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Does IS help on fast shutter speeds?
I've always read about how IS isn't needed if you shoot at fast shutter speeds and good light. I guess for bird photography, that's the common contention on choosing between the 300f/4 and the 400 f/5.6.
My question is: is Image Stabilization really irrelevant if you shoot on fast shutter speed and good light OR will IS help you get an even better photo? I haven't seen any real world examples of this so I would like to hear experiences from the seasoned photographers.
What I'm really curious is, if you really want to get super sharp photos, will IS coupled with fast shutter speed and good light give better photos?
Thanks,
Eric
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Super Moderator
Hi Eric,
For a short and light lens such as the 300, IS is not really needed to get sharp frames if shutter speed is fast enough.
For a super telephoto lens it is a different story...
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The 300/F4 is what I'm getting both for the F4 (over F5.6) and the IS. My hands are not as steady as they were in my youth and I want the extra ability the IS may provide.
Let me know which way you go and what you think of the lens you get.
Take care,
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Hi Tony,
I already have the 300 f4 IS and am very happy with it. I also was in a dilemna like you when I was deciding what to buy. I went with the 300 f4 because of Image Stabilization but had a 1.4x extender welded to it full-time since I use it for bird photography.
I asked the question because I am planning to get a 70-200mm f2.8 non-IS to replace the 300 f4. Not because I don't like it (it's wickedly sharp, at least for my taste) but I want the flexibility of using a zoom with constant aperture. For bird photography, I'm thinking of using a 2x on it.
I'm still undecided though so I posted this question.
Regards,
Eric
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The 70-200 suffers from softness with a 2x, as will any zoom. A 1.4x is less of a problem but still shows some loss. And if you're going to use it at 400mm (with the doubler) you might want IS.
I'd look at the 100-400 as a comparison, for IQ.
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For all around sharpness, I have preferred the 300 F4 IS 1.4x EF II TC combo versus the 400 5.6 or the push pull 100-400 f5.6 zoom. It is lighter, smaller, and sharper than the 100-400 wide open, though less versitle due to the lack of zoom. The 70-200 F2.8 is a great lens, and does not need IS if shooting at 70-200, but if you add a 2x TC to it you will lose a significant amount of sharpness to the lens, increase your need for IS, and decrease your AF speed tremendously even if you add the latest and greatest EF III 2x.
If you have incredible light available to you and can achieve 1/2000 exposure, you should not need to worry yourself with IS on up to 400mm without any issues. However, even with good long lens technique, there are people who have used the 500 f4.5 NON IS hand held and shown respectable results at 1/60 shutter speeds.
On a last note - I will say the 400 5.6 is a hair sharper than the 300 f4 with tc connected, but the 300 combo yields an total EFL of 420mm f5.6 with IS. So you get slightly more reach and IS as a trade off for a tad less sharpness.
Cheers
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Here's an article by Thom Hogan:
http://www.bythom.com/nikon-vr.htm
I am not sure if all this can transferred to Canon IS technology, but a useful discussion nonetheless.
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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John, thank you for the link. This is very good information even for a Canon guy like me. :D
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Me too Tony. It would be interesting to know of the parameter values or more fundamental aspects in Canon's IS system are similar enough to Nikon's VR that the cut-offs Hogan mentions for Nikon can be carried over.
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Lifetime Member
I think the usefullness of IS with fast shutter speeds depends on numerous situational factors. This makes the answer to the OPs question - sometimes, it depends on ..... I think the important thing to know is that it doesn't hurt to use IS at fast shutter speeds. There seems to be no real penalty to using IS at fast shutter speeds and sometimes it helps. If the shutter speed gets below 1/1250 or so, then I think IS is usefull much of the time.
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Super Moderator
The main advantage of using IS at fast shutter speeds is when hand holding long lenses. It stabilizes the finder making it possible to track BIF. W/O IS landholding at focal lengths above 600mm would be extremely difficult.
There is really no penalty in using IS except for battery consumption.
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Thanks for all the responses. You guys have been so helpful and that is what makes this forum wonderful. I get responses from real bird and nature photographers.
As I have mentioned in one of my earlier post, I am extremely satisfied in the sharpness of my combo but was just toying with the idea of getting the 70-200 for flexibility. I guess I will be holding on to my 300 f/4L IS + 1.4x.
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Eric,
If you are using the Canon 300 f/4, it is version 1 IS and does cause degradation of image quality at shutter speeds around 1/2000 second and above. Newer IS versions (found in the 300 f/2.8 and up, even version 1 lenses) do not have this problem.
IS hand held or also on a beanbag, or tracking with a gimball mount will benefit from IS as it stabilizes the image for the AF system, making AF more accurate.
Regarding the Hogan article, it says keep VR off unless needed, and not to use it over 1/500 second. He talks about sampling frequemcy. This is the problem with the Canon IS version 1 on the 300 f/4, but the problem on Canon does not appear until well above 1/1000 second, and I think that is the only telephoto lens with the issue (maybe the 100-400?).
I often shoot at 1/2000 to 1/4000 second and occasionally 1/6000 second with my 300 f/2.8 and 500 f/4 version 1 leneses with ho IS issues. I simply leave it on unless locked down on a tripod. I often use beanbags from safari vehicles and occasionall the IS gets turned off and image quality suffers even with 300 mm (especially in low light, or tracking a subject--if a subject starts moving, I pick up the lens and hand hold and track). I can usually spot this after only a few frames, seeing no stabilization in the viewfinder.
I keep IS on all the time unless on a tripod with the axes locked. the 300 f/4 is the only exception: I'll turn off the IS for shutter speeds above about 1/1500 second. The 300 f/4 is in need of an upgrade.
Roger
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Hi Roger,
Thanks for the info. It's something I guess it not widely known as I don't remember encountering any article that tackles that issue. I'll keep that in mind when shooting at fast shutter speeds.
Thanks again.
Eric