100-400 L

[aam1234]

Just received that lens and was wondering how can you tell if the IS working. And how and when will it kick in.

The reason for asking is that when I received it the IS was "on", so was afraid that this might damage it.

Thanks

[tommykjensen]

I don't have that specific lens but with my 28-135 USM IS I can actually feel and hear when IS kicks in. It will kick in after You have half-depressed shutter for a 1 second or so. You should be able to see it in the view finder as well.

I don't think the lens can be damaged during transport if IS is on as it need power from the camera (thats my guess at least but don't know for 100% sure).

[aam1234]

Hi tommykjensen,

When half pressing the shutter there is a slight sound, is that the IS kicking in.

You should be able to see it in the view finder as well

Can you elaborate on that please. I mean how can you "see" in the viewfinder.

Thanks

[tommykjensen]

Does that sound appear with other lenses on? If not then Yes it is the IS can hear.

You can also confirm it by looking in the viewfinder and zoom to max, handheld. Unless You have very steady hand :wink: You can see the effects of IS after You half-press the shutter.

[tommykjensen]

Hi tommykjensen,

When half pressing the shutter there is a slight sound, is that the IS kicking in.

You should be able to see it in the view finder as well

Can you elaborate on that please. I mean how can you "see" in the viewfinder.

Thanks

If You zoom to max on a subject some distance away and half-press the shutter You should be able to see that the image You see in the viewfinder become more steady.

[aam1234]

Got it! thanks :D

This is my first IS so was expecting more noise or something when it kicks in. Boy, that lense is so silent 8)

[Scottes]

A great way to test is to move the lens around and then press the shutter half-way. You'll be sure to hear a little clunk and the image will jump suddenly.


Damned fine lens - you'll be happy.

[cmM]

Congrats on the purchase?

How do you like it so far ?

[robertwgross]

A great way to test is to move the lens around and then press the shutter half-way. You'll be sure to hear a little clunk and the image will jump suddenly.


That is the way mine acts. Not very much sound, but then the image (viewed through the viewfinder) will suddenly jump and settle.

---Bob Gross---

[aam1234]

Thank you guys, I'll try that.

cmM, didn't really test it...will do that this weekend.

Thanks again

[CyberDyneSystems]

It becomes really obvious when you zoom out all th way to 400mm aim it at something not too far away with detail (like a road signs maybe 20 feet away) and look through the viewfinder hand held... youll notice the signs moving around as you try to hold it steeady... half press the shutter or focus button.. and the sign will snap to attention and the vibration will practically disappear.

[Adam Hicks]

I just played with my new 100-400L today. B&H shipped it yesterday. So far I think it was an excellent purchase. Weight is heavy but about right. I shot with a 400mm f2.8 prime today at the zoo, and it SURE ware nice to put the 100-400 back on. That 400 2.8 is a BEAST!

Adam

Couple unretouched pics at or near 400mm a few hours ago. Just scaled down for ease of posting...

http://www.golilm.com/DSLR/eaglehead.jpg

http://golilm.com/DSLR/bigcat.jpg

[JLS Photo]

Adam -

Stellar pictures. Let me guess, you had to shoot through a fence. :wink:

[Adam Hicks]

Haha yeah. It sure was easier to do at 400mm than with my 100mm 2.8!

I now fear no fence.

[Adam Hicks]

Hey JLS, I enjoyed the photos of your 'birds' as well. I'll be hitting the air show on September 19th (press passes whoo hoo!) and will be using the 100-400 for the first time. Any flying craft tips? I suppose I'll just shoot as fast of a shutter as I can with jets. No need to blur the background like I do with motorsports.

The Alliance air show in North Texas is always fantastic. Maybe I can get something good enough for airliners.net! ;)

Adam

[JLS Photo]

Adam -

I'm currently in an equipment changeover :wink: --going from the Canon 10D/Sigma 50-500 to the Canon 20D/Canon 100-400 IS/70-200 IS. I've heard good things about the 100-400 for "bird work". :wink:

As far as suggestions, I don't particularly subscribed to the shoot-as-fast-as-possible-for-jets school of thought. More recently, I have tried shooting props at 1/125-1/250th (that's where the 100-400 IS should come in handy) and jets at 1/1000'ish. I like getting a bit of background blur, if possible. Most of my aircraft photos are up on airliners.net, which I provide a link at the top of my page.

Your techniques for motorsports should carry over nicely. Good luck/have fun. :)

[Adam Hicks]

Ok then I'll play with Tv at 1/200 or 1/250ish. I'm also going to be trying the IS (mode 2, vertical stabilization only) for the first time in a panning situation. I am impressed with the IS so far though. I almost feel like I'm cheating!

Adam

[JLS Photo]

By the way, the purpose of the 1/125-1/250th for props is to get motion blur in the prop itself--the blur makes it look much more realistic.

[johneo]

Hey JLS, I enjoyed the photos of your 'birds' as well. I'll be hitting the air show on September 19th (press passes whoo hoo!) and will be using the 100-400 for the first time. Any flying craft tips? I suppose I'll just shoot as fast of a shutter as I can with jets. No need to blur the background like I do with motorsports.

The Alliance air show in North Texas is always fantastic. Maybe I can get something good enough for airliners.net! ;)

Adam


No need to use to fast a shutter speed and mode 2 on the IS does work great as you pan. I left it on the entire show.

