Stabilization??

Most IS implemented in lenses only compensate for angular motion that oscillates around a certain degree, with the camera as the pivot point. The macro lens 100L f/2.8 is the notable exception in that it also compensates for your motion rocking back and forth.

Anything that will induce the angular motion on the lens/camera will have it reduced by IS unless the angular motion is constant (that's where the oscillation comes in). If you generally point the lens at a target around which you shake the lens, the IS will try to stay on the target.

All this is based on my only IS lens: 100-400L.

There are two modes of operation on it: full IS and tracking IS in which it will stabilize the motion at a right angle to your tracking motion. So if you're tracking horizontally, it will stabilize up and down motion.

IS may help stabilize but in good sunny conditions I'd rely on a high shutter speed of around 1/1250ss at 400mm. The shorter the lens the slower the shutter speed can be. The 100-400L can have some effect on the AF, it makes it slow down a bit so if you're tracking birds IS generally isn't really helpful. The newer generation IS is better though.

Shooting and breathing heavily isn't good shooting practice. You may want to try to control your breathing even when you're out of breath. Triathlon athletes seem to be able to do it so you may want to look into the techniques they're using. Slowly breathing out while shooting helps in many situations, even if you're not out of breath.

Getting your muscles to cooperate after heavy excercise is a bit more difficult but if you concentrate enough, focus on what your body is doing can come a long way.

wxgeek wrote:

Over the years I have collected 3 different Canon Rebels...300D...400D and the 650D. Some of my lenses have the image stabilization feature. I've read several articles that describe how Canon achieves the stabilization in the lens...but very few ever talk about what "kind" of shake the feature is supposed to neutralize. From my experience "shake" is from several sources...

breathing(heavy or light)

natural body movement

wind movement

Also...the shooting environment is a factor. Such as

sports(following a subject on the field or car on the track)

lowlight

So...does IS work to some degree on all types of movement listed above and in

all shooting environments?

A typical example...I'm out hiking and I climb a hill. So I'm breathing heavy at the

top of the hill and I want to get an image of something(butterfly, strange insect,other

animal). The shooting window is very fleeting so I don't have time to set up a tripod.

Will IS help in this situation?

Thanks for your time!

Jim