IS question on the 100 - 400

[gramps]

The UPS guy just got here with the new 100 - 400!!!!! It's only 20 degrees F outside and the lens feels like a block of ice so I think I'll let it warm up to room temp before I put the filter on it and put it on the camera. I'm looking at the instruction book trying to figure out which IS mode to use for indoor basketball shots. I think it should be set to mode 2, am I correct? I'll be shooting with no flash and around 250th of a sec. shutter and maybe using a monopod.

[Longwatcher]

Mode 1 is for handheld shots
Mode 2 is for tripod mounted panning shots.

Not sure on monopod, but probably given you still have foward/back motion you may still want to put it in mode 1.

All mode 2 does is improve the side to side motion while turning off the up/down motion that you no longer need mounted to a tripod.

Note though at 1/250, I would personally just turn the IS to off. It is most useful if you are below 1/60

just my opinion and experience.

[Scottes]

Mode 1 for everything except panning, which is mode 2.

With basketball you might be following/panning someone down the court, so that would be Mode 2. But that might not happen so much, or when it does it changes quickly. You might want to practice flipping modes.

Then again, I've never panned a human running - it might be slow enough so that Mode 1 isn't so bad...

[gramps]

I got the answer..................I'm hiring a secertary/bag carrier to follow me while I shoot. One of the BIG reasons I bought this lens is my wife and I are the United States "family" for a young woman we know from Dakar, Senegal. She plays basketball for Purdue University and they are playing against UCLA this coming weekend. We are going to drive to UCLA to see her and watch the game. I HAVE to get some good shots of her to send back to her family in Senegal.

[Scottes]

Bring the 70-200 with you just in case... Probably needless advice. :)