Most of what I shot at the air show here back in June was 180th to 350th and everything came out great with the 100-400 L IS. I had bought my 100-400 for the airshow and am still impressed with my results from this lens ... sure makes photography fun 8)

these were cropped and resized but no other editing ... I'm already looking forward to next June :roll:

http://members.cox.net/johneo/f194377f.jpg
http://members.cox.net/johneo/f194020f.jpg

[Adam Hicks]

Understood *cough-radial blur in Photoshop-cough*

:)

I'd never cheat like that!

[RichardtheSane]

Even at 1/125 to 1/250th you will only get a little prop blur

http://www.richardlindley.co.uk/images/0002.jpg

I had to drop down to 1/30th second on this P3 Orion to get the props to blur all the way round. (This was handheld with 100-400 IS mode 2 while the ORION was moving down the taxiway)

None of that radial blur cheating ;)

[JLS Photo]

Great shots, John.

Richard, have you been able to get any keepers of "airborne shots" of props at 1/30? Up to now, I haven't had an IS lens, but I'd be incredibly impressed if you could.

[mjordan]

I turned off IS on my 100-400 when I shot at an airshow last month. I was told that IS can get confused when you are twisting and turning following the fast jets as they fly over you and you twirl to follow them. I know at our airshow the Blue Angles came in from all different directions throughout the show. And I know I twisted all over the place while aiming up. A fully extended 100-400 with lens shade swinging back and forth did keep some people from trying to crowd into my space at the fence during the highlights. :lol:

Mike

[aam1234]

Do you have to turn off the IS when the can/lens not in use (I know, I read the manual but nothing mentioned about it).

Thanks

[Scottes]

Do you have to turn off the IS when the can/lens not in use (I know, I read the manual but nothing mentioned about it).

No. The IS system gets it's power from the camera, so if the camera is off then the IS is off. More exactly, IS is off until you press the shutter button half-way.

I always leave it on, because most situation benefit from IS, so it's ready to go at all times. So when I'm in a situation IS should be off - like mjordan's airshow - then I have to actively think to turn it off.


And of course that meant that I once spent an hour with the IS off. At a time (very early morning) when I definitely needed it. :(

[aam1234]

And of course that meant that I once spent an hour with the IS off. At a time (very early morning) when I definitely needed it

I bet you'll never forget the IS now :D

[JLS Photo]

One thing that I carried over from flying plane to photography is a "pre-flight/pre-photo check". Basically, when I first fire up the camera, I go through all of the screens on the top LCD and verify I'm in the correct mode, white balance is set, AF mode is set, ISO is correct, etc. This carries over to the lens also--AF, IS on/off, etc. More than once, I have caught a left over setting from the previous shoot leftover.

I only needed to mess it up a couple times before I learned the lesson. :)

[karusel]

I got my lens on tuesday!!! :mrgreen: And this smiley doesn't even come close to the smile that lens put on my face. :lol:

I'll be doing an airshow this sunday and I was wondering about the mode 2 of IS, is that meant for horizontal panning only, or can you go from one diagonal to another, for example? Two guys above have said the IS was off during the airshow... so is mode 2 really useless in such situations?

Also, how do you focus the planes, manual pre/focus, all points autofocus, central/other point autofocus...?

[johneo]

I got my lens on tuesday!!! :mrgreen: And this smiley doesn't even come close to the smile that lens put on my face. :lol:

I'll be doing an airshow this sunday and I was wondering about the mode 2 of IS, is that meant for horizontal panning only, or can you go from one diagonal to another, for example? Two guys above have said the IS was off during the airshow... so is mode 2 really useless in such situations?

Also, how do you focus the planes, manual pre/focus, all points autofocus, central/other point autofocus...?

I used mode 2 for all shots I panned and I'm sure I forgot to turn it off for other shots and saw no problems but I did leave IS on all the time.

The 100-400 L has pretty fast AF so I set the camera to AI Servo and had no problems following a jet from far off the runway, as it came directly in front and flew off as far as focusing goes. The sharness and ease of capturing these shots is what still amazes me, having been lucky to get 1 or 2 shots out of many using my Sony in the past years airshows.

Be sure to give yourself plenty of room to swing that lens around without whacking someone in the head :lol: and don't be surprised at the questions people ask while using that lens 8) I've been asked a few times if I was with the media and asked to follow one to the media area :? Nope, I'm just some schmuck that is addicted to photography :oops:

[mjordan]

The last show I shot at, I stood out a bit, with the bag of camera equipment I was carring. There was one other guy those that did one better. Besides the Canon and large white lens, he brought a kitchen step ladder (the kind with about 3 steps and has sides like handles). He got there early like me and was up against the fence and I'd see him up on it shooting the plans as they went by. I thought it was a pretty good idea as it put him up about shoulder higher than those around him.

I shoot in AI and with the center focus point active on my 10D. The airshow here was not that great of weather. The first half was cloudy with the threat of thunderstorms (lighting was flashing just west of us) and then the air got real still so that none of the smoke from the planes blew away. And they would let off with a bunch of smoke as they taxied in front of the crowds too. I hate smoke at airshows and wish they would limit it's use.

Mike