a tripod I switch it off, but on a monopod my lens sways a little and I'm not quite sure to switch it on or off.

Can any one help please.

[Belmondo]

On a monopod, I leave it on. There is still the potential for movement in all axes. A monopod only reduces movement.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Same here.

I use this lens probably 80% of the time on a monopod... and I allways have the IS on then.

Unlees you have rock steady tripod like stability .. the IS is fine on a monopod, and in fact helps.

[cecilc]

Well...

I'm going to be the odd one out here (not unusual ....)

But I've never had the IS on with my 100-400.
And I always shoot with it on a monopod ....

But I'm usually shooting lacrosse (or some other sport) in pretty bright daylight with high shutter speeds, too ....

So I probably don't really need the help of the IS in that situation.

So I'm guessing this would be a "situational" decision ....

[Belmondo]

Well...

I'm going to be the odd one out here (not unusual ....)

But I've never had the IS on with my 100-400.
And I always shoot with it on a monopod ....

But I'm usually shooting lacrosse (or some other sport) in pretty bright daylight with high shutter speeds, too ....

So I probably don't really need the help of the IS in that situation.

So I'm guessing this would be a "situational" decision ....

....and that makes sense. IS really only offers benefits when you're shoooting at shutter speeds slow enough where shake can be a problem. If you're using a fast shutter, there's no need for it.

[scottbergerphoto]

Buy a pair of 25 pound dumbells.
Do an upper body workout 3 times a week for 30 minutes.
Throw away the monopod.
Get a good tripod for Canon lenses longer then 400mm(the 400 f/5.6 is lighter then the 100-400), landscapes, night shots, and studio work.
Regards,
Scott

[Scottes]

I use a monopod a lot, and always with the IS on. I find that the monopod helps a LOT. I've got recent pics here of feeder birds, and most of the shots are at 400mm with an extension tube and shutter speeds of 1/30-1/60.

Now, I do have shots at 400mm with speeds of 1/30 - but not nearly as many keepers. Using the monopod at these shutter speeds means that almost every single shot is steady and sharp.

[carnbrea]

Thank you all for your help.
I appreciate the trouble you have taken to answer my query.

I live in Cornwall in the UK and we do get a lot of cloud, so quite often I'm shooting at slower shutter speeds than I would like.

I will take the advice of switching the stabiliser on in these conditions, but will switch it off when the light is a lot brighter, hence a faster speed should cure all.

Incidentally I have a Benbo 2 Tripod which is very heavy and suits my needs when taking landscapes and where low light conditions prevail, but I find it cumbersome for when I need to take action shoots and move around a lot at sporting events.

[Jim_T]

Well...

I'm going to be the odd one out here (not unusual ....)

But I've never had the IS on with my 100-400.
And I always shoot with it on a monopod ....




:?:

You've never even been interested enough to take a second to flip a switch to see what IS does ????

[cecilc]

:?:

You've never even been interested enough to take a second to flip a switch to see what IS does ????

No,....not really.....

But I know what IS does - I've just never had the "situation" occur where I felt that I needed to use it. And I've never sought out a shooting situation where the IS would be necessary ....

One reason that I've never used it is what I read in the manual for the lens (and here I'm going to have to paraphrase because I don't have the manual handy and I can't remember the exact wording). Somewhere in there it states that after you activate autofocus that you should "wait" for the IS to engage ..... and when I'm shooting sports, I just don't have time to "wait" for the IS to engage before I take a shot. If I do, the shot is over....

But I'll take your point - I really should take the time to at least shoot some frames with IS on just to see how it behaves. If for no other reason than to see just how long I have to "wait" for the IS to engage .... you never know, I might be pleasantly surprised ....