Shooting Motorcycle Road Racing: Does IS Help Me, Hurt Me, Or Have No Effect On Me?

[Racer997]

Discussed before, I'm sure. But enlighten me.

I shoot a lot of sports photography, mainly motorcycle racing. When I shoot these kinds of shots, am I helping or hurting by using IS, or is IS even doing anything at all? Depending on where I am on the track, some of these shots are taken with the subjects moving basically towards me (or away from me), and I move the camera very little (but I do move). These are taken with a faster shutter and larger aperature. Here I feel like IS might be doing something helpful, although I don't know what or how much. Other shots are panning shots, where I feel IS isn't doing anything at all, and may even be hurting me. I move the camera a lot, of course, and use a slower shutter and smaller aperature (of course).

Here are some examples taken with a 40D and a 100-400 L with IS on...

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-May-2010/857392499cYzxp-X3/857693408_Lpzqw-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-May-2010/IMG7563/858014570_iojFN-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-May-2010/857239473zn7g4-O/861001575_q3BMm-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-May-2010/858014861WVj7n-O/860999692_53LBw-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-May-2010/IMG7725/855349572_rMAwQ-XL.jpg




Here are some examples taken with a 40D and a 70-200 L non-IS...

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/Oak-Hill-Raceway-0909/BWarren84/831034459_LNbyy-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/Oak-Hill-Raceway-0909/663781789Hyz8D-O/861385226_Bqy4N-XL.jpg

http://racer997.smugmug.com/Other/ECR-March-2010/IMG8539/811729320_rVKxp-XL.jpg

[Shockey]

It may come in handy if you get a very dark day and you can pan with the bikes....otherwise not so much.
Great shots.

[Racer997]

Wow...been reading some of the other threads here, and this question is all over the place. I really should have looked harder. Or simply looked. :oops:

But, that said, I see where someone said that using IS sometimes screwed with his AF. When I used the 100-400 L mentioned above, I wasn't in love with the results in many cases. Some of the pix seemed a little soft focus. Maybe, just maybe, the IS on and in Mode 1 was part of the issue? Or am I just making excuses?

Also, I concur with someone said about IS (since I am contemplating buying a new 70-200 f/2.8 IS). He basically said "You probably won't need it for sports shooting, but sooner or later you're gonna want it for something, and when you don't have it, you're gonna cry." Since I do shoot other things, including people and landscapes, he's probably right.

[DC Fan]

Racing motorcycle as seen through an XTi and a Canon 70-300mm image stabilized lens with two-axis stabilization on.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090829a0826.jpg



A few hours later, a racing motorcycle seen through the same XTi, using a Tokina 80-400mm non-stabilized lens.

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090829c0106.jpg


Maybe the equipment counts less than the way that the equipment is used.

[MMX]

Helps with panning, but it´s better to have just one way (vertical) stabilization. And monopod helps a lot.

[Racer997]

http://www.kevinlillard.com/racing/20090829a0826.jpg

2009 USGP, eh?

And it's interesting, but the image of Rossi doesn't look as sharp as the flat tracker. I'm starting to feel that IS isn't a huge thing in following moving subjects.

[AEImages]

The IS helps a great deal in low light situations. I would invest on a good monopod strictly for these shots. I enjoyed the pics...

[Apexer]

DC Fan - that number 27 machine shot is stunning ! Very cool.

[Sp2Pilot]

DC Fan - that number 27 machine shot is stunning ! Very cool.
I concur, excellent shot.

[Lowner]

I use it if I've got it. But as I've only got the one lens with it (100-400L) I can operate without it if need be. I always use a monopod, which I think helps steady the shot.

[Munchdog]

If you use IS, you want to be in Mode 2.