IS, worth it? 75-300mm lens

[comom27]

Hi, I have a new Canon 50D. It came with a 75-300mm lens without image stabilization. I feel like I might benefit from upgrading to the lens with IS. I've used the current lens both indoor & outdoor (swim meets). Outdoor most pics are turning out nicely - indoors, I have a higher percentage out of focus. Would the IS help me with this.

At this point I am solely using the various preset modes, I have not begun to play with modifying settings. My dad thought that if I increased shutter speed then the current lens would probably be as good as the IS lens in most situations. His understanding is that IS is more of a benefit in the video world.

Any help/suggestions would be much appreciated.

 

[Josh66]

indoors, I have a higher percentage out of focus. Would the IS help me with this.

No.

If your lens is having trouble focusing in low light, IS will not do anything to help.

IS will help you avoid camera shake, but it can't make your lens focus better.

I tend to agree with your dad - that IS is more useful for video. (Not to say that it's not nice to have though.) And he is right - increasing the shutter speed will help avoid camera shake.

IS will allow you to use a longer shutter speed if you have to though. Just remember that it can't stop the subject from moving, so if the shutter speed is too long you'll still get blur from that.


It sounds like the main problem you're having is the lens focusing in low light though. It's a pretty common problem for slower lenses...

All you can really do, short of buying a new lens, is try to get more light into the room. Open the blinds, turn on some lights... It should help...

 

[subscuck]

If you have the money, I would upgrade simply because the IS is much better optically. The IS will help you out as long as you're reasonable with what you're asking it. Tell your dad it's every bit as important with stills as it is for video. Especially at longer focal lengths where shutter speed becomes very critical. Even still, it's not and ideal indoor lens, pretty slow, but it will work with the ISO cranked, and you'll have to learn to shoot Av, so start learning. I shoot a 50D, and on occasion my 350D. It's a nice camera, and the 75-300 IS will bring much more out of it than the kit lens.

 

[ifi]

indoors, I have a higher percentage out of focus. Would the IS help me with this.

No.

If your lens is having trouble focusing in low light, IS will not do anything to help.

IS will help you avoid camera shake, but it can't make your lens focus better.

I tend to agree with your dad - that IS is more useful for video. (Not to say that it's not nice to have though.) And he is right - increasing the shutter speed will help avoid camera shake.

IS will allow you to use a longer shutter speed if you have to though. Just remember that it can't stop the subject from moving, so if the shutter speed is too long you'll still get blur from that.


It sounds like the main problem you're having is the lens focusing in low light though. It's a pretty common problem for slower lenses...

All you can really do, short of buying a new lens, is try to get more light into the room. Open the blinds, turn on some lights... It should help...

It is easier for a camera to focus a stabilized image as oppose to an image that is continuously moving at longer focal length.

 

[DennyCrane]

I have the 70-300mm IS, and it's head & shoulders above the 75-300. And I agree- it's probably more of a camera shake issue than one of focus.

 

[subscuck]

I realy wasn't thinking AF performance in my original reply, I was thinking camera shake, but poor AF can also be a cause for soft pics. The IS version will have better low light AF than the very consumer non IS, and coupled with superior optics, it's realy a win-win, provided the money is there for the upgrade.