IS or no IS?

[vickxo]

i'm looking into purchasing a Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III USM lens and the price difference between the IS and non IS is pretty steep.
does anyone have either of these lenses and can tell me which would be better for a relative beginner?

 

[Anewman]

For fast moving subjects IS will not be of much help.

For lower light with still subjects IS will give you a couple stops, but it might still be too slow for NIGHT shots(like at disney).

It also depends on how steady a shooter you are, for some IS helps even in bright sunlight while others wont need it.

If you can obtain a fast prime or even off brand zoom with the price difference you might want to consider the non IS and second lens purchase. If you have shaky hands and shoot in mostly cloudy conditions the IS might be the only choice.

 

[Master Mason]

I have the non is version. Works fine on bright days, but you will be unable to use it under most lighting conditions for sports and stuff. Just isn't fast enough.

 

[mhutchinson]

For me, the IS helps when the hands don't stay as steady as they once use too. I spend the extra on any of the lenses I buy just for those low light situations that I want to minimize the chances of camera shake.

Michael

 

[mabas9395]

I'm not very good at hand holding my lenses so I love having it on two of mine. For me, I could spend X dollars to get a lens without IS that I can only use half of the time or spend a little more and get one that I can actually use in real world situations. Living in Seattle, even outdoors we don't always get enough sunshine poking through the clouds to get a fast enough shutter speed.

 

[Lizziejane]

I'm another fan of IS. My suggestion would be to take your camera down to the store and ask to try the IS lens. Switch the IS off, zoom all the way in, and make note of the shake! Then flick the IS switch and notice the difference. My bet is you'd be sold on it immediately.

 

[pjacobi]

I'm another fan of IS. My suggestion would be to take your camera down to the store and ask to try the IS lens. Switch the IS off, zoom all the way in, and make note of the shake! Then flick the IS switch and notice the difference. My bet is you'd be sold on it immediately.

I was skeptical, too, until I tried IS in the store. It's like the hand of God on your shoulder steadying your shot. Now all future lens purchases will have IS.

I have the 70-300 left over from a film Rebel. I now wish that I had got the IS version. Now I am dreaming of someday replacing it with 100-400 L USM IS.


-Paul