300-600mm Handheld????

Hey Everyone,
I attended round 3 of the Motocross Nationals yesterday. I couldnt help but notice that at least 10+ photographers had huge lenses, at least 300-400mm(if not more) and not once did they use a tripod! Granted, it was sunny, but i was under the impression that one would need a tripod with a lense of that size. What is you take on it??
Thanks
Tim

Well from my experience the 100-400L IS is just about the limit to hand hold and any Prime lens above that (including the 300mm 2.8 ) requires a monopod

Really it depends on the photographer.
It depend on how long they will be shooting hand-held.
I've seen some people who hand-hold a 300 F2.8 without flinching, some who can't

Like I said, depends on the photographer.

I do the 100-400 L IS handheld all the time, and 99% of the time at 400mm. I've often gotten shots at 1/50, and I've got a few at 1/30 that are still tack-sharp.

Of course, the 500mm f/4 weighs a bit more... I might not last as long handheld.

Proably they were using IS lenses. You can use really low shutter speeds with those babies. Speed of 1/125 or less aren't out of the question for a 300 or 400mm with IS enabled.

Well, I made some photos in the city last weekend with my 70-300 DO IS USM, handheld, ofcourse with IS on.

At home on the computer, I was a bit disappointed with the sharpness of some (not all) of my photos taken at 300mm - even though they were taken with fast shutter speeds (1/500, 1/640).

So I did a small test at home: made some photos handheld with IS on, and some with the camera on a tripod, with IS off, mirror lock-up and timer release, to minimize vibrations.

When zoomed to 100% on the computer, I could easily see that the tripod photos were sharper. I love IS, and it really works well (handheld without IS it's going to be really difficult to make a sharp photo), but for the best possible sharpness, a tripod is still better - even at fast shutter speeds. Ofcourse, for fast action photos, a tripod is not very practical...

o me the weight limitation becomes a factor long before the focal range limitation.

I've never even tried my prime 500mm hand held.. nor do I intend to.. but a light lens like the 100-400mm? No problem. Is or no IS.. I'd still use it hand held on occasion.. (although I am a fan of a monoppod)

When it was the Sigma 50-500mm... it was a LOT heavier than the 100--400mm.. and obviously had more reach. But I did indeed use it handheld..

The only reason I would not do it often was the immense weight!

I've hand held the Sigma 120-300 f/2.8 with 1.4xTC on it ( 420mm@f/4.0 ) on numerous occasions. As long as the shutter speed is high enough ( @1/1000th or faster ) lens shake is not a problem. I normally use it with a pod though, as at 2.6KG/5.7lb it's a bit uncomfortable to use for extended periods.

i've handheld my 400 f2.8 for a few shots at a time. when i first did it i thought i must have bought the lead-lined version
i'm only young (and stupid) so my back may not thank me for it later. it does make every other lens you own feel as light as a feather though. normally its attached to the monopod and i just pick the lot up. as long as the shutter speed's high (over 800) sharp images seem ok

I photographed some Pied Wagtails collecting dragonflies last week with my (non-IS) 300/2.8L and a 2x Extender - handheld on a 10D.
It is possible but you do need to work at it! Technique, experience and lots of practice do help an awful lot.
Normally I photograph motorsport and for head-on shots with focal lengths over 300mm would use a monopod but for panning it has to be handheld.
Don't forget that when panning the motion of the lens damps out a lot of the vibration as does the sheer weight of the camera/lens combination.

When they're panning or following rapid movement the tripod becomes less essential.A large number of unsharp shots are par for the course in some situations as long as they get the great ones too.
I remember i used to shoot mx that way (way back,amatuer with manual focus gear) and got quite good at it.
maybe they havent lost their old habits...?

I've seen plenty of guys shoot the 300f2.8 hand held and some carry two of them. Not too many hand hold the 400/500/600. They are just too heavy. It can be done, but why?
I shoot my 70-200 on a monopod for football and even volleyball.
It is just too heavy to hold up for hours.

You can pan on a monopod...

This is how I look at it.. a monopod is handheld.. It just takes the weight

Yeah, sure.