Would 2.8 compensate F4 IS?

[timpa42]

Just remember this, light if your best friend for photos.

The more light the sensor gets, the better the images will be. We get DSRL's for the control they give us, and faster lenses gives you more control. IS only takes control of your shaking, a tripod does a better job of it.

That being said, sure people love IS and why not they can be shakey and still get good shots. They can hand held in lower light and shake, and still get fairly good shots. May be you noticed the word shake here a lot, that is because all IS does is steady it out nothing more.

--
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[ed rader]

and just when i thought i knew you well enough to joke around a bit.

well, we'll chalk this one up to "a bad day"....

ed rader

--



'One often has mixed feelings about relatives, but few people could identify serious problems in their relationships with dogs.'

-- Anonymous

 

[carlk]

What? You can double the amount of light sensor receives by either open up the aperture one stop or decrease the shutter speed by one stop. IS allows you to decrease the shutter speed without the ill effect of camera shake blur.

Just remember this, light if your best friend for photos.

The more light the sensor gets, the better the images will be. We
get DSRL's for the control they give us, and faster lenses gives
you more control. IS only takes control of your shaking, a tripod
does a better job of it.

That being said, sure people love IS and why not they can be shakey
and still get good shots. They can hand held in lower light and
shake, and still get fairly good shots. May be you noticed the word
shake here a lot, that is because all IS does is steady it out
nothing more.

--
My psig photos
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=169695
Free Fun Arcade Games
http://www.arcadegamester.net

 

[ifxmnfly]

This is exactly the lens choice that I am facing too. But I've had another concern in addition to all of these mentioned already. Since the Canon Lens Warranty is only one year, what will be the long term cost of owning an EF 70-200 f/4L IS versus the simpler f/2.8 non-IS?

It would seem likely that in a year or two or three, the IS is going to need service and it won't be covered. So now I have to add the cost of a MAC to the price, or self insure. Meanwhile, that 2.8 non-IS will just be humming along, letting me shoot great photos.

Then again, I am getting older by the minute, and sooner or later I will loose my steady hand.

-----------
So many lens choices, so little time.

 

[ed rader]

that you'll be around in 3 years or tomorrow for that matter? man this is the sharpest zoom canon makes and at a very reasonable price!

ed rader

--



'One often has mixed feelings about relatives, but few people could identify serious problems in their relationships with dogs.'

-- Anonymous

 

[eelnoraa]

Blur due to subject motion is a lot, A LOT better than blur due to camera shake. I hope you agree on this point.

What good does 1/125 do at F2.8 without IS or tripod!!! Not to mention at 200mm, even at 70mm, you cannot garantee a blur free photo.

1/250 is not good enough either at 200mm. You will need approximately 1/400 at 200mm to garantee a blur free picture. With 3-stop (let alone the 4-stop spec) IS will allow you to handhelt at 1/50s without camera shake effect.

Remember, min shutter speed is governed by focal length as well as action stopping ability. Handeld ability speed requirement change with focal length, but ability to stop action only change when the action changes. As focal lenght increase, IS become more and more important. At 200mm, I personally think IS out weight 1 stop of light.

eel

If you don't use tripod, IS makes a huge difference in this focal
length range especailly at the 200mm end.

No, not at all - that is, unless your subject is stationary.

One step of shutter is nothing for stopping motion. The only
reason to go for F2.8 non-IS over F4IS is the bokeh, view finer and
F2.8 high sensitive AF sensor.

One step from 1/125 to 1/250 means that you can mostly get sharp
images of slowly moving people. A step from 1/250 to 1/500 sec.
means you can stop rather brisk action.

IS is of no help in either case. I own two lenses with IS, and I
would take a fast lens over a slower with IS every time. IS is very
practical only when your subjects do not move.

Per Inge Oestmoen, Norway

 

[Tim B]

I have wanted a Canon 70 - 200L 2.8 IS longer than I have owned a Canon camera. finally I got the funds together to buy one and my wifes blessing. But I keep going back and fourth about spending over $500 just for IS, or if I should just settle for the f4.0 with IS and wonder what I may have missed.

Yesterday I was shooting a nesting dove with my 70 - 300 4 - 5.6 IS USM and could not get a good lock on it, I was all over the place. After the first picture I realized two things:
1. I had left the IS off last time I had tripod mounted it.
2. YES "IS" is worth spending the extra $$

If I don't need it, I can switch it off, but I can't do it the other way around if I don't have IS.

A 70 -200L 2.8 IS it is...

 

[timpa42]

Yes but a tripod does the same thing only better, the only thing IS does is control shaking. A faster lens has bigger lenses, letting more light get to he sensor.

IS does not let more light get to the sensor, it only controls shake and that can be done other ways like a tripod. So no matter how you put it, the faster lens has bigger lenses and lets in more light.

And IS will not help the noise, because of such a slow speed. You want as fast of speed as you can get, to help keep that noise to a min and a faster lens does that. Because it lets in more light, with the bigger lenses it uses.

--
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Free Fun Arcade Games
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[Paul Dold]

Well if the IS breaks I guess you could turn it off.
I have not heard of problems with the latest technology.

 

[carlk]

Looks you’re still confused. Sensor will receive exactly the same amount of light (photons) whether you open up the aperture one stop or reduce the shutter speed by one stop. Noise in these two cases is exactly the same also.

 

[timpa42]

Ok I think I see what you are saying now, that as long as you can keep the ISO at say 100. The amount of noise and light, will be the same no matter what the speed is at is that right ?

If so that was my bad, because it would seem right about that. I was thinking, that if the speed is to slow I turn up the ISO. And that makes noise, and a faster lens lets you keep a lower ISO. But I'm sure if you take the slower speeds, and keep the ISO lower it would be the same.

Then it's a matter of if the slow speed, can stop any movement the shot may have. So I think I got it now, anyway I hope I got it now.
--
My psig photos
http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=169695
Free Fun Arcade Games
http://www.arcadegamester.net

 

[Don Finch]

Believe me the IS noticably improves handholding over age 62. Now if my wife had IS she could really be sharp! LOL
--
Happy Shooting
regards,
def
http://www.pbase.com/definchdds

 

[ifxmnfly]

Very good point Don. I'm not that far behind you in years, (57) and a loss of steadiness is a given sooner or later. I guess I should give up on my techno-phobia and join the world of Image Stabilization!

 

[Rich Dykmans]

man this is the sharpest zoom canon makes and at a very reasonable
price!

ed rader

that's right!

I can live without f2.8 for this kind of IQ!

 

[Mokes]

Actually I believe the answer is simple:

If you're mostly shooting moving objects in less than great lighting then an f/2.8 or faster lens is what you need. In other words, if you need at least 1/200s shutter speed for much of your shooting (sports, kids, etc.) - get the fast lens.
If your subjects are stationary (landscapes, museums, etc.) then IS is for you.

Portraits would qualify as stationary objects, and thus IS helps them as well, except the f/2.8 would give you better bokeh, but this is nitpicking - the f/4 IS has great bokeh too.

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards) is usually the most interesting subject matter.

The 70-200mm F4 IS and the 70-200mm F2.8 are around the same
price.. I don't have the cash to get a 2.8 IS version.

How much would f2.8 compensate the IS of the F4 version?

 

[4u2c]

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since
people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards)
is usually the most interesting subject matter.

Any sample photos?

Rodrigo

 

[Mokes]

Of people playing cards? ;-) Seriously - just take a look at any "action" photos posted on this forum (e.g. all the sports threads, etc.) - virtually all are shot with shutter speeds where IS is of no help. Same thing with moving kids. I'm looking through my Picasa album - most "keepers" of my kids up on their feet are at 1/200s or above. If they're sitting I get keepers down to 1/40s, even at 1/25s (Sigma 30/1.4). I guess you can shoot those with an IS lens and get even better results, but if it's a choice between IS and a fast lens I take the fast lens - my kids are usually running around

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since
people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards)
is usually the most interesting subject matter.

Any sample photos?

Rodrigo

 

[4u2c]

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since
people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards)
is usually the most interesting subject matter.

Any sample photos?

Rodrigo

Still. Do you have a sample phoos?

Same

 

[Mokes]

Of what? What is it you would like to see?

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since
people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards)
is usually the most interesting subject matter.

Any sample photos?

Rodrigo

Still. Do you have a sample phoos?

Same

 

[4u2c]

IMHO most people would benefit more from the fast lens, since
people doing some kind of activity (besides playing chess or cards)
is usually the most interesting subject matter.

Any sample photos?

Rodrigo

Still. Do you have a sample phoos?

Same

The OP mentioned the 70-200 2.8L non IS. If you have any photos taken with this lens in low light?

Rodrigo