Is IS that important to you in a lens?

[epp_b]

It is a "godsend" for longer lenses.

[punctuation nazi]
Gah!! Do not use quotation marks for emphasis!
[/punctuation nazi]

 

[Dao]

Wow lots of good feedback here. Thanks. I definitely want IS. And I've ruled out the lens I was looking at which didn't have IS.

My mind is really buzzing now of all the decisions I need to make. Do I get the kit lens (18-55 IS) or the 28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM? What about the 50mm 1.4 USM? How does that fit in, if it does? It's what I want in IQ. Then there's the 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM which is exactly what I want in IQ and performance. But if I get the 28-135 then how much does it buy me to have a 70-200?

Okay much to think about.

IS or Not IS .... It really depends on the type of photography you are going after. If you just want to get started. For the cropped body, 1x -5x mm range lens is a good starting point, with or WITHOUT IS.

For limited budget, it is fine to get the Kit lens. Or spend a little more for the 17-50mm f/2.8 (Tamorn or Sigma). If the shutter speed is fast enough, you do not need IS at all in this range.

Also, do you aware that the 70-200mm F/2.8 IS lens is a lot heavier than the 70-200mm F/4? I learned that someone in here prefer the F/4 because of the weight issue. (3.24lb vs 25 oz)

Seriously, if you do not know what lenses to get right now, then just get the kit lens or the 17-50mm f/2.8 with the camera. No need to worry about other lenses for now. Once you know more, trust me, you will know what to get.

 

[Stilltime]

why not this one? under $600 with IS
Canon | 70-300mm f/4-5.6 EF IS USM Autofocus Lens | 0345B002

That's the lens I have, and I'm really happy with it. I wanted the L series with IS, but couldn't afford it, and the IS was important enough that I felt like I was "settling" had I gone with L that didn't have it. So, I got this one, and will save for the L with IS. But in the mean I much more focal length AND the IS. And now that I've been using the lens with IS, I realize how much I would have regretted going without just to get the L.

My only complaint is how difficult it is to use a CPOF because of how the front element moves when focusing. But I'll live.