How do YOU sturdy your Canon 70-200?

I have had my 70-200 2.8L lens for a couple of hours now and I never knew it would be so hard to keep stable at 200mm. I almost want to take it back and get the IS version.

The best way I have found so far standing up with no tripod is to prop the end of the hood up with fingers. Any suggestions??

practice, practice, practice. i find that what works best for me (when i use heavy lenses) is propoer bracing and long lens technique. you should have your left hand braced on your chest and proper breathing technique helps A LOT. like i said, go out and take 200 shots and you will see the improvment...

Left hand braced on chest?? what do you mean? What is long lens technique?

since i am having a hard time explaining myself, here is one link that will help you out:

http://www.moosepeters​on.com/techtips/shortl​ens.html

make sure to use a fast enough shutter speed or use a tripod.

I just brace my arms close to my chest

it also has to do with how strong you are overall though... the lens isn't really all that heavy to me

Now I'm even more worried about getting this lens. I'm a short guy ( around 5 feet exactly) and relatively weak :\.

Monopod, albow on chest or on knee when kneeling down.

JaGWiRE wrote in post #2070078
Now I'm even more worried about getting this lens. I'm a short guy ( around 5 feet exactly) and relatively weak :\.

You can get used to it..

There was a time when I was a complete n00b, coming from point and shoot land, and I thought the 17-85 and 350D were chunky. Now, I can hold and fire those two with three fingers.

Today, I find the six-pound 300 f/4L IS and 1D combo a little on the heavy side but will get used to it in a short while.

If all else fails, get a monopod, for all its inconvenience it really does take the weight off your hands. Initially when shooting the 5D and 70-200 Sigma combo (4.75 pounds), I was thinking "I'm gonna need a pod, can't hold this thing up for too long", so I bought a pod.

... which now sits at home all day because I can handhold it.

Yes.. photography does make you pump iron, or rather, magnesium alloy and stainless steel

Now 300 f/2.8 IS and 1D combo (9lbs) - if you can handhold that for an entire game I take my hat off to you.. you must be *BUILT*. Most shooters using supertele's, even IS ones, use the pod.

Technique, training, and practice counts for a lot. Go out, shoot more, you may even notice an increase in physical strength as a bonus. Something tells me Billginthekeys might put some bulk on thanks to his rig

I find that attaching a helium balloon to the end of mine works really well.

Photolistic wrote in post #2069614
I have had my 70-200 2.8L lens for a couple of hours now and I never knew it would be so hard to keep stable at 200mm. I almost want to take it back and get the IS version.

The best way I have found so far standing up with no tripod is to prop the end of the hood up with fingers. Any suggestions??

If you can afford it go and get the IS version.
It's a fantastic lens and the IS is unbelieveble.

Good luck.

curiousgeorge wrote in post #2070202
I find that attaching a helium balloon to the end of mine works really well.

You have a picture of that setup....

Salleke wrote in post #2070407
If you can afford it go and get the IS version.
It's a fantastic lens and the IS is unbelieveble.

Good luck.

yes. spend another $600 and get the IS! don't even consider spending $600 less and getting the f4, which is almost half the weight of the IS and much smaller.

you need f2.8 and IS and $1700 isn't much money if you say it fast !

ed rader

Gabbana wrote in post #2069993
make sure to use a fast enough shutter speed or use a tripod.

That's what I do

Leo.

I say learn how to use the lens first before you go jumping the gun..in the mean time go get a monopod to help you. Its always good to have one anyway