Mark Blackwell says: >Would I like to have IS? Sure but if I get it I might get a >separate Ken Labs unit that would provide image stabilization >for any camera, not just ones that I could use that lens on. I used to tell people, "The only piece of photographic gear that single handedly improve your images is a tripod." I have a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens that I bought on the way to the airport one day figuring I might need it for that particular project. (Being a lifelong Nikon man, I had waited and waited for Nikon to catch up with Canon's 1ds MarkII but they didn't. I had to have better quality gear to remain competitive and so switched to Canon but couldn't afford buy everything I wanted all at once so have bought lenses and stuff as needed.) I always carry my medium and miniature format camera as carry on and decided during the flight to see what all the fuss was about this Image Stabilization feature. I have a pretty steady hand and so I zoomed in on the seat numbers a few rows ahead of me and shot. Very low light and the numbers were a little fuzzy but I felt pretty good about my abilities to wield this cumbersome beast around and get the desired results shooting in low light conditions. Then, I turned on the IS. HOLEEE SMOKES! I pushed the shutter down and it was like the camera took a big deep breath and just settled right down. It was remarkable. They say that the NON IS version is cheaper and sharper than the IS version. But I don't think you could resolve that additional sharpness on any camera lens combination other than a Nikon 55mm macro shooting tech pan on a tripod. You certainly can't see the difference on any DSLR. I also have a Kenyon Labs KS-6 Gyro stabilizer that I used in conjunction with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM while shooting from a Bell Jet Ranger last year. I found that zoomed out to 200mm without the Gyro I couldn't get a sharp image even at a 4000th of a second. With the gyro and the IS function turned on, sharp as a tack. It is a remarkable thing to get a sharp image at all through a telescopic lens while shooting from a helicopter. So, now I tell people, "The only piece of photographic gear that single handedly improver your images is a tripod, a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM and a Kenyon Labs Stabilizer." Although just between ya'll and me, provided you stay out of helicopters, a little practice holding your breath and a monopod will likely do you just fine. R